Family Food Science Night

We are excited to offer our first ever Family Night Event in partnership with ETI and X8 Labs.  Come out to The Hub in Pembroke and enjoy an evening with hands on food science activities for the youth while the adults get the chance to learn about quick, affordable, healthy snack recipes that they can teach their children how to make.  The event is free and includes dinner for the family.  All we ask is that your register by clicking this link so we will know how much food to have ready.  So come on out on Thursday, March 20, at 6 pm and see what all the fun and learning is about!

Family Canning Night

 

We are excited to offer a brand new opportunity, Family Canning Night.  4-H and Family and Consumer Sciences are partnering for this first ever opportunity.  On December 11, from 6-8 pm, we will offer a canning safety class with practical experience as you make and can Tomato Jam as a family.  The cost is $10 per family (up to four people per family).  This cost will cover supplies.  Registration is on a first come first serve basis and must be done in person with payment at our office at 455 Caton Road, Lumberton, NC 28360.  There is a limit of 16 people for the class.   For questions please contact Wendy Maynor, Family Consumer Science Extension Agent at Wendy_Maynor@ncsu.edu or Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Extension Agent at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu.   

PBS Rootle Roadster Tour

FUN FREE FAMILY event! Please consider sharing with friends, families, and other possible fans outside of 4-H.

PBS Rootle Roadster Tour is making Robeson County one of its stops on the NC tour. The event will take place on Saturday, June 25, 2022 from 9:30 to 12:30 pm at UNCP.  If you would like to know more about the tour please click on this link:  https://www.pbsnc.org/about/pressroom/pbs-north-carolina-rootle-roadster-learning-resources-communities/

If you work with an organization that would like to set up a booth and be a community partner for this family fun event just fill out the online form that can be found at this link:   https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe56WrU0dTiS5TkXTKKLcj5fsLm7GIj0agC2Abw7odRdAt4vQ/viewform 

For more questions about this event please contact Stacie Kinlaw at at the Partnership for Children at skinlaw@rcpartnership4children.org.

October Growing together News Letter

In this months newsletter you will find information on:
-Writing thank you notes
-The importance of make believe
-Making the transition from work to home
and much more.
You can find the full newsletter at:  https://growingchild.com/uploads/growingtogether/5753ka/Oct19.pdf
Thank you to Kim Allen for sharing these stories and tips with us to enhance our program and lives.

Stregthening Families, The Introduction

 

 Strengthening Families is a program developed by Cooperative Extension in Iowa.  The seven week program allows families with children between the ages of 9-14 to work together to strengthen communication, give them tools to talk about tough subjects, and bring the families together in those sensitive tween years.  

  Tonight we started our series with three families which have five children.  Traditionally on the first night we have dinner, break into two groups (adult and youth), and start breaking the ice and learning about the program.  After the breakout session the families come together to practice using the tools they received during the breakout sessions.  As part of that we played human knot and other team building games to make sure everyone had a chance to start working together.

  Thanks to United Way funding we are able to offer this program annually for free to families.  If you would like more information about this program please contact Christy Strickland, Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent at (910) 671-3276.   

Our Last Night Together

I think I might cry. It was our last night of Strengthening Families and as our group came together for the last time to celebrate accomplishments and review what we had learned making it a bittersweet evening.

As always we had a special dinner, fried chicken, Christy's very special mashed potatoes (as prepared by Penny with only one Emergency call to make sure they were right-and oh boy were they right!), green beans, biscuits and a very special dessert.

After we ate we broke into our parent and youth groups. The youth worked with Aggie Rogers reviewing our commitments to walk away from peer pressure, walk away from bad influences, and try to communicate with our families. The parents discussed the tools that they have implemented and how well they work. The parents also discussed how asking for help during stressful times can make families stronger. They worked on exercises that included how different agencies to suggest in helping other families and how, as friends and neighbors, they can make a positive difference in their lives.

In the family session we reviewed what we had done over the last six weeks and watched a slide show of our different meetings. After, parents and youth completed evaluations that will give us the data we need to show what a positive impact this program can have on their lives. Last but not least the parents and youth wrote letters to each other that have been sealed in envelopes to be mailed to them in three to four weeks. We hope this reminder will encourage them to keep up the hard work, and be an example of how far they have come as a family. To cap it all off we had our graduation ceremony with certificates for each family. After graduation we celebrated with our closing circle, and cut up our special dessert, a blue ribbon cake because all of our families are blue ribbon families.

