As the saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child,” and Associated Pediatricians is standing as a strong pillar of support in villages across Northwest Indiana by hosting educational events and classes regarding childcare at all ages.
“Community outreach is a really important part of what we do,” said Dr. Elizabeth Campbell, partner and pediatrician at Associated Pediatricians. “We really value helping parents learn and grow, so we have a variety of opportunities for parents and for patients.”
From a child’s time developing in the womb to their early adulthood years, the Valparaiso and Portage-based pediatrics office holds a variety of classes and events throughout the year, including:
- A breastfeeding basics class led by an on-staff lactation consultant to teach new and expecting moms all about this method of feeding their child.
- A newborn basics class led by Physician Dr. Aubrey Coleman is geared at helping new and expecting parents learn how to care for their baby. A car seat technician is also present to teach parents how to install the seat to keep their child safe on the road.
- Classes held in conjunction with partner Kidworks on early childhood development. Topics rotate between feeding, coordination, fine motor skills, and other various topics as children transition from infants to toddlers.
- A potty training basics class led by two of Associated Pediatrician’s nurse practitioners to help parents with the challenges of teaching their child to use the toilet.
- Mental health classes through a partnership with Purdue University Northwest (PNW). The first of these classes is a workshop to teach teens how to best manage their stress and control anxiety. There’s also a shared version of this class that allows parents to learn these skills, as well as tips on how to manage the stress and nuances that come with everyday life.
- Other special, one-time mental health classes through PNW, such as how to get kids ready for going back to school. A separate class will also be held for college students on how to best prepare for the new school year.
The purpose of each of these classes is to provide parents and children alike with tools to foster a healthy upbringing, relationship with one another, and overall quality of life. Campbell noted that sometimes, the best learning experiences for parents come from watching others who have walked a similar path before them, and Associated Pediatricians wants to provide that network for all moms, dads, and caretakers across the Region, no matter where they may be in their parenting journey.
“We know that knowledge is power, and we know that as parents, we need lots of tools in our toolbox,” Campbell said. “We learn how to parent by watching those around us, by watching our parents parent when we're young. Along the way, we sometimes get a kiddo that doesn't match what we have in our toolboxes. We really want to give parents a variety of tools to help them in their parenting journey and to raise kids who are strong and resilient and happy and on the right path.”
As Associated Pediatricians has been settling into its new community space it acquired in the past few years that comes with a dedicated classroom space, the team is excited to both expand upon its current classes and grow its educational inventory.
“We hope to be offering infant and child CPR classes and first aid classes in the near future. We're going to continue to expand our variety of courses in relation to child development and other topics that appear as children grow up, too,” Campbell said.
With a goal to help families expand their toolkits, work through challenging tasks, and grow stronger than ever before, Associated Pediatricians is excited to welcome families to any of its classes with open arms.
“In the toddler classes, for example, we’ve helped parents realize that their toddler is picking their mind on a regular basis is normal, and we can also help coach them through some of those things,” Campbell said. “It's really great to help the parents learn, grow, and tackle challenges that they thought were particularly difficult.”
Classes are held on various dates depending on the course, so be sure to visit the Associated Pediatricians website and follow its social media to stay up to date on class topics and times. Registration for the classes can be found on the office’s website, by calling either the Valparaiso location at 219-462-0555, or by calling the Portage location at 219-364-3250. The team can’t wait to see you there!
