[PLAYGROUP] IMCY Chat Cafe September 2016

We had a great time again at our last Chat Cafe on July 18th. 

This time, we had a guest from Cookpad international team who presented their new project on "Washoku (Japanese cuisine)" community. That was interesting!

(https://cookpad.com/us)

We also had a Uchiwa fan making workshop for kids.

Carrot cupcakes and brown sugar cookies:-) Yum!

The next IMCY Chat Cafe is :

Friday, September 30th, 2016, 15:00-16:30

*Attention! Friday afternoon this time!

Fukushia Multipurpose room, 3F First Place Yokohama, 2-7-1 Takashima, Nisei-Ward

(5min walk from Yokohama station East gate)

ORGANIZING VOLUNTEERS

*Your help is always appreciated! If you can come a bit earlier (10:15-10:20), please help us organize the room (hold and push out the tables and chairs to the walls to make a free space for young kids, take out joint mats etc.)

GIVE AWAY TABLE
*Please bring baby or kids stuff in good condition that you wish to give away. If these items can''t find the second owner by the end of the playgroup, please bring them back with you.

SNACKS
*Some volunteer members will prepare cookies and cakes. If you would like some, we ask for the cost (usually 100yen per serving). Please put the money in the donation bag.

BOOK TIME VOLUNTEERS
*Please feel free to bring children's books to read at the playgroup. Any language is okay (if you can read).

*There is no changing table at Fukushia but you can change diapers using your changing mat on the floor.

*There is no nursing room either. You can feed your baby in the storage room or by using your cape in the room.

*This playgroup is run by on-time mothers of young children. There might be some inconvenience for you. We appreciate your kind understanding!

We are looking forward to seeing you again!

[LEISURE] Swimming Pools in Prefectural Parks

There are three Kanazawa prefectural parks which have outdoor swimming pools.

Mitsuike Park  (Tsunami)

http://www.kanagawaparks.com/mitsuike/play/
9:00-17:00 (entry by 16:30)
From the 2nd Saturday of July to the end of August.

1 y-old to elementary school student: 110 yen/person
Junior high school student and up: 310 yen/person

*No swimming diaper allowed. Children must be potty trained.
*Preschool children must be accompanied by a person over 16 years old.
*There may be temporary closure due to water change. Please confirm the park center.

Hodogaya Park (Hodogaya)

http://www.kanagawa-park.or.jp/hodogaya/pool.html
(blog with latest news: http://hodogaya-info.blogspot.jp/2016/07/blog-post.html)

9:00-17:00 (entry by 16:30)
From the 2nd Saturday of July to the end of August.

1 y-old to elementary school student: 110 yen/person
Junior high school student and up: 310 yen/person

*No swimming diaper allowed. Children must be potty trained.
*Preschool children must be accompanied by a person over 16 years old.

Tsujido Kaihin Park (Tsujido)

http://www.kanagawa-park.or.jp/tujidou/pool.html

9:00-18:00 (entry by 17:00)
From July 9th to September 11th (2016)

Elementary school student and younger: 210 yen/person
Junior high school student: 520 yen/person
High school student and up: 830 yen/person
*For high school and up, 520 yen after 15:30.
*Carnet tickets available.

*Children who haven't finished potty training can play ONLY in the "Kujira-no-umi (Whale Sea)" area with swimming diaper on.

[LESSON] Wagashi Japanese Confection Workshop 2016

KDF (Kanazawa Design Forum) holds Wagashi workshops every year. The instructor also taught us at our Wagashi workshops a couple of years ago.

At their next workshop, you can learn how to make cool Japanese dessert for Summer.

===============================================
Date: Tuesday, 26th July, 2016 13:30-15:30
Venue: Yokohama City Noge Chiku Center
(2-160-4 Nogecho, Naka-ku)
www.nogechikusen.com
Application to KDF (mail to: info@kdf.or.jp /FAX 045-681-2342)
with your name, address, number and email address
A person younger than 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
Fee for adult 2500 yen, junior high and younger: 1000 yen

Application deadline: 19th July

What to bring: an apron, a face mask, a cloth to cover your hair, a hand towel, a camera and a bag to bring back your project
===============================================

Following workshops:

Halloween: Tuesday, 4th October, 2016
Christmas: Tuesday, 6th December, 2016
Doll Festival: Tuesday, 7th February, 2017

*Application deadlines is a week before each date.

[IMCY ACTIVITY REPORT] AED and First Aid Lesson in Hodogaya 2016

Hodogaya International Lounge, with the cooperation of Hodogaya ward and Fire Station, held  an AED lesson for foreign families this year again.

You can see two popular types of the AED. There may be patches and a cable for young children (under 8 years old, the cable is equipped with an electricity-adjuster) in the AED box. Even if there aren't you can use ones for adult. For young children, you stick a patch on the chest and the other on the back. Be sure that the person is not wet and to remove all the metal belongings (accessories, underwear with metallic wire etc.) before applying the electric shock, or the person can get burnt around them. There are also groves to prevent infection in the AED box.

For young children, you use two fingers to apply CPR. AED should be applied after trying CPR. 

When you find something wrong with your baby, hit his/her feet and see if s/he reacts. If s/he gives no reaction, get ready to call 119. To see if s/he is breathing properly, see if his/her belly moves up and down for about 10 seconds. If no, you may need to apply CPR. CPR should be "strongly, quickly and without recess" till the ambulance arrives (the average time is in 7 minutes). 

Choking: when your baby was choked, hold your baby with his/her head down (maybe you can sit on a chair), and beat his/her back with your palm like pushing the choking stuff out. 

The fire station staff told us that we should open the door before calling 119 because once you start CPR, you can't stop until the ambulance arrives. And it is important to attend emergency management workshops regularly because we may forget as time goes by.

We would like to show our deep gratitude to Hodogaya International Lounge, Hodogaya Fire Station and Hodogaya ward for having provided us this opportunity.

Here are reactions from some of the participants:

     Becoming a new parent has made me feel a lot of joy and happiness, but also a lot of worry for all the expected and unexpected that might happen.  Things you hope will never happen to your little one (like choking hazards or just stopping breathing for some reason) might occur any time.  Knowing exactly what to do in case of such an emergency might be essential for saving your baby’s or child’s life.   Today’s lecture at Hodogaya International corner was aimed on performing the first aid on an unconscious baby or a child and was not only very informative, but also with a lot of practical hands on experience.  Every participant got to perform heart massage with use of AED on a real size doll, as well as first aid for choking hazards. 
     So even my fear for an emergency is still there I feel more confident of my abilities giving my baby the first aid she might need one day.  Today’s lecture was also a very nice opportunity to get to know and get in touch with other mothers and their babies living in the area and share some interesting information with each other.  And I would like to say Thank you to all who arranged such a great event.
-Ms.T (a mom of a baby girl)


     It was my first time to attend any kind of rescue lessons.I actually see that some places have AED ready to use, but I never knew how to use one.   Especially, when you are living with a small child, there always is a fear that these little lives are just so small and helpless.  Whenever my little boy is sick, or bump his head somewhere, I really feel scared that there always are risks.
     I decided to attend this AED lessons, hoping that this might be helpful one day if any accident occur,or if nothing happens(well, it’s the best thing), but I can still feel confident that I have knowledge to save lives.After learning how to deal with AEDs, or correct ways to help choking children from a professional rescue team, I feel glad to know the correct method, that I won't feel confused when something actually happens.  I think every moms should have this knowledge, it really made me feel better and confident in taking full responsibility to my child's life.
     Also, this gathering was a really good place to communicate with other moms in Yokohama.
-Ms. E (a mom of a boy, and #2 on the way)