We hope to offer a followup session in November for all of our participants over the last two years. The followup session will give everyone a chance to come together and share the tools that are working for them and other things that they have found that are making a positive difference for their families.

If you would like more information about the Strengthening Families Program please contact Christy Strickland, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent at (910) 671-3276 or Chrsity_Strickland@ncsu.edu.

Getting Familes Ready to Calmly Apply Their Tools

Tackling the really tough topics is how we rounded out our sixth "Strengthening Families" program this week. In our separate sessions youth and parents learned how to work on topics such as drugs, drinking, cheating, and stealing.
In the parents session our adults learned about how to help protect their youth against drug and alcohol abuse. They worked with Christy Strickland, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent to learn about ways to interact effectively with the youth's school and how to properly monitor their children and ask the important questions that need to be asked and answered.
In the youth session our children finished up learning and practicing the tools it takes to avoid peer pressure. They learned about walking away from the situation and using the person's name and asking them to listen, to help calmly diffuse the situation and give them a way out. They also learned about the qualities they want in a good friend, one who will not get them in trouble. They also identified the qualities that make a bad friend and show the people they do not want to be around.
During the family session the families named the tools they will need to solve issues together as a family. They also demonstrated how as families they can work together to support their youth as they face peer pressure and let them work it out themselves. The parents learned the need to stay calm and discuss the problem while making sure they support their child.
We will be taking a break while our families apply their tools in the real world. We will come back together as a group April 1 for a refresher, support and to graduate from this program. If you would like to learn more about the "Strengthening Families" program please contact Christy Strickland, Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent at (910) 671-3276 or Christy_Strickland@ncsu.edu.

Learning the Signs to Peer Pressure

Week five for our "Strengthening Families" has us learning all types of signs. Our youth learned about the signs of peer pressure while the parents learned about signs youth give them and what they are communicating.
After a fabulous lasagna dinner we split up into our parent and youth sessions. The parents learned about listening for feelings. For example when your child is complaining about doing the dishes, are they just complaining or are the trying to let you know how they feel? Often times youth have a difficult time expressing their feelings. their complaints may be a way of them to express frustration. Often how parents handle complaining and frustration are two different tactics and it is important for them to know the difference between the two. The listening exercises will give them the opportunity to better listen to their youth and validate their feelings making communication between the two easier.
The youth learned about the effects and causes of peer pressure. They also had the opportunity to learn about some ways to combat peer pressure. As part of the lesson our youth had the opportunity to practice these tools of asking questions, naming the problem, talking about the consequences, and offering an alternative.
During the family session the youth and parents practiced listening and communicating skills. Together the families worked on problem solving. Each family picked a problem such as, fighting over the bathroom. Then the families worked together to understand each person's view on the particular subject and together created a plan to solve the problem while keeping everyones point of view in mind.
Our next meeting will take place on March 4 then we will take a small break to practice the skills we have learned and then come back together in April to refresh, recap and graduate. For more information about "Strengthening Families" please contact Christy Strickland, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent at (910) 671-3276 or Christy_Strickland@ncsu.edu.

Rules are Meant to be Broken?

Our fourth session of Strengthening Families had us learning life lessons. For the youth it was all about figuring out that everyone has to follow rules and have responsibilities and when they don't follow the rules, or experiencing consequences. For the adults it was learning how to stay calm and respectful, and learning how to use appropriate penalties for appropriate problems.
As part of a game on rules and responsibilities the youth had the opportunity to earn drivers licenses and cars. Each one had to drive from station to station and drew a card. On the back it stated a rule and whether or not they had broken it. If they followed the rule, or lived up to their responsibility they continued in the game. If they broke the rule they lost one or two turns. At the end of the game we talked about what it felt like following rules and breaking rules and what they needed to do to make good choices.
During the family session the youth and parents talked about their family values. Together they made a family shield that illustrates their shared family values. The families worked together to cut out photos from a magazine and made a collage. During the family circle at the end of the night each family member stated one shared value they have and pointed it out on their family shield.
Our next "Strengthening Families" workshop will take place on Thursday, February 25. If you would like to know more about this program please contact Christy Strickland, Family and Consumer Science Agent at (910) 671-3276 or Christy_Strickland@ncsu.edu.

