Jeff and his wife have been married for 10 years. She had children and an infant grandson from a previous marriage, and at the time, Jeff felt it was best to receive help to improve his relationship with his stepchildren. Because of his wife’s previous connection to Family & Children’s Services, Jeff began taking parenting classes. He said the results helped him a great deal as he didn’t have biological children of his own.
He was so impressed with the knowledge and assistance of FCS staff that he enrolled recently in the Active Parenting Now class to connect better with his six-year-old grandson, who is now under his guardianship.
“It has been a bit of an adjustment,” said Jeff thoughtfully. “Because I never raised a six-year-old myself, I knew that some of my actions and reactions were not the most constructive at times. I needed to learn how to better interact with him and how to deal with those times whenever things are not at their optimal.
“I knew that learning resources was there, and I knew there was something that would really help me. So, I enrolled, and it has been good to know how to make appropriate responses that can actually help the situation as opposed to creating more distrust.”
Family & Children’s Services offers Active Parenting Now and other classes virtually to clients who wish to find positive solutions to life’s most difficult challenges, learn effective strategies, acquire new skills and develop techniques to improve parenting and relationships.
Participants can register for a class or receive more information by calling 918-560-1114. Active Parenting Now, Active Parenting Teens, Cooperative Parenting and Divorce, Active Parenting: The First Five Years and Within My Reach are open for enrollment. Most classes run six weeks long (except for four weeks for Cooperative Parenting and Divorce).
The next class starts if the minimum number of two people sign up. Once participants enroll and pay for a class, on the week of the class is scheduled to begin, they will receive an email giving them further instructions. Participants can ask questions during the training.
Because of the virtual environment due to COVID-19, Jeff said it was great to be able to take the classes at home and not worry about having to obtain a babysitter for his grandson.
“I would like to take more classes in the future,” he said. “As my grandson moves into other stages of development, I would like to know more in order to constructively parent him. Family & Children’s Services is doing great work, and I completely believe in what they are doing. I’m happy to support in any way I can.”
