Comments from Attendees
The following are comments shared by parents who have attended programs from The Center for Parenting Education:
General Comments
“The Parenting Center is such a safe place to receive information and encouragement and to meet people who are enthusiastic about their kids and their role as a parent.”
“I found the center to be a tremendous resource. I felt extremely comfortable expressing things that were going on in my family. I have found the workshops to be helpful. I also attended Toddler Activity Time with my son as well as my daughter, and felt this really got them ready for preschool. Everyone there has always been very helpful.”
“Definitely a resource to help with parenting, and who couldn't use a little help now and then?”
“I have told many friends and relatives about my experiences with The Center for Parenting Education. The classes are informative, fun, inexpensive and helpful.”
“Great teachers, great programs!”
“It is a gem in our community!”
“I really appreciated the accepting atmosphere at the Parenting Center. The Parenting Educators are open, warm and understanding of so many different people and their family situations, and they are so knowledgeable.”
“The support and encouragement I received in the program was so helpful to me. It helped me deal with the struggles with my children so much better and with more confidence.”
“It was so helpful and reassuring to hear other parents who are experiencing the same challenges with their children. I felt so alone until I came to the Parenting Center and talked with other parents and heard their stories.”
“You helped me not to feel so overwhelmed with raising my children and to see that I am doing a good job with my parenting.”
“I loved the comaraderie among the parents in my group. It made me feel less alone. It is so helpful to realize that I am not the only parent struggling with certain issues.”
“I really like the idea of using discipline as an opportunity to teach my children – I will think about what they need to learn when I am deciding how to discipline them.”
“The Parenting Center is a great resource with wonderful staff!”
“The staff truly cares about children, whether they are infants, toddlers, or teens. They try to help parents cope with children and better understand them. All parents should try to attend a class or two.”
“The Parenting Center is a wonderful program that is very helpful.”
“Because there are other parents at the meetings, it's a great chance to learn something from a number of angles.”
“It's nice to find other parents who share the same obstacles you do and the information is very useful and applicable in real life situations at home.”
“The Parenting Center is a great resource for parenting tips and ideas for kids of all ages.”
“The people are helpful and friendly. It is a great resource for first time parents.”
“I've been associated with the center for about 16 years or so since my children were born. It was a lifeline for me when I first started going to Play n' Share many years ago. I have taken countless classes and have accompanied my children to many Toddler Activity Times sessions. I came to embrace their philosophy and learned to apply many tips and tools at home. I have a challenging family life and continue to use their resources as I need them. It is one place I know I can always go to where they will understand and speak honestly about the challenges of motherhood. The classes I have taken have been invaluable. I love how welcome I feel when I have a need or opportunity to be there. Thanks for all that each of you do for families.”
“I learned how important it is for me to take care of myself and think of myself every once in a while. Then, I will be more patient and will be able to use my sense of humor to stay calm.”
“You helped me to understand why my son behaves as he does. This has made me more patient and more accepting of him.”
“It was so helpful to learn how important it is to consider the needs of everyone in my family, my own as well as my children’s and to know that I can be a better parent when I get some of my needs met!”
Educational Workshops :
“The Parenting Center is a great resource for parents. The workshops give up-to-date quality information on positive parenting methods that really work.”
“Bring it on! I'm always looking for practical, quick parenting tips. These kids grow fast and what works at age 2 doesn't work at age 5, etc. Even if it's to hear I'm doing the right thing, I would always be interested in productive parenting workshops.”
“I learned the importance of staying calm when I discipline and that there are many ways to handle situations besides negative punishment. I now have a wider repertoire of responses when I have to discipline my children that I can feel good about using.”
“I loved the idea of visualizing how I would like my children to eventually be and visualizing their future abilities. I learned specific ways to help them feel good about themselves and at the same time behave better – the idea of ‘catching them being good’ and highlighting the good stuff – I love that idea!!!”
“I would highly recommend the programs at the Parenting Center. I like the variety of workshops that are available. They cover such a wide range of parenting issues.”
“I have recommended the Parenting Center to friends and acquaintances at my children's schools. I tell them that I have found each program to be insightful and positive. I like the idea that today is a new day, and the way I parented yesterday (if I did not like it) can be changed. I am now proud of most of my parenting due in some part to the parenting center.”
