Ten-week class aimed at parents, teens, pre-teens

Published 11:47 am Tuesday, February 19, 2019

By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The Children’s Policy Council will hold a 10-week Project Reconnect course aimed at empowering parents, teenagers and pre-teens beginning in April, the agency recently announced.

The Children’s Policy Council will hold its “Empowered Positive Parenting Group” for parents and “I’m worth more” for area youth beginning on April 4 and lasting through June.

“Are you having difficulty relating to your pre-teen or teenager? Is your pre-teen or teenager having difficulty relating to you, their peers or educators? Does your pre-teen or teenager need help expressing and managing emotions appropriately? Then Project Reconnect is for you,” read the program’s description.

Through the program, parents and youth will meet separately each week to take part in educational and therapeutic group work for eight weeks before holding combined group meetings the final two weeks.

The parent groups will focus on the following topics:

-Love language of children

-Grandparents raising grandkids

-Understanding your child’s personality

-Parenting from a united front

-Strategies for blended families

-Communication and boundaries

-Conflict resolution

-Building and modeling resilience

 

The adolescent groups will focus on the following topics:

-Dealing with feelings

-Self esteem

-Healthy coping skills

-Healthy relationships and boundaries

-Communication

-Conflict resolution

-Decision making

-Bullying prevention

-Social media

-Substance abuse prevention

 

“The final two sessions will combine both parent and adolescent groups completing experiential team work activities,” read the program’s description. “The goal of the team work activities is for families to improve communication and build trust with each other.”

Anyone with questions or anyone wishing to make a referral for the program should contact Emily Littrell at 682-7187 or elittrell@shelbyed.org.

The program will be held at 632 11th Ave. S. in Alabaster, and the classes will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. the first eight weeks, which will be on April 4, April 11, April 18, April 25, May 2, May 9, May 16 and May 23. The combined groups will be from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday, May 25 and Saturday, June 1.