Juggling Stress on all Levels

Our third Strengthening Families Session was full of surprises. After a fantastic spaghetti dinner (complete with yummy garlic bread) we split into our adult and youth groups. Christy and Janice worked with the adults on developing positive relationships with their children. They also talked about making a point system with their children so that they will do things that need to be done in return for rewards, such as having a friend over.
The youth talked about things that stress them out. They talked about stresses like bad grades, homework, friends that ignore them. Together they identified things that make them feel better and lesson the stresses that they face. Our youth identified things such as talking to friends, screaming into a pillow, sleeping, and praying as things that help them reduce the stresses in their day to day lives. At the end of the session we asked them to identify stressing situations in the next week and try to implement one of these stress reducers in helping them to deal with it.

During our family time the youth and adults learned about family meetings. Each received a copy of the ground rules for family meetings (things like respecting each others opinions) and started their own mini meeting with a round of compliments. Then the parents shared some of the items they worked on in the parent session with their children. After learning about finishing off meetings with a family activity the families received some ideas of how to do this and a deck of cards so they could play a game with each other. At the end of the family session we closed with our traditional circle while the youth and parents talked about privileges the children would like to earn and we all gave our pledges to each other.

We will meet for session four Thursday, February 18, at 6:00. For more information about this program or other parenting information please contact Christy Strickland, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent at (910) 671-3276 or Christy_Strickland@ncsu.edu.

Walking in their Shoes

Our second "Strengthening Families" program gave a little perspective to everyone in the family. As always we started the program eating dinner together (this week we had some of Christy's special recipe chili as prepared by Penny and grilled cheese sandwiches). After our brief meal we split up with adults in one room and youth in another.
During the youth session we talked about the pressures parents and caregivers must deal with as well as the pressures youth face. We played a game that made each youth think about why parents react the way they do (often times it is not because they want to be mean, it is because they care about what happens to their children). We also made special compliment cards for each youth to remind them how special they are as individuals and allow them to have something on rough days to look at and remind themselves of the good things about them.

The parents worked on I statements to help them identify things they would like to work on for themselves and their families. The I statements were taken home for them to place somewhere where everyone in the family could see them and work on them together.

During the family session each family made a tree. This was more than your typical family tree. It was a tree that showed family members, their characteristics, and strengths. It was an opportunity for each member of the family to show the important characteristics that they see in each other.

At the end of the session we came together as a group in our circle. At that time the parents/caregivers and youth both give positive aspects of the other and say their pledges. It was a wonderful evening for all.

Setting Really Good Family Goals

It was a goal of the 4-H and Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) staffs to organize a second incredible "Strengthening Families" program. Guess what? We did it again. We had our first program Thursday night and enjoyed five families getting to know each other.

Strengthening Families is a program that involves families with youth between the ages of 10 and 14. Each week we have a new theme, with lessons that build on each other. The first week has to do with setting goals. After eating together we split the adults and youth. Christy Strickland and Janice Fields, FCS Extension Agents, work with the adults while Shea Ann DeJarnette and Aggie Rogers with the 4-H Staff work with the youth. The adults go over multimedia lessons and activities and have the opportunity to share issues they are facing. The youth work on hands on lessons and learn how to communicate and help relate better to their parents. After sessions apart the families come together to work on activities that build on what they learned in their separate sessions. For example, the youth worked setting goals and learning what it takes to make those goals reality. As part of this they created a collage that shows their goals for their future professions, health, friends and family, and hobbies and leisure. After creating their collages, the parents had to figure out which on belonged to their child. After identifying the correct masterpiece, they began a conversation learning what it will take to help their child achieve their goals, and the youth asked their parents questions like; what were your goals when you were my age? It allowed them to learn more about each other.

This group will meet each week through March. As part of the program parents and youth will gain skills to deal with tough subjects like drugs, bullying, smoking and other risky behaviors. If you would like more information about this program, please contact Christy Strickland, Family Consumer Sciences Extension Agent at (910) 671-3276 or Christy_Strickland@ncsu.edu.

