Are You a Help Me Grow Dad?

Are you a proud dad who felt the secret "now what?" of having your newborn placed in your arms for the first time? Did your hand feel enormous cradling your infant's fragile head, your fingers fat and cumbersome securing a diaper? Becoming a dad is an exciting and emotional experience, but it's also just the start of questions and concerns about your child's development, behavior, and learning. Today's dads can take some of the "now whats" and guesswork out of fatherhood by checking in with Help Me Grow Shasta. It's a free way to grow into fatherhood and get questions answered 24/7 about children from birth to age eight.

DADS AND DEVELOPMENT

Mike Lindsay from Northern California Child Development, Inc. is a champion of involved dads and he says, "To a child, dad is a super star. Positively involved fathers help nurture their child's optimal early development. Engagement with their fathers helps children gain confidence, motivation, and essential skills, including language and literacy, that they need for a solid start in school."

Fathers play an essential role in the healthy development of their children. Mike is talking about fathers being hands-on, whether that is side-by-side with mom or on your own with your child. Your gentle touch changing diapers, the rhythm of your voice and warm snuggle reading a bedtime story, your ability to cut loose and play on the floor, in the backyard, and at the park – these are all things you can do to support your child's physical and emotional development.

GET ANSWERS

But what about all those questions? There comes a day in every dad's life when he wonders if his child's development is on track. When you're wondering if he is sitting up like most kids do, grabbing objects, crawling, walking, and talking like most kids do, those are ideal times to connect with Help Me Grow Shasta. You'll be able to ask your question and a Help Me Grow Shasta Care Coordinator will provide you with support resources and contacts to get expert advice or services for your child, if needed.

DO THE AGES & STAGES QUESTIONNAIRE

Help Me Grow Shasta also makes Ages & Stages Questionnaires available that help parents check their child's developmental progress. A Care Coordinator will review the results with you and can even send a copy to your child's healthcare provider, keeping everyone on the same page. This makes it easy to identify concerns that need attention and get families connected with resources and services.

But, if you're an eager Help Me Grow dad, you may want to do your own Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) right away to see what it's all about. You can access two different types of online ASQs that will help you find out what to expect next from your little super star.

ASQ-3. The ASQ-3 will help you track your child's walking, talking, and behavioral developmental milestones. It includes questions about communication, gross motor and fine motor skills, problem solving, and personal social skills. You'll answer questions about things your child can and can't do .You can get an ASQ-3 at https://www.asqonline.com//family/ceca54

ASQ-SE-2. The ASQ-SE-2 will help you track your child's social-emotional developmental milestones. It includes questions about your child's ability to calm down, take direction and follow rules, act independently, perform daily activities like eating and sleeping, demonstrate feelings, and interact with others. You can get an ASQ-SE-2 at https://www.asqonline.com/family/2610f8

After you have completed your online ASQ, a Help Me Grow Care Coordinator will follow up with you to review the results of the ASQ-3 or the ASQ-SE-2.

WHAT ELSE DOES HELP ME GROW COVER?

Help Me Grow Shasta isn't just about child development. Dads can ask about things like:

• Developmental milestones
• Child health
• Food & eating
• Behavior
• Speech & language
• Early learning & literacy
• Parenting
• Support groups
• Social skills
• Developmental delays & disabilities

All fathers have questions when they're raising precious babies, toddlers, and children who are growing into curious kindergarteners and savvy students. Help Me Grow dads get answers. Ask your first question by calling 2-1-1 and asking for a Help Me Grow Specialist or visit www.helpmegrowshasta.com and use the "Connect" form to submit a question online.