SAN DIEGO -- Jasmine Short, 2, plays happily on the floor with a stack of flash cards. She can't read them yet, but thanks to this little game with her mother, she is on her way to learning the connection between written words and language.
"She actually gets it and she points at the different things and tells me what it is and that kind of thing," Jasmine's mother, Carolyn Short, said.
The importance of word games and reading to young children is just one lesson Short and other parents learned from a kit from
The First 5 Commission of San Diego.
"The Kit For New Parents" includes a set of videotapes with tips on everything from choosing childcare to understanding the baby's first year of life.
For Tanya Joyner, the videotapes have been a life saver, she said. Joyner already has a 10- and 11-year old, but after adopting 4-month-old Sahanna, she realized she needed help.
"I've used the kit to help me since it's been a long time since I've had an infant," she said.
The kit also contains a parents' guide, published by the University of California, Berkeley. The 66-page guide includes basic information on everything from pregnancy nutrition, to keeping toddlers safe, to handling stubborn teenagers.
There are resources for parents who need help, and there is a section for notes and phone numbers.
"It helps both the child and the parent grow in a way that helps them explore the world better," said Liz Creer with The Regional Perinatal System. Her organization is helping distribute 43,000 kits this year, for The First 5 Commission of San Diego.
Many couples receive the kit before their baby is even born, which Creer said is very important.
"The point of having the kit early, in other words that it's for a new parent, is that they can start using these strategies from the beginning," Creer explained.
Getting the right start can help ensure a child's physical, emotional and social well-being. The First 5 Commission of San Diego is committed to improving the lives of children under the age of 5, to make sure they are prepared to start kindergarten.
The Kit For New Parents is available through doctors' offices, hospitals, child-care centers and more. The kit can also be ordered directly from the state of California, and shipped to parents for free.
The number to order an English version is
(800) 543-7025. To order a kit in Spanish, call
(800) 506-4667.
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