Designed for parents of children ages 5 to 12, Active Parenting Now helps  parents learn how to raise responsible, cooperative children who are prepared to meet the challenges of the teen years. Parents can learn skills that will help them develop cooperation, responsibility and self-esteem in their children. They’ll also learn positive, non-violent discipline techniques so they can avoid power struggles.

The STEP approaches include appreciating that children’s behaviors are motivated by a variety of goals, that encouragement for children becoming the best that they can be is extremely important, and that family councils for making decisions for and with children are highly valued.
Topics Covered Include:

• Understanding Yourself and Your Child
• Understanding Beliefs and Feelings
• Encouraging Your Child and Yourself
• Listening and Talking to Your Child
• Helping Children Learn to Cooperate
• Discipline That Makes Sense
• Choosing Your Approach

The Nurturing programs feature activities to foster positive parenting skills and self-nurturing, home practice exercises, family nurturing time, and activities to promote positive brain development in children birth to 18 years. Parents and children attend separate groups that meet concurrently designed to build self-awareness, positive concept/self-esteem and build levels of empathy; teach alternatives to hitting and yelling; enhance family communication and awareness of needs; replace abusive behaviors with nurturing behaviors; promote healthy physical and emotional development; and teach appropriate role and developmental expectations.