Prince William parents have a chance to receive advice and learn parenting techniques from a few experts.
The Prince William Office of the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) is providing Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) classes.
Participants will learn parenting techniques that can be used for children of all ages, according to a release from the county.
“Our classes are educational,” Rozlyn Giddens, VCE’s parent education volunteer coordinator, said in a release. “They’re led by professional volunteers. Many of them are retired school teachers. They’ve worked in social work, counseling and other areas in the community.”
The classes will cover external factors that can impact children, as well.
“Our kids are exposed to so much more, so much younger,” Giddens said. “We want to capitalize on the needs of children that parents are hopefully sensing.”
The classes, which will meet once a week for seven weeks, will be offered for parents who have young children, school-age kids, and teenagers.
When raising children, parents will sometimes have questions relating to various topics, including discipline and communication skills.
“We deal with discipline. Some parents aren’t sure about how to discipline their kids. That’s a challenge that parents want guidance on,” Giddens said. “They also want to know what’s realistic to expect from their kids at certain ages and stages. The classes can help parents understand behavior and why our kids do what they do.”
A class for parents of school-age children will be held from July 10 to August 21 at the Ferlazzo Building in Woodbridge.
Classes will also be offered in Spanish between August 9 and September 20 at the Sudley North Government Building in Manassas.
Another Spanish class will take place from August 13 and October 1 at the Ferlazzo Building.
The classes will run from 7 to 9 p.m., and those interested in participating must register.
Registration will close at 1 p.m. on the first day of class.
Participants must pay a $40 fee, which must be included with the registration form. Credit cards won’t be accepted.
Officials will schedule more classes for future dates.
To learn more information, call 703-792-6288.
