4-H is an awesome program for youth to develop life-long skills that will set them ahead of their peers in their academic and professional journeys ahead of them. I am not just saying that because I have to! I am saying that because I am an example of it!
My mom enrolled me in 4-H when I was 8. Things were different back then - no clover kids and you could only take one project your first year. That was a tough decision with so many things sounding so cool and interesting at that age. With my mom's influence, I started with sewing. I could enter within Sewing Level 1, which was called Sew for Fun back then, and actually take 3-4 different projects. That began my sewing career. While I don't do a lot of sewing today, I entered at least one project every year until a senior in high school. I made dress-up clothes for game days, games for kids, and a few other random items. I was honored to represent my county two years at the State Fashion Show.
While I didn't realize the importance then, I do now. Sewing really taught me patience, self-esteem, and decision making as I was trying to find patterns that would work with my body-style and needs. I also learned a lot about myself and not to be scared of being in front of a crowd. I can honestly say that I learned 95% of these skills throughout my involvement in 4-H:
These skills have continued with me as I moved through 4-H, FFA, FFA State Officer, a teacher, and now as an Extension Educator that presents across the nation. I hope that this blog spot will help you navigate some of the challenges of being a 4-H parent so that your child can find their future success in 4-H also!!
Feel free to come back on a regular basis to help you find out more about what you need to do as a parent, requirement and deadlines that your youth need to meet, as well as how-to-videos as you learn to navigate the ins and outs of 4-H life. You can also sign up to receive notification emails when new content is added. Find that on the side!
I also encourage you to learn from each other and leave comments. That will help me identify what is unclear to you all and what the office can do to make this a better experience.
I am truly excited that you have chose to explore 4-H and can't want to work with you and your child as he/she grows through their 4-H experiences.
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