Parenting Workshops

Raising children is a rewarding but often challenging endeavor, especially in today's society. Because parenting requires significant amounts of time, energy, and emotional strength, it is not uncommon for parents to feel stress related to this important role. Our workshops teach participants parenting skills in the areas of understanding children, how to help children learn and thrive, effective communication and personal stress management. As parents learn how to better understand, guide, nurture, and motivate their children, they will become more effective. Parents of children of any age can benefit from these programs.

Watch our Upcoming Events page for the following parenting workshops offered by CCE-Tompkins:

Parenting Communication Skills / PS: It Works - Parenting Skills Workshop Series - This no cost, 8-week workshop series for every parent/caregiver. Share your strengths and learn new strategies. Learn to talk with your children using the five communication skills: Encouragement, Can Do, Choices, Self-Control and Respecting Feelings. 

Parenting Communication Skills for Parents and their children / PS: It Works - Parenting Skills Worshop Series - 2 Gen. Workshop for parents/caregivers and their kids ages 6-10. Families will have dinner together and then they will be time to explore and practice, in separate groups and then together, different communication skills like Encouragement, Can Do, Shared Decision Making, Self Control Respecting Feelings. 

Why Do You Parent The Way You Do? / Parenting Styles Workshop Series - Many factors influence our children and how we parent. Why do we do what we do? Why do we make the decisions we make? Trained parenting facilitators lead (7) weekly workshop discussions on topics including: parenting styles and discipline, child development, cultural influences, and environmental issues.

Parents Helping Children Adjust to Separation and/or Divorce / Parents Apart® - Currently taught as a remote class in two, 2-hour classes, Parents Apart® is taught by a team of a therapist and an attorney. The class focusses on how children may respond to their parents' divorce and/or separation, and what parents can do to help them adjust. Participants select either two 2-hour weeknight sessions (from 6:30-8:30 pm on Mondays), or two Saturday sessions (from 9-11am). Registration is confidential and parents of the same child(ren) are placed in different workshops. $75 - $150 fee. Partial and full scholarships may be available. For more details, visit our page on Parents Apart® or our Events Calendar for scheduled class dates. Thank you to United Way of Tompkins County for their generous financial support.

Strengthening Families Program - is a class series for adult caregivers and their children aged 10 to 14 to help the family build positive communication skills. Adults and youth meet separately from 6:00-7:00 pm. The adult group discusses what youth this age are like, and learn skills for effectively guiding and disciplining their youth, and ways to show them love and support. Members of the youth group learn ways to handle frustration, to resist peer pressure, to appreciate their parents/caregivers, and to get along with others. The program helps youth prepare for teen years, avoid problems with drugs and alcohol, and communicate better with their families. From 7:00-8:00 pm, families practice communication skills and have fun in activities and games together. FREE childcare is provided for younger children. For more information on this curriculum, visit the Iowa State University website.

Thriving with Your Spirited Child - Learn about your child's temperament (and yours), how to develop effective strategies for dealing with temper tantrums, power struggles and other challenging behaviors in this 7-week series, led by two trained facilitators. Learn more about the "Thriving" class series. 

Last updated December 5, 2024