Sneak Peek: Online Parent Education

Many of you are anxiously awaiting our ECFE second semester catalog of classes!  Today we're giving you a sneak peek into a brand new class beginning in January, 2017.  Whether we like it or not, technology is here to stay.  Everyday, more and more daily tasks are streamlined into an online format...banking, shopping, reading the newspaper, and all types of education.  There are online K-12 schools, online higher education schools, and now there is ONLINE PARENT EDUCATION!  For the first time in our Early Childhood history in South Washington County, we are offering two online sessions for parents and if it goes well, you will see more in our catalogs next year.

Our topic will be temperament.  This course will allow you to gain an in-depth understanding of what temperament is and how to use specific strategies that grow your relationship with your unique child.  Whether he or she is flexible, cautious, or spirited, you should walk away with a new appreciation for their temperament style.  We will also examine the idea of "goodness of fit"...how your temperament meshes with your child's temperament.  Are there fireworks between you and your kiddo?  Maybe you're a lot alike.  Do you have a hard time understanding why your child acts like they do?  Maybe you're not alike at all.  There may be some strategies that you haven't tried that will make a big difference in your parenting.

In this online format, you will participate in a "chat" once per week for 45 minutes with a licensed parent educator.  The class is six weeks long.  There will be additional resources available online that will lead you to research, light articles, and videos that offer additional insight.  The beauty of this format is that the learner can go as deeply as they desire in any of the concepts throughout each week.  You will also gain a group of classmates that are looking to learn the same way you are and will offer a new perspective during chats and weekly discussion.  Finally, you will have your choice of lunch time parent education (perfect for a lunch break at work) or bedtime parent education (after the kids are tucked into bed at night).  The best part about this new format is that we can reach parents that may not otherwise have access to parent education and the class will be available 24 hours a day.

If you are looking for a new, relevant, and innovative approach to parent education, be on the lookout for more information about our online classes in our next catalog.  It's coming soon and will be posted here as soon as it hits the website.  Hope to "see" you there!