Monica Place for Pregnant and Parenting Youth

With the holidays behind us, and the province in lockdown again with schools closed, we know this will be a difficult time for many families. Check out @KidsMentalHlth’s expert child and youth mental health tips to help you through the winter http://ow.ly/oCWv50D2xJm #kidscantwait #MonicaPlace #changinglivestwoatatime

Yes! The best investment you can make in the health of children is to invest in the health of the mother

Help is available from child and mental health experts who can talk to your child or you, or both. They can help you determine whether what your child is doing/feeling is normal or if they need more help. Find help https://cmho.org/findhelp/ #kidscantwait #monicaplace

Send this to a new mama that might be feeling lonely.

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy 2021

Merry Christmas Everyone

Hope all the littles will go to sleep tonight! Merry Christmas Everyone #christmaseve

anyone else excited for Christmas???

What do Elves study in School? the 'elf-abet"....

We did a christmas photo shoot with some of our families. How CUTE are these little ones???

We could not celebrate Christmas without the Knights of Columbus annual toy drive. This incredible group of volunteers run a year round operation to provide toys for children in Waterloo Region. They truly do bring the magic and we are so grateful for them

Our Christmas celebration had to look different this year. Social distancing required an outdoor walk with our families for a play date at the park..... and look who surprised us? none other than the big guy himself! HO HO HO #Covidchristmas

Is this Santa's workshop or our staff office in Cambridge? Thank you St Vincent de Paul School in Cambridge for this amazing donation for our families!

Thank you the Mary Allen Neighbourhood Association for donating the proceeds of your Christmas tree sale to us :) We love our neighborhood!!!

Today’s Giving highlight for 12 Days of Giving is Monica Place for Pregnant and Parenting Youth. Their website is Monicaplace.ca #GuelphShops #GuelphGives Guelph Gives

Today marks the last day of the #ConnectProject. We have enjoyed being able to share the work and knowledge of these young women with all of you. We hope you have learned a thing or two!

Sometimes the strongest thing you can do is ask for help!

Guess what!?! It’s #ThankyouThursday! Thank you to everyone who give to Monica Place on #GivingTuesday. The money raised will help a pregnant or parenting young mom have the chance to be a healthy mom to a healthy child. It means a lot to know you are there for Monica Place and the young women we serve. #thankyouthursday #monicaplace #changing2lives

There is no one way to be a parent. When it comes to parenting, we can all learn a thing or two from each other!

You can be part of the support a young mom from Monica Place. Help us raise $10,000 to support programs for at risk and vulnerable pregnant or parenting young moms and their children. Your money will help provide food hampers and baby supplies to those that critically need them, opportunities for young moms to continue their education, parenting training and coaching, as well as modifications to our services due to COVID-19. #givingtuesday #monicaplace #change2lives https://givingtuesday.ca/partners/monica-place

Its #GivingTuesday! Monica Place needs you! Today we want to raise $10,000 to support the real needs of pregnant and parenting young moms and children in crisis who don’t have easy access to critical supports they need to be a healthy and well family. Help us reach our goal today.

Tomorrow is #GivingTuesday. Are you ready to help a pregnant or parenting young moms and her baby get the support they need? At Monica Place, we support pregnant and parenting young women who are isolated, separated from family, experiencing the impact of traumatic life experiences, mental health challenges, addiction issues, sexual abuse and/or trafficking, and homelessness. Through Monica Place, they have access to things like mental health supports, opportunities to complete their education, parenting training, a safe place to live and daily access to parenting coaching. On #GivingTuesday help us raise $10,000 to support these life changing programs for young moms and their children #monicaplace #changing2lives

Your primary care provider will keep up with your child’s speech milestones at every visit and will advise if your child is reaching the right milestones. It is recommended to bring up any concerns you might have at each visit.

Playing isn't just fun, it's also the best way for young children to learn. By playing, children can practice all the skills they'll need as they grow up. To grow and develop, children need time and attention from someone who is happy to play with them!

An update on our call for help with Preemie clothes- We are BEYOND grateful for the generous and thoughtful community we work within. We have received donations from online shoppers from Carters (Thank you) packages arrived today! We also had a young woman drop off new shopping for our sweet babe with a note that she was a past resident here ten years ago! How awesome is that? #earlychristmasblessings We need a donation of new or gently used preemie size diapers and preemie clothes for a very small little girl - please email [email protected] if you can help

One of the #ConnectProject women identified reading to their baby as one of their top ways to help encourage development. Here are some of the benefits of reading to your baby!

Some tips from one of the #ConnectProject Women. All babies are different. Learn about what can cause your baby to be clingy and fussy. Here are some simple ways to help get them and YOU through it!

Tummy time can be started right away. How long should tummy time be? It's recommended to do over 60 mins per day!

Some tips from the young women from the #ConnectProject on foods to eat and not eat during pregnancy!

Who else gets mama guilt? We're here to remind you that you're not alone. Not every day will be good, but there is good in every day!

For today's #ConnectProject post, we want to hear from YOU! Comment below which ones you would choose!

Sleep is so important and sometimes when life gets busy, it can be hard to get enough sleep. Even if it's hard, try your best to get at least seven hours of sleep a night!

Feeling tired? Mom fatigue can be the worst! Try some of these tips to help fight the fatigue and regain some energy.

This weeks #ConnectProject post highlights a quote from a young woman at Monica Place which focuses on how Monica Place has helped her.

