by Conni Navarre, Founder of Mother Soulstice The transformation into motherhood is a time of tremendous joy and love that can be coupled with the distress of one’s own personal need to heal both physically and emotionally post birth. Many women don’t receive adequate education and support during this time, which can leave them feeling isolated in their recovery. In…
by Polly Jirkovsky Gual PEPS staff were excited to attend the Infant and Early Childhood Conference held in Tacoma on May 3rd and 4th. While the conference focuses on Early Children Special Needs providers, it brings together a wide variety of parents, health professionals, educators and government and nonprofit workers. Topics such as the importance of music and art for…
Five years ago, Katja Petersen and her husband joined a PEPS group. “We are both originally from Mexico. When we were pregnant with our first child, we found ourselves with no support network. Thankfully, a friend of ours introduced us to PEPS,” Katja said. “The experience of being an immigrant is not easy because people we love are far away. We are forced to build relationships and connections with people that might not speak our language,…
Life is full of firsts, and when your children are young, it seems like every time you turn around they’re at the next milestone. While savoring all of these special moments, it’s also important to be planning ahead – especially when it comes to saving for college. Every little bit that you’re able to put away today substantially reduces the…
Parents talk to their kids about everything – Why is the sky blue? Why do we wash our hands before we eat? Why should I be nice to my sister? Every day kids ask, and parents respond. And often it’s the parents job to talk about topics proactively – everything from learning letters and math concepts to safety to getting…
Counting on Community was the theme of this year’s PEPS Benefit Luncheon. Copies decorated the tables and everyone who attended came home with this colorful board book that counts up fun neighborhood activities and relationships. When PEPS contacted the author, Innosanto Nagara, to ask if we could share his book at the Luncheon, he said simply that community belongs to…
PEPS will be at The Biggest Baby Shower Ever on June 6. From 5:30-9 pm at Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center. Stop by our table to say Hi!
When she was pregnant, Jen had researched PEPS and signed up. When Jen finally had her baby, however, she called PEPS to cancel. While postpartum mood and anxiety disorder are very common, affecting 1 in 5 new moms, many women without a mental health history are completely unprepared for this postpartum complication. Jen said there were signs leading up to what…
by Debbie LeeKeenan We all know the benefit of reading to our children from the earliest ages—reading helps babies develop language, hearing words helps brain development by building a rich network of synapses, and reading creates a caring bond between the child and reader. But did you know another important reason to read to children is that books provide…
This post was originally published on local author Tracy Cutchlow’s Zero to Five website. My 5-year-old came over to my bedroom door with a paper heart she had colored in and cut out … and then cut in half. She taped the broken heart to my door. We had been wrestling over bedtime. I had tucked her in and she sang, “I’m going to follow yooou.” She…
