These factors help to reduce stress, enhance wellbeing, and support parent-child relationships which are foundational for healthy development in children. This month, our focus is on Social Connections – the relationships we have with the people around us near and far. Social connectiveness is important for our health and well-being. The human brain is wired to reach out and connect with others. You may read more about how social connections benefit our brains in this Psychology Today article: The Brain Benefits of Social Connection.

Our collective identity as parents and caregivers is a valuable resource that provides us with emotional support, informational support, instrumental support, and spiritual support. When we have a sense of connectedness to others, we believe we have people who care about us as individuals and as parents, which helps us in our important role of raising children. We feel confident that we have others with whom we can share the joy, pain and uncertainties that come with parenting. These connections help buffer us from stressors and nurture our relationship with our children.

Parenting Communities welcomes all families with children birth – age six in Leelanau County to participate in our programing. Playgroups, home visits, and community gatherings are great ways to make social connections and build a strong community!

We can get different types of support from the different people in our lives. Offering and receiving support also strengthens our relationships and can bring us closer to the ones we love.