Giving is a Year Round Gift from 4-H

Giving back to the community, or creating citizen leaders as Dr. Marshall Stewart says, is a large aspect of 4-H work. Our Robeson County 4-H members are no different. On the night we honor them, our annual 4-H Youth Achievement Night, they were thinking of others. Each family brought a gift for a child in the foster care program. Many of these youth will not receive gifts if it were not for the thoughtfulness of others. When we got done collecting there were so many toys that we filled 5 large boxes with games, books, toys, coloring books and so much more. Sanora Stephens with the Department of Social Services Protective Agency came by to pick up the toys. She was just in awe of the thoughtfulness of our 4-H families giving to youth they have never met and all the love and well wishes that went into the choices they made. It is just another example of the difference 4-H makes in Robeson County.

4-H is Family Time

4-H Family Night is such a blast! For the 7 families that signed up for this one they not only had fun they gained some creative tools for their homes to help with organization and time management.

As always we started at 6 p.m. with a family dinner. Fried chicken (fried by Bobby Rogers), mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and cookies for desert was the star studded menu. However it was the family conversation that took place around the tables that was the most fun. We learned about each other and as Aggie says, "fellowshiped" sharing a few moments together before we got down to the activity at hand.

In an effort to make organization and time management fun, each family made a magnetic, organizational board from a cookie sheet. They decorated it with all sorts of things to allow it to reflect their family personality. At the end of the night they had all had a great time and were ready to go home and use their boards to help keep track of important items and dates, like upcoming 4-H events.

Stay tuned for our next 4-H Family Night which will take place in the fall.

Graduating to Stronger Families

Celebrate and graduate. That was what our night was all about as 7 families graduated from the first Strengthening Families program in Robeson County. The joint Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) and 4-H program brought families in for six weeks straight and then we followed up a few weeks later with the last session. During our last session we recapped what we learned, and parents talked about some of the resources available in our community. During Family time the parents and youth wrote letters to each other that will be mailed out in a couple of weeks to remind them of the things they learned and show how much they love each other.
During the youth session the youth talked about the different things they had learned and how they have applied their new skills to their everyday lives. Some of those skills include how to be more respectful handle peer pressure, how to make better decisions, how to chose your friends, how to of parents and siblings, how to be more helpful around the house, how to stand up for what is right and how to say no in tough situations.

At the end of the family session each graduating family received a certificate with their families photo on it and a bag of goodies that included family fun activities. Families also have available to them booster sessions in the future if they would like to reinforce the skills they learned over the past six weeks.
Many of the families said that it was time well spent and that they are using the techniques they learned as part of their daily lives. We have enjoyed our first ever Strengthening Families Program and we are looking forward to the next one. If you would like more information about this program please contact Christy Strickland, Family Consumer Sciences Agent at (910) 671-3276 or Christy_Strickland@ncsu.edu.

They Are In The Finals!!!!!!!

You helped them get there. On Friday the hosts of the CBS Early Show announced the two final families in their Singing Family Face-off Compeitition. The Peays, a Robeson County 4-H family made it to the semi's and people around the country waited with baited breath to see if they would make it to the next level.

Once again the voting was tight with just a few percentage points seperating the winning families. In the end it boiled down to J4 and the Peay Family. They will compete again March 25 on the morning show and on April 1 the winner will be announced. Stay tuned to Robeson County 4-H's blog for more updates and links to voting information and thank you for your support.

On to Round 3!

They did it and you helped make it happen! The Peays will go on to round three in the CBS Early Show's "Singing Family Face Off!" They will be competing against the two other winning families on March 18. On March 22 two families will emerge from that competition to compete for the recording contract. The final announcement of the winning family on April 1.

The winning announcement this morning came as a welcome surprise to the Peays who gathered in Greensboro, NC. The competition was really tight as was the vote, they won by a 2% margin.