Just after birth and for the first three months, babies can only see in black and white, with shades of grey (ANSWER: B). At around four months of age, the baby’s colour vision will slowly develop! #tuesdaytrivia #infantfacts #themoreyouknow

Make time for your mental health! #mentalhealthmonday #priority #worthmakingtimefor #twoatatime *Design inspiration from @crazyheadcomics

"Being a mother has given me a purpose that I never thought I would have. I am so thankful that Monica Place has been by my side to support me and my baby along the way - A present student at Monica Place

This Thursday we are thinking about what our children need from us and how we can support them #thursdaythoughts #supportingchildren #changinglivestwoatatime

Another Wednesday = Another #ConnectProject post! This one focuses on some ways to help relieve the stress you may be feeling.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We are so thankful for our wonderful staff, volunteers, young families and community. #thanksgiving #thankful #changinglivestwoatatime

#ConnectProject: "Postpartum awareness is very important because there's a lot of women who go through this feeling alone. If you or anybody you know feels like this, seek medical help and know that you are not alone, and you are amazing!"

Never give up on your goals! #thursdaythoughts #motivation #inspiration #youcandoit

For this Wednesday's Connect Project post, we are sharing some tips on things to do when you are feeling down. These tips are from the young woman who created the post! #ConnectProject

Although every child learns to speak at their own pace, it is still beneficial to have a general idea of the different speech milestones! #mentalhealthmonday #speechmilestones #languagedevelopment

Happy Friday! What better way to start off your weekend than with a post from our Connect Project. The young woman who created this post details an experience at Monica Place. "At Monica Place I had the privilege to meet many other young moms in similar situations as me. I was able to speak to them openly about what I'm struggling with as a mother, without judgment which was great! I’m happy that I was able to communicate my feelings without the fear of being judged.

This Thursday we are thinking about the importance of skin-to-skin contact after birth! The benefits of doing this during infancy carry on for years to come. #thursdaythoughts #skintoskin #newborns

It's Wednesday, which means it is time for another post from our Connect Project! This post focuses on the different types of online platforms you can use to stay in touch with your family and friends during the pandemic. #ConnectProject

Happy Friday! This is the first post from our Connect Project. This post serves as a reminder that YOU are AMAZING & never forget it! #ConnectProject #RBCFutureLaunch

We love moms who support other moms! #thursdaythoughts #changinglivestwoatatime #futuremakers #letsstandtogether

COVID necessitates that we get our babies outside of our nursery more - so we put out a call for a double stroller and our local Toys"R"Us Canada on Fairway answered the call again. Thank you so much!

Introducing The Connect Project! This project was made possible through the RBC Future Launch Community Challenge grant. Our main goal was to hire two young women who use Monica Place as a resource and provide them with the opportunity to gain professional work experience while developing online supports for other new moms. Over the course of the summer, these two young women have created a variety of social media posts that focus on all things motherhood. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing these posts they created every Wednesday and Friday. We hope you enjoy and learn something from what these young women have created! #RBCFuturelaunch

When you sing to your baby it allows them to bond to you and your voice. In addition to the cognitive language benefits singing has for your child, the familiar voice also allows them to feel safe and secure. #mentalhealthmonday #childdevelopment #singtoyourbaby

Today we are thinking about social media and how it can influence our perspective. We need to continue to acknowledge young women for their capabilities and accomplishments, not just their appearances. #thursdaythoughts #womenempowerment #socialmediaawareness

It’s mental health Monday again, and this week we are encouraging you to check your battery! It is important to be able to recognize how you are feeling and know when your battery needs to be recharged. #mentalhealthmonday #howdoyoufeel #emotionalawareness

which would you choose? #sleepalltheway

Happy TEN year workaversary to our amazing receptionist Susan. Susan has worked so hard over the past few months working to keep everyone safe. We appreciate all you do for us Susan.

You don't need fancy toys to play with your baby :)

Today we welcome back our students and their babies! Although things may look a little different, we are still very excited for a new school year! #welcomestudents #changinglivestwoatatime #newschoolyear

Positive parenting helps to build healthier relationships between parents and their children. By incorporating these positive parenting principles, the child can become intrinsically motivated to choose the behaviours that their parents prefer. #mentalhealthmonday #positiveparenting #childbehaviour #parentingishard

A positive reminder to focus your energy on what you CAN control and not the situations that are OUT of your control! #thursdaythoughts #mindfulness #positivethinking

Who knew that laughter had so many positive benefits? Let’s make our babies laugh and smile today! #mentalhealthmonday #happybabies #babydevelopment

Repeating positive affirmations to yourself daily can help to change your pattern of thinking! #thursdaythoughts #mindfulness #mentalhealth #positivity

Did you know that until four months of age babies cannot taste salt? (ANSWER: B). One reason babies love breastmilk so much is because it is very sweet, and they are able to taste that from birth! #tuesdaytrivia #infantfacts #tastebuds #themoreyouknow

Tummy time has so many important benefits for your baby's development, it is almost magical! #mentalhealthmonday #tummytime #babydevelopment

Monica Place offers access to on-site counselling and support services for both mental and physical health as well as parenting and life skills programming. #thursdaythoughts #changinglivestwoatatime

A great video to watch!

Reading to your child every day is one of the most important things you can do as a parent! #mentalhealthmonday #cognitivedevelopment #storytime #learning

No one is perfect and that’s okay! Every day is a new opportunity to learn and grow. #inspiration #wesupportyou #twoatatime

"Monica Place is loved for providing a safe and secure environment that allows us grow with our child." #thursdaythoughts #changinglivestwoatatime #prioritizingsafety