The Friday Flyer, January 25, 2008 - Article: 'Parent Project' provides classes in parenting

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'Parent Project' provides classes in parenting

By Bonnie Terk
Reporter

     Parenting doesn’t come with a users’ manual, so developing a parenting plan can benefit both parents and their children, according to Chris Suitt of the Menifee Valley Parent Project, which offers a parenting series that begins Wednesday, February 6.
     The class will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at New Hope Community Church, located at 24370 Canyon Lake Dr. North, #3, in the East Gate Center. Providing parents with practical answers to tough parenting questions, cost for the 10-week series is $50 and includes a manual titled, “A Parent’s Guide to Changing Destructive Adolescent Behavior.”
     The goal of the Parenting Project is to help parents gain insight that not all kids can be parented the same way, especially strong-willed children and teenagers. The class will benefit parents who want to improve school attendance and performance; who want to prevent or intervene in alcohol or drug use; and who are tired of arguing with their child, according to Chris.
     “A strategy used by many teens is ‘divide and conquer’ and parents who attend the series will be given tools that will allow them to present a united front to their child/teenager,” says Chris.
     Single and divorced parents have unique challenges and will receive vital parenting support through the class. One father who attended the class says, “Going to the class made my wife and me realize we needed to work together in our decisions. We realized how we were failing in respect to disciplining our kids. The class helps bring the two parents opinions together on what they should do. It’s surprising how well it worked.”
     Carolyn Kelley, another parent who attended the class, reflects on the benefits she experienced by saying, “If you have a strong-willed teenager or pre-teen and the desire to restore peace and order in your home, the Parent Project is for you. I had tried many ‘parenting tactics’ over the years. I had listened to the advice of friends and family and was at the end of my rope. The Parent Project courses taught me how to regain control of my home and my child without fighting. I only wish this class had been available a few years earlier.”
     The parenting class fulfills requirements for court-ordered parenting classes for those who need them. For more information on the class or to register contact Chris Suitt at 244-2177.