Parents: Do you make the grade? Published April 21, 2008 By Jacalyn Dunn Family Advocacy Outreach Manager EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Parenting is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs we can have in life. However, babies don't leave the hospital with a set of instructions attached. With some trial and error, most parents find a parenting style that works for them and are able to motivate kids toward positive, rather than negative behaviors. But are you doing everything you can to ensure your child grows into a happy, well-adjusted young person? April is Child Abuse Prevention Month - a good time to take a look at your parenting style. Most parents, at one time or another, feel at a loss when their kids exhibit difficult behaviors. They are always looking for new ways to tackle the tough situations that kids throw at them. One way to receive some new or updated information about parenting is to take part in one of the many parenting workshops offered on base. Now, if you think parenting classes are only for parents with problem children or if you think you already have the perfect relationship with your child, then you can skip right to the final exam without attending the classes. The exam is administered by an expert on your parenting skills - your child. Your child simply rates your parenting techniques using the questions in the report card (feel free to add any of your own questions). For each question, your child gives you a letter grade based on his or her judgment of your parenting skills. If you've been out of school awhile, remember that an "A" means you are doing an outstanding job in that area of parenting; "C" means you could use some brushing up; and "F" signals you need take an overload of credit hours in the Parenting University Series. After your report card is in, your grades can help you decide if a parenting class might help you improve your parenting style and improve your relationship with your kids. Eielson AFB Parenting Programs New Parent Support Program The New Parent Support Program, also know as Polar Babies, is designed to provide supportive services to anyone who is pregnant or any family with children from birth to three years of age. The New Parent Support Program offers home, hospital or office visits by a RN, telephone consults, breast feeding support and parenting tips to help make your job as a new parent easier. A new and exciting service now offered to those enrolled in the New Parent Support Program is Infant Massage - a great way to improve the bond with your new baby. Dads: The Basics A fun, two part class, for new dads, taught by experts - dads that have been through new fatherhood and survived! Dads: The Basics offers expecting and new fathers the opportunity to learn basic information about becoming a dad and your role as a father. You'll get honest answers to your questions and get information related to pregnancy, labor and delivery, communicating with your spouse, caring for an infant, keeping your baby safe and managing family issues that result from deployment. 1-2-3 Magic Kids are just kids! In addition to being delightful, charming and affectionate, children can also present parents with difficult behaviors: whining, arguing, fighting, yelling, and tantrums. This popular class, for parents with younger children (two through ten years old), is designed to bring practical, easy-to-use discipline methods into your home. This class is taught in three sessions. Parents love 1-2-3 Magic because the material is easy to learn and they can begin using the techniques after the very first class. Girls and Boys Town Common Sense Parenting This is a four week class for parents of children ages 8 and up facing family challenges such as siblings who constantly bicker, a child having trouble in school or a defiant teen. Learn techniques that will aid you in building good family relationships, prevent and correct misbehavior, improve behavior and teach self-control. Active Parenting for Stepfamilies Getting married was the easy part. Now parenting in a stepfamily offers you a whole new set of challenges. Maybe your child won't cooperate with their new stepparent or your stepchild turns their back on your attempts to get to know them. Or your children and stepchildren can't seem to get along. Or you and your spouse parent differently and it's causing the great divide. Whatever the issue, the six part Active Parenting for Stepfamilies can make the transition a whole lot easier! Each of the classes listed are offered on an on-going basis and new classes begin soon. Register for the classes by calling Family Advocacy at 377-4041 or 377-4042. Take a class then ask your child for another report card. We are sure you will graduate with honors!