Parenting Classes

“The most powerful way to change the world is to live in front of our children the way we would like the world to be.” ~ Graham R. White

Parenting is an adventure: full of surprises and challenges, highs and lows. Like many adventures, parenting – despite the presence of relationships that defines the term – can often feel like a lonely experience. This experience can be true for a couple, and can be even more profound for a single parent. Despite the number of books written on the subject, there’s no trusty manual: it’s almost a given that the first challenge you face won’t be listed in your book’s index.  Through our Parenting Education program, participants work together to broaden and deepen their parenting effectiveness. Participants can find camaraderie to complement the unavoidable uniqueness of their own journey with their children. And they can open up and learn in an atmosphere of goodwill and trust.

“The way we talk to children becomes their inner voice” ~ Peggy O’Mara

Our program utilizes the Strengthening Families Protective Factor Framework, comprising five complementary facets:

• Enhancing parental resilience
• Providing an array of social connections
• Providing parents concrete support in times of need
• Facilitating knowledge of parenting and child development
• Supporting healthy social & emotional development in young children

Parenting education plays an important integrative role within our suite of programs, as it supports our parents in playing a more dynamic and transformative role in their children’s educational and emotional journeys. As an entry point into our programming, Parenting Education enables participants to identify needs and connect with resources, whether it’s food or developmental support for a child. In addition, content has broad applicability not only in the family context, but also across the full range of human interactions including the workplace – anywhere insight, communication and collaboration are required. As with all of our programming, parenting education emphasizes building better relationships as fundamental to a better life – no matter who you are. This trauma-informed programming provides an array of practical tools and techniques to directly address, mitigate or avoid the effects of adverse childhood experiences, with tangible intergenerational benefits. Any parent can profit from these trainings.

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” ~ James Baldwin

Parenting Education meetings are hosted by our trained facilitators but content is also peer-driven. We cultivate peer connection, confidentiality and mutual support. Some of our participants derive so much benefit from these sessions that they remain engaged over the long-term, and hence play a strong peer-modeling role. Gatherings feature light meals and social time, followed by more formalized interactive training. Parenting Education group currently meets Thursday 10:00 to 11:30 am at our Pleasant Street location.