Vancouver, B.C. – A grassroots social media campaign is spreading throughout BC and proving to be a force for good.
All across BC, moms, grandmothers and caring volunteers are feverishly knitting and crocheting tiny PURPLE baby caps using the softest of yarns. Knitting stores, fibre collectives, seniors’ centres and groups of like-minded crafters have taken up the cause to help raise awareness about the Period of PURPLE Crying.
The Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome BC program at BC Children’s Hospital, an agency of the PHSA, hopes to collect over 1,000 of these hats to be distributed to new parents in birthing hospitals across BC along with the PURPLE DVD and booklet during the week of November 22 in celebration of National Child Day, which takes place November 20.
The program has caught the public imagination. The town of Elkford near the Alberta border held a PURPLE Hat Day and filled a baby bathtub and a playpen with almost 200 caps. They are now closing in on 500 baby caps. Folks in Vernon have dropped off 80 hats with plans for more. In fact, they cleaned the local knitting store out of purple yarn. In Gibsons, crafters meet at the Unwind Knit and Fibre Lounge to make the tiny hats. The Lower Mainland also has its share of enthusiasts. Sheryl Marie Zetner of Any Spun Thread is offering 20% off all purple yarn - all of this to raise awareness about this difficult stage of infant crying.
Much of this success had to do with social media. Lower Mainland mom bloggers got behind the campaign writing over 20 posts to their readers, and almost 200 people have joined the PURPLE Cap knitting Facebook group posting photos of their creations and spurring others on. Raverly, the go-to network for knitters, has been instrumental in getting knitters and crocheters on board including posting patterns for easy-to-make newborn caps.
The cap knitting campaign aims to raise awareness about the Period of PURPLE Crying which educates parents and other caregivers about the normalcy of increased crying, which is a frequently misunderstood but typical developmental stage in early infancy. Increased infant crying can be very frustrating and is the key trigger to shaking and abuse. The Period of PURPLE Crying promotes infant/parent bonding, coping strategies and other crucial parenting skills.
Find out more about the Period of PURPLE Crying at http://www.purplecrying.info.
Follow us on twitter @purplecrying or Join the Facebook page.
All across BC, moms, grandmothers and caring volunteers are feverishly knitting and crocheting tiny PURPLE baby caps using the softest of yarns. Knitting stores, fibre collectives, seniors’ centres and groups of like-minded crafters have taken up the cause to help raise awareness about the Period of PURPLE Crying.
The Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome BC program at BC Children’s Hospital, an agency of the PHSA, hopes to collect over 1,000 of these hats to be distributed to new parents in birthing hospitals across BC along with the PURPLE DVD and booklet during the week of November 22 in celebration of National Child Day, which takes place November 20.
The program has caught the public imagination. The town of Elkford near the Alberta border held a PURPLE Hat Day and filled a baby bathtub and a playpen with almost 200 caps. They are now closing in on 500 baby caps. Folks in Vernon have dropped off 80 hats with plans for more. In fact, they cleaned the local knitting store out of purple yarn. In Gibsons, crafters meet at the Unwind Knit and Fibre Lounge to make the tiny hats. The Lower Mainland also has its share of enthusiasts. Sheryl Marie Zetner of Any Spun Thread is offering 20% off all purple yarn - all of this to raise awareness about this difficult stage of infant crying.
Much of this success had to do with social media. Lower Mainland mom bloggers got behind the campaign writing over 20 posts to their readers, and almost 200 people have joined the PURPLE Cap knitting Facebook group posting photos of their creations and spurring others on. Raverly, the go-to network for knitters, has been instrumental in getting knitters and crocheters on board including posting patterns for easy-to-make newborn caps.
The cap knitting campaign aims to raise awareness about the Period of PURPLE Crying which educates parents and other caregivers about the normalcy of increased crying, which is a frequently misunderstood but typical developmental stage in early infancy. Increased infant crying can be very frustrating and is the key trigger to shaking and abuse. The Period of PURPLE Crying promotes infant/parent bonding, coping strategies and other crucial parenting skills.
Find out more about the Period of PURPLE Crying at http://www.purplecrying.info.
Follow us on twitter @purplecrying or Join the Facebook page.