“It is so good to learn that a lot of my son’s behavior that I have gotten so upset about is actually part of normal development. I understand now that I should not take it personally, that he is not acting that way just to upset me! There are ways to deal with it without getting angry.”
“I learned how important it is to do more listening, observe more, to be less reactive and to stay calm. I see that it is alright for my son to get angry – I can teach him better ways to let me know he is mad at me.”
“I appreciate the opportunity for the group interactions. I learn a lot when other members of the class speak and share their experiences.”
“It was helpful to know that there are other people with my same problems. I liked talking to and listening to other parents. I liked the group involvement, sharing personal experiences and listening to others’ stories.”
“Thank you so much for giving me tools to handle my really spirited children. I will have a much more positive attitude about their behavior and not feel so helpless now.”
“I know remaining calm is the winning answer. Your workshop just reaffirms my efforts to be there.”
“It is nice to hear both the professional information as well as hear the other parents’ stories. I thoroughly enjoy both. Parenting remains very hard for me. I enjoy learning new and reviewing old information. “
“I now ask my children for their suggestions for solving problems we are having – it doesn’t have to all fall on my shoulders. They can come up with some really good ideas. Giving children the power to be part of the solution makes them feel good and they are so much more cooperative.”
“I loved being reminded of how important and helpful it is to use humor to diffuse a tense or angry situation.”
“Having realistic expectations for my children will make me be less frustrated and critical of them for not being able to do things.”
“I learned not to take my children’s behavior personally, especially when they get angry at me. Then I don’t get angry and the situation does not escalate.”
Play 'n Share:
“It's so nice to have met such great people who continue to be a support in my life. The parenting center was such a tremendous help to me for the first year of my baby’s life.”
“I can share the tough parts of being a mom and not feel like I am a failure.”
“Thank you for being the best part of my week!”
“I’m not sure how I would have faced all the initial challenges of parenting without the support of Play ‘n Share.”
“Attending Play ‘n Share provided me with information and advice from parents and facilitators that I may have never have been aware of as a first time mom. It eased my fears and gave me confidence that I was doing a good job even when some days seemed longer than others.”
“The Parenting Educators are open, warm and understanding of so many different people and their family situations.”
“The knowledge of the Parenting Educators is great. They can also point to resources where I can get more information.”
“Discussions on parenting helped me feel that I was not going through an issue alone.”
“I never feel that any question is bizarre.”
“I love talking to other parents and getting their perspectives.”
“I love the comfortable, relaxed feel of the meetings developed by the instructors.”
“The educators are very knowledgeable and helpful. Also, the group members give helpful information. There were times when I would use a strategy that another parent used for their child/children.”
“I really like the discussion format, open atmosphere, and comfort level.”
Toddler Activity Time:
"I just love this program. It is such a great experience to prepare kids for preschool."
"I have been so impressed with the teachers’ knowledge; they are incredible."
"I love the structure and how well it prepares my son for preschool."
"TAT offers a 'classroom setting' for a child to feel comfortable while mom is still there with them".
"The pace is quick and it keeps the children interested."
"The teachers understand when a child get off-track or is slow-to-warm."
"It is a great class. My daughter just loves it."
Online Workshops:
"Please offer more on-line classes. I am a single parent, so it is very hard for me to get out at night. Being able to attend a class from home is so convenient. You gave great information on the slides and your answers to our questions were excellent – it felt like we were together in person! You were very encouraging, and it helped to know that other people in the ‘room’ were in the same boat with their kids and their questions."
"Allow me to say how wonderful these online programs are. Your programs are fantastic, but because I have a small child at home, I can’t always attend workshops held at the Parenting Center site. So this is the perfect solution!!"
“I loved the on-line program. I live a distance from the Parenting Center so it is hard for me to get out at night to go to the workshops. It was so convenient to be able to get the information from my own home. The program felt very similar to the actual workshops I have attended at the Center. I was able to get the same amount of information and I even felt that I got to know some of the other parents who were also on-line for the program.”
"I appreciate any and all programs in this on-line format. As a single parent, it is difficult for me to get out at night. Being able to participate from my own home really affords me the opportunity to attend the sessions."
