By Kayla Woody, House of Hope DVPI Prevention Specialist
As we all know, parenting can be incredibly challenging and difficult to master. We live in a demanding society with many distractions, and our tasks are never ending. Parents want what is best for their children, but knowing how to provide that sometimes can be tough. Here at the House of Hope, we offer parenting classes at no charge to those in the community who either need or desire such classes.
Deciding to take a parenting class does not mean you are a bad parent. It shows you care about your family and the future of your children. On top of all that, parenting classes also give you an opportunity to connect with other parents who are most likely going through a lot of the same experiences as you.
The class is an eight-week course, and at the end of the last session, the participant will receive a certificate of completion with no test requirements. Since these classes do last several weeks, the participant has the time to actually put into practice what is being taught. All classes are held at the House of Hope’s main location at 1310 S. Gordon Cooper Drive in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
The class goes over many different topics and can be helpful for parents or guardians with children at all stages of adolescence. The topics that are covered include child development stages, family communication, sensible discipline, self-care for parents and problem solving. Each class also will cover skills like positive encouragement, active listening, time management and setting limits.
As a domestic violence program, our main focus is to help those who find themselves in an unhealthy or abusive relationship. In these types of situations, the ones affected by the abuse the most are the children. We incorporate information and skills into these classes to help parents or guardians who struggle with these types of situations. It is important that we break the cycle of domestic violence at a young age. With these tips for effective parenting, and many more, you will be sure to make parenting decisions with confidence when confronted with difficult situations at home.
If you are interested in taking the class and have more questions, please feel free to contact our Prevention Specialist Kayla Woody. If you or someone you know is experiencing intimate partner violence, sexual assault or stalking and would like more information, please contact House of Hope at 405-275-3176 or visit us online at facebook.com/cpnhouseofhope.