Positive Parenting Awareness Month
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors proclaimed January 2025 as Positive Parenting Awareness Month for the 13th year in a row.
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Positive Parenting Awareness Month (PPAM) is celebrated in January each year, as an opportunity to recognize the vital role that parents and caregivers play in raising healthy, resilient children. This year, we’re focusing on KINDNESS as we celebrate families and caregivers and begin the new year. Kindness is the heartwarming force that brings us closer, creating deeper connections and brighter moments, reminding every family that they are seen, valued, and supported!
Join us for a month full of fun family activities and Triple P classes that we hope will leave you feeling inspired as a parent and as a family.
Laid Back Book Club
Join the Watsonville Public Library and the Santa Cruz Public Libraries as they host the Laid Back Book Club during Positive Parenting Awareness Month. Each participating library has selected a book related to this year’s theme of Kindness. Read the featured book together and express your reflections inspired by the story, using art supplies provided by the library.
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Enter your name into the raffle box by February 1 for a chance to win the books! Libraries participating in Laid Back Book Club:
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Boulder Creek Public Library
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Book: The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness from the Border by Stephen Briseño and Magdalena Mora
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Capitola Public Library
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Book: Kindness is My Superpower: a children’s book about empathy, kindness and compassion by Alicia Ortego
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Downtown Public Library
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Book: I Walk With Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness by Kerascoët
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Live Oak Public Library
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Book: Run, Little Chaski!: An Inka Trail Adventure by Mariana Llanos
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Scotts Valley Public Library
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Book: Try a Little Kindness by Henry Cole
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Watsonville Public Library
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Book: Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer
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This is an amazing opportunity to read a featured book encompassing the theme of kindness, reflect, and become inspired as a family.
Community Events for Families
Join the YMCA for some fun Family Zumba!
January 10th and 24th from 5pm-6pm
Bring the whole family together for some fun and fitness with our FREE Family Latin Dance Class! Enjoy lively Latin beats, easy-to-follow dance moves, and quality time with loved ones in a welcoming, upbeat atmosphere. All ages and skill levels are welcome—no experience necessary! Let’s move, groove, and create memories while staying active as a family!
Location: 27 Sudden St, Watsonville
Admission: FREE!
Take a Family Hike Through Elkhorn Slough as a part of Together We Heal
January 11, 2025 from 10:00 - 11:30 am
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Join Juan Ramirez, staff of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF), for a day to celebrate family outdoors. Participants will connect with other families and hike at an ESF-protected property. The hike itself will be two hours long through some rare habitats, with constant stops for bird watching, native plant identification, and plenty of restoration stories. This will be a bilingual event.
Location: 360 Hall Rd, Watsonville 95076
Admission: FREE!
Child Development Milestones 0-3 years: Making sure your child is reaching their potential!
January 17th @ 10am and Jan 31st @ 5pm
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Are you curious about your child's development in the areas of speech, behavior, fine and gross motor, and social emotional learning? In this workshop we will cover the basic milestones children should be reaching from ages 0-3, and strategies families can use to get the most out of their child's early development. Our child development specialist and an Occupational Therapist will also be present to provide their expertise and answer any developmental questions you might have. We will also discuss next steps and free therapeutic resources available through the California Early Start program.
Presented by Stars Therapy Services / Infant Program. This event will be in English.
Location: First 5 Santa Cruz County Office, 4450 Capitola Rd, Capitola, CA 95010
Admission: FREE!
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Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance presents “The Importance of Maintaining and Strengthening Family Values”
January 16th at 5 pm
This workshop will focus on the ancestral rooted teachings that have been passed down in traditional stories and lived experiences. These family and cultural values continue to serve as guides to strengthen family relationships and address challenges that are played out in everyday life in our families and communities. This event will be in Spanish.
Location: 422 East Lake Ave. Watsonville, CA 95076
Admission: FREE!
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Family Art Day at Pajaro Valley Arts!
January 30th from 12-2 pm
Location: 37 Sudden St, Watsonville (next to the YMCA).
Register here: https://forms.gle/RLPv7PpqMubJdbqRA
Join us at Pajaro Valley Arts for a creative afternoon filled with bilingual gallery tours of our #whatever: Members Exhibit and hands-on art activities like tie-dye paintings, bracelet-making, and more in our backyard gardens! Fun for all ages and admission is FREE! This event will be bilingual.
Location: 37 Sudden St, Watsonville
Admission: FREE!
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Community Bridges
Family Fairs
Community Bridges will be hosting their annual Family Fun Fairs as part of PPAM! Join this fun event with your family and connect with local agencies, meet the Triple P Parent Educators, and enjoy a fantastic event filled with food, games, and prizes!
January 18, 2025 - 11:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Live Oak Community Resources, 1740 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
January 25, 2025 - 11:00 – 2:00 p.m.
La Manzana Community Resources, 521 Main Street, Watsonville, CA 95076
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Triple P has created a Family Activity Calendar with 31 days of tips and activities for you and your family to enjoy together! As you go through January, take time to engage in activities, such as reflecting on what kindness means to you, starting a gratitude jar, and moving and grooving as a family! This is a fun way to integrate positive parenting strategies in your everyday life, and as a result, connect as a family.
