If only children came with instructions. Being a parent
is hard, and just when you think you have got the hang of
it your child enters a new phase and you have to figure
it out all over again. Fairfax County offers free Parenting
Education Programs, the PEP classes teach positive and
effective ways parents can interact with their children
at every stage and every age of development. Parenting
Education classes are offered to all Fairfax County
residents free of charge, the parenting classes are
available for parents and caregivers, so we have parents
who have recently had a baby, parents who have been
parenting for a while and maybe they have adopted a new
child, so if a grandmother is raising her grandchild, she is
able to take the class. So, really everyone and anyone who
is a care giver. So, it was 14 weeks long and that is the
first thing I say about it because that is what I was
dreading at the beginning but then it seemed like it went by
so quickly and I was looking forward to this class each
week, because I raised my son who will be 27, but things
change and boys are different from girls and you know,
different parenting tips always help; and also when I
was in the class I was happy to share my experiences with
the people in the class so they could take that away as
well. While parents learn about rules, praise and
discipline, the children are in a separate class having fun
age appropriate discussions about the same topics. So,
some of the topics may start with rules, what are the rules
in the home, we talk about roles. So, what is your role
as a parent, what is the appropriate role for the
child, a lot of time we do a child development because what
a 5 year old is to be expected to do is very different from
what a 15 year old or 10 year old should be doing. Fairfax
County is rich with many languages and cultures, so
there are groups to address cultural differences and
parenting styles. We do offer classes in the Spanish
language throughout the county, those classes while
they are Spanish language, they also look at the heritage
of Spanish speakers and cultural aspects held, a class
in Arabic, we also hold a class called the African
American Parenting Class, this class is focused on the
African American culture. Once again, while it is focused on
the African American culture, we realize that there is a a
lot of diversity, so a lot of bi-racial families that attend
or families that may have adopted someone who is an
African American, so we are really looking at the cultural
practices and how it works for the family. In the parenting
classes, parents can express their frustrations and
challenges with raising children in a safe and
respectful environment. They share strategies and provide
peer support, this community of peers becomes very
important to may families who don't have extended family in
the area for support. Participation is limited to an
average of 10 families per course. PEP staff are trained
to use the Evidence-Based Nurturing Parenting and Active
Parenting curricula to help families engage more
positively during the 12 to 14 week sessions. PEP is
supported by volunteers and partners who assist by
facilitating classes, donating dinner and providing space to
host classes. We are looking for new locations in different
churches within the community, one of the benefits of the
parenting classes is they are free to the public, so we are
looking for free donated space that we can use. We'll, I am a
member of one of the volunteer crews from the Men's
Fellowship program here at Grace, there are 4 crews, so
we kind of cycle through once a month. We set up with the
place setting down, we get the drinks ready, get the food
ready, help whoever is in the kitchen. And we help serve the
food, we do not prepare the food, there are other
volunteers that will bring food or come in and prepare
the food. We are then the servers, and then we are the
cleaner uppers afterwards. Anyone who is interested in
volunteering to facilitate a class or in helping to provide
dinners or space should call 703 324 7691. When you have
your child's best interest at heart, they feel it. Discover
ways to nurture your child and yourself, so that as a family
you can reach your highest potential. For more
information, send an email to ParentingEducation@FairfaxCounty.gov
or call 703-324-7691. You can also visit
fairfaxcounty.gov and search Parent Education.