Aaah, it’s finally here. The new year. So many things to look forward to and goals to reach. Finances, health, fitness, organization, and spiritual growth are areas many of us think of when we consider what we want to focus on in the year ahead… but what about parenting? How can we grow as parents, and where do we start?
Families First Can Help!
The University of Miami’s Families First, a program funded by The Children’s Trust, offers FREE parenting classes throughout Miami-Dade. Groups are facilitated by University of Miami therapists from within the department of Pediatric Psychology. The winter session will kick-off on January 14th and will offer two courses for parents of children ages 0-3 years.
The first course series, Baby & Me, is specifically designed for parents of babies from birth to 6 months of age and will meet weekly for 10 weeks. Some of the topics that will be discussed throughout the course are infant brain development, soothing a crying infant, promoting language development, and positive parenting strategies for managing exploration and behavior. Discussion groups are small and each session includes a sharing time (successes and challenges), discussion, and caregiver-infant activities. Parents/caregivers will also receive free baby items and will create a free scrapbook for their child(ren) throughout the course. It’s a great way to meet other parents in your community, gain confidence in your parenting skills, and deepen your bond with your infant.
The second course in the Families First series, The Incredible Years, is a 12-week course geared toward parents of children ages 1-3 years. Discussion groups average 12-14 participants and meet for 2 hours weekly. One of the goals of this course is to build support networks with other parents, and group sessions include a meal/social time to foster those relationships within the group. Some of the discussion topics will include child-directed play, balancing power between parents/caregivers and children, preschool readiness skills, promoting positive self-talk, and self-regulation, just to name a few. Parents/caregivers will also receive items related to the course material. All of this–for FREE!
Register TODAY!
There are several dates and locations in Miami-Dade to choose from, and courses are offered in English and Spanish. To secure your spot in one of these fabulous courses from Families First, registration is required. Space is limited, by design, and you don’t want to miss out! To register, call 305-243-8425 or send an email to FamiliesFirst@miami.edu. You can also visit their website or follow them on Facebook for more information.
Give your family a priceless gift… a set of valuable tools that promote social and emotional growth, and the security that results from intentional parenting.
