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Parenting Successful Kids

Information from Iowa State University Extension of Scott County

We all want to be the parents or grandparents of successful children! Iowa State University Extension of Scott County with support from Scott County Kids, is sponsoring a parenting support and education program called Parenting Successful Kids. This is a year-long parent education effort for Scott County residents, that offers monthly programs designed specifically to offer research-based information about common questions and struggles of families with children kindergarten through fifth grade.

Many topics are applicable to families with younger and older children. Certified Family Life Educator and course instructor, Jennifer Best says “Parenting is the most important job we will ever have. It is also the toughest! Our society sends parents the message that when we have a child, we will magically know the right things to do. Then when parents have questions or challenges, they feel as if they are doing something wrong, or are bad parents. This is very unfortunate! Nobody knows how to parent just because they have a child, just like nobody knows how to drive just because they get a car. We all have to learn. Parenting is hard and our kids go through stages that are not always very much fun. The good news is, we can help each other. There is great research available that helps us make good parenting decisions.”

Each parent session will begin with a free meal. To help parents attend, their babysitter for the evening will be reimbursed $25. In addition, parents will leave each session with an implementation material to help them put what they learned into action. Parents who attend five of the ten sessions within the year will receive $50 worth of items of their choice!

The sessions are once a month. All classes will be held at 5:30 p.m. for free dinner, 6:30 p.m. for class, at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Scott County, 875 Tanglefoot Lane, Bettendorf, IA

To find out more about this series, including topics, dates, times and locations, visit the Iowa State University Extension, Scott County office online at www.extension.iastate.edu/scott. For more information or to register, call (563) 359-7577 or e-mail themasa@iastate.edu.