When those little angels are driving you mad, and you don’t know what to do, who are you going to call? The Warm Line.
By Michelle Logsdon/Special to The Malibu Times
What do you do when your toddler has a temper tantrum or won’t eat? How do you know if your baby is developing at the average rate?
All parents, especially first-timers, have questions about behavioral, emotional, social and developmental issues. Amazon.com lists more than 22,000 books on the topic of parenting, but wouldn’t it be nice to get an answer to your specific question without a trip to the library or to a bookstore?
The Early Childhood Parenting Center (ECPC) Warm Line (310.281.9770) is a free consultation service that has a staff of 30 certified professionals ready to answer just about any childrearing question on the books except for medical ones; they recommend you consult your pediatrician or health care professional for those types of inquiries.
The professionals include child development specialists, clinical social workers, family and child therapists, and early childhood teachers. When parents call with a question they can leave a message and staff members will call them back within 24 hours. Although the service is not immediate, the information is rich with tips on managing your child’s behavior and insights into child development.
Michelle Ashlee of Topanga is mom to 2-year-old Clare and 1-year-old Emma. She said she definitely would have used the Warm Line when Clare was an infant, and she would probably use it now. “Even now I have concerns about whether what she is doing is age-appropriate.”
Created 30 years ago by clinical social worker Helen Reid, the Warm Line is an outreach program of the ECPC that helps parents deal with concerns about their children from birth to six years of age.
It all started in 1970 when Reid was working at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. One of her projects was to follow a group of pregnant women throughout the first five years of their new babies lives. When a newspaper published an article on the study, Reid received 100 phone calls the same day. Everyone had questions about raising their children. Reid got help from her friends in the child development professional community to return the calls. Thus, the Warm Line was born; and still today about 60 calls are logged each week.
Until recently, the center was housed in Cedars-Sinai but due to financial changes at the hospital, the center had to move to another location. Now that the organization is under a new roof it has a new Warm Line phone number.
“The Warm Line is a great service,” Reid said. “Moms and dads have so many questions and nobody to talk to because young couples aren’t around extended family as much these days and pediatricians are often too busy to answer every call.”
One Malibu mom who chose not to give her name said she had questions about potty training since her son was one month shy of turning 2-years-old. “I’m not real sure how far along he should be in that area and I don’t want to push it.”
Potty training is a popular topic on the Warm Line. According to Reid, three-fourths of the calls to the Warm Line are questions about temper tantrums and sleep disruptions. While at Cedars-Sinai, the Warm Line was set up with 11 audiocassettes that parents could choose to listen to when they called.
Each tape had re-enacted phone calls and the subsequent professional advice and discussion. The topics included: sleep disruptions, temper tantrums, toilet training, problem eaters, the new baby, the security blanket, separation, biting, head banging/rocking, preparing your child for the hospital and how to choose a pediatrician.
For example, on the temper tantrum tape one mother was concerned about her daughter’s recent violent reaction to having her diaper changed. After asking a couple of questions, the professional discovered the child started acting up about the time she learned to walk. She said the child might be excited about her newfound mobility and unhappy being placed on her back even for a short time. She suggested changing her diaper while she stood.
Until the phone system at the center is fully functional the audiotapes are not available on the Warm Line but they can be purchased for a nominal amount.
West Hills resident and father of 4-year-old Daniel and 2-year-old Jessica, Bob Getter, loved the idea of a friendly voice just a phone call away. “I would tell parents not to try and be superheroes. Don’t be afraid to ask for help whether it be from the Warm Line, or a support group or your family. It’s a benefit to you and your kids.”
Parents who are looking for a support group can attend parent/child sessions at ECPC. Malibu is also home to several nursery schools and groups where new parents can connect and share their knowledge and each other’s time. Interested parents can contact the Malibu United Methodist nursery/infant center at 310.457.5144, Saint Aidan’s Preschool at 310.457.8899 or Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) at Malibu Presbyterian Nursery School at 310.456.1611 or www.malibumops.com.