Last week after the competition Solomon stopped by our 4-H office and received handshakes, hugs and lots of questions from our Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Staff. What struck all of us was how well he is handling his new found fame. Solomon said if they did not go any further it was alright. They did their best, enjoyed their time in New York and that is was the experience of a lifetime. He did seem a little sad that their competition took place during spring break, so he did not get to miss classes, but I do believe that is all about to change.
We will keep you updated on the 4-H blog as the Peays continue their quest toward the CBS recording contract.

Don't Assume

Does your child know how you feel about them? Have you expressed your feelings not only that you love them but why you love them. A lot of times we forget or assume that they know but it can never hurt to remind them.
This was just one of the topics parents talked about as part of this week's Strengthening Families Program. Parents also continued to practice using tools to help them talk with their children about difficult topics like, shoplifting, drugs, and sex. They also brainstormed positive ways for youth to stay busy but stay out of trouble.
The youth continued working on positive ways to distance themselves from difficult peer pressure situations. They learned about asking questions, identifying the issue, how to stay calm and walk away from a bad situation. They also learned about good qualities for friends, and how to determine how to chose who they want to hang out with.
During family time, the youth showed off their new skills while parents gave them a very touching letter on how much they care about them and want to work with them so they can achieve the best in life and reach all the goals they set for themselves. They also played a game showing how parent and youth teamwork really makes a difference in day to day life as well as achieving long term goals.
This was the last in the continuous 6-week series of the program. The families will have a few weeks off and reconvene in April for a little booster of information and feedback. Every family will also receive a certificate and we will celebrate the successes of the program.
For more information about this program, please contact Christy Strickland, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension agent at (910) 671-3276 or Christy_Strickland@ncsu.edu.

4-H Family Makes it Big

They are a famous Robeson County 4-H family that is even more famous thanks to their recent appearances on the CBS Early Morning show and you now have the opportunity to be a part of the magic.
The Peay family is well known in our 4-H world. Joyce is the organizational leader for "Voices in Praise" 4-H club in Rowland. She has been a 4-H volunteer for almost 14 years, and she is recognized by one and all for her hard work in 4-H and at the Lumberton Post Office. Joyce is also a member of the Advisory Board with the Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Her sons, Majid, Taimine, Katif and Solomon have all been involved in 4-H in one way or another. Katif sang as part of a 4-H group on the State 4-H Centennial song. Solomon, the youngest of the boys, even hosted our 2008 4-H Youth Achievement Night. During 4-H Entertains, our talent competition, Solomon would often back up youth on the piano, playing by ear and even performing his own songs. Talk about a family affair, Majid's 20 month old daughter Naomi even plays a role in their video "We Can make A Change" a song written by Solomon which references Mom cooking cornbread and collards in the kitchen.
All four brothers, who are living in Greensboro, N.C. right now are talented, which is how they landed on the Early Morning Show's Family Face Off Competition. After being announced they flew to New York and were pitted against another family this week singing a show tune (the type of music they sang was selected during a spin of the wheel). You now have the opportunity to select the winner. Click here and you can see their performance and vote. The family with the most votes will be announced next week and go up against the other four winners for a chance for a record contract with CBS Records. We will keep you up to date as we follow one of our own families and stand behind them in this competition.

Talking about Subjects You Don't Want to Talk About

There are subjects out there that we hope we never have to address. You know the ones I am talking about; they are uncomfortable, controversial, and often become argumentative. However, they are the topics that parents need to talk about with their children. During our sixth week of Strengthening Families program that's exactly what we worked on.
During this week's Strengthening Families program parents worked on listening while youth worked on communicating. Parents learned about what to listen for when talking to their youth and how to bring up the tough subjects like shoplifting and sex. They also learned some of the causes for negative behaviors and how to address issues in positive ways.
The youth worked on peer pressure and how to handle the person who tries to pull them into a bad situation. They learned the road map of skills to handle awkward situations like what kind of questions to ask, naming the wrong behavior, listing the consequences of that bad behavior, and then offering an alternative activity.
When the families came back together during the family session we had a family meeting and solved a family issue. Each family identified one thing, such as doing dishes that is a family issues. Each member of the family gave their view on the issue and together they came up with a solution to try at home. We will let you know how it goes in our update on our sixth meeting.
If you would like more information about our Strengthening Families program, please contact Christy Strickland at (910) 671-3276 or Christy_Strickland@ncsu.edu.