Parenting classes being offered in county

What exactly is parent education and who should take these classes?

Let's start with the second question. The answer is simple: Everyone! The truth is, parenting is the hardest job in the world. And, more significantly, it is the most important job in the world. Our children are our future; they are our most precious and vulnerable resource! They are a piece of us that carries forward into the next generation, and the next.

What could you gain by contributing a little time and energy to learning better parenting skills? How about the love and respect of your children when you handle those really difficult ages and stages of childhood and adolescence with confidence, patience, and effective parenting methods. Who doesn't want a family that cooperates, communicates, and supports one another?

Back to the first question - "What is parent education?" The goal of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Livingston County's Parent Education program is to help all parents become better parents. Our foundation is the belief that parents are good parents and that the majority of parents are doing a good job raising their children. However, even the best parents find themselves frustrated and angry with their children at times, or perhaps feeling helpless or unsure if they're not responding to their children in the best way.

Through the use of research-based parenting curricula in a non-judgmental environment, we give parents insight into their child's developmental stages and how this effects their needs and behavior. Th e extension's primary parenting classes are tailored specifically for different age groups: birth to age 5, ages 5-12, and tweens/teens: ages 12 to young adult.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Livingston County also offers the Parents Apart program which is designed for parents who are separating or divorcing. Our Parenting A Second Time Around ("PASTA") class is designed to assist grandparents, family members, and anyone else who finds themselves in the parenting role again.

Call 585-991-5420 or 585-335-1752 to learn more about the extension's programming or go online to ccelivingstoncounty.org.