Due to the success of parenting and teen classes held in Waimea last fall, county officials have scheduled another series of parenting classes that will run concurrently with teen classes at various locations around the island, county officials state in
Due to the success of parenting and teen classes held in Waimea last fall, county officials have scheduled another series of parenting classes that will run concurrently with teen classes at various locations around the island, county officials state in a press release.
On the Eastside, classes will be held at the Kapa‘a High School Parent Center, Wednesdays, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., starting today.
Bridget Arume, Janet Eisenbach, Francesco Garripoli, Vicki Kelley, Mardi L. Maione and Janet Teves will serve as class facilitators.
In the central district, classes are scheduled at the Lihue Baptist Church at the corner of Ahukini Road and ‘Elua Street, Sundays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., starting Sunday.
Facilitating the classes will be Michelle Metcalf and Sheila Ringor.
On the Westside, classes will be held on Thursdays, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., starting tomorrow. The exact location is yet to be determined. Tammy Higashi, Theresa Koki, Greg Meyers, and Susan Togioka will serve as class facilitators.
The fee to attend the classes is $30 per person. Scholarships are available.
“Looking at the bigger picture, the parenting and teen classes are part of the Kaua‘i Community Drug Response Plan,” said Beverley Pang, community outreach specialist with the County’s Anti-Drug Office, in the press release.
The classes provide parents with training on prevention and intervention of destructive adolescent behaviors such as illegal drug use, and the curriculum is based on the book, “The Parent Project: A Parent’s Guide to Changing Destructive Adolescent Behavior.” While parents are honing their parenting skills, teens focus on building life skills that emphasize how the choices they make determine the quality of their lives.
For Melissa Tangalin, a mother of nine who took the parenting classes with her husband Stephen Tangalin last fall, the classes assisted with opening lines of communication between family members.
“It helped us to learn to communicate better, both between parents and with our children,” said Melissa Tangalin, adding that their family bonds were strengthened as a result of taking the classes.
“I also liked the fact that there is a book, a manual to refer to, and I enjoyed spending time with other parents and finding that our situation in this challenging world is no different from other parents,” Melissa Tangalin said.
For more information call Pang at 241-6392.
