June 25, 2012 - Neighborhood, “Playborhood”: Ways to Get Connected for Fun and Learning (130)

Do you know most of your neighbors by name? Do kids in your neighborhood play outside together in mixed-age groups? Or do families mostly stay inside or in their own fenced yard? This week’s Mom Enough discussion with author Mike Lanza will challenge you to think about what you could do to build a stronger sense of community and engage your children in more open creative play all at the same time. Marti and Erin have their own stories to tell of how much they appreciate their close-knit neighborhoods and what has helped maintain those connections across the years.

* Listen to: Neighborhood, “Playborhood”: Ways to Get Connected for Fun and Learning

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Marti Erickson is a developmental psychologist who’s had a long and distinguished career at the University of Minnesota, studying parent-child relationships, helping professionals learn best practices for working with children and families, and writing and speaking to diverse audiences throughout the U.S. and abroad. Marti is familiar to Minnesota audiences through her frequent appearances on Twin Cities TV and radio, including 15 years as a regular contributor to KARE-TV’s Today and Sunrise Shows.

In 2005 Marti led “The Motherhood Study,” a large national study of mothers’ values, concerns and needs, which helped launch conversations among mothers’ groups around the country. Identifying motherhood as a passion in both her professional and personal life, Marti says her most important credential is being the mother of Erin (the show’s co-host) and Ryan, now young adults, and grandmother of Clara and McKinley (ages 7 and 5) and Miles and Elise (ages 6 and 3). Read more about Marti Erickson.

Erin is a specialist in Maternal-Child Health and writes has extensive experience speaking on issues related to maternal-child health and parenting. She writes on related topics for several magazines and websites. Erin completed graduate school at the University of Minnesota with a Master of Public Health in Maternal Child Health - Epidemiology and is currently enrolled in the certificate program in Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices - Health Coaching at the U of M's Center for Spirituality and Healing.

Erin is in the thick of everything the Mom Enough™ show addresses – and she’s glad her mom lives close enough to help and support her in her journey as a mother to Clara and McKinley. Read More about Erin.

Mom Enough is brought to you through a partnership between the Minnesota Department of Education, and Working Family Resource. Find out more about the Working Family Resource Center.

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