It started off with a visit to St. Louis by a family member from Nashville, Tenn.
Deb works for the YouthLinks serving at-risk teens and young adults in Wilson County. About three years ago during a conversation about the work we do, I told Deb about Parents as Teachers. The model resonated with her as there was no support group like this for anyone in the county and the need was tremendous. The program would fill a viable gap in the community, she said. I later sent her a packet of information. What a delight to hear over pizza Friday night that the simple act of sharing information led to the establishment of the first Parents as Teachers program in Wilson County!
Thanks, Deb, for getting our Parents as Teachers information into the right hands. You’re the BEST!
What else made it a Parents as Teachers weekend? I had an opportunity to talk to proud new parents on my street, Jessica and Nick. They welcomed Lydia into the world 6 weeks ago and Jessica was going back to work. Thinking she might like the support, I asked her if she heard of Parents as Teachers. She did and was thinking about joining but didn’t know how to start. After directing her to the Parents as Teachers National Center web site, I gathered some information to share with her later in the week. But Jessica beat me to it…she called that very same day and joined her Parents as Teachers program, eager to begin.
It’s a great feeling to make those kinds of connections, knowing how new parents appreciate the support and knowledge to be the best parents they can be. It’s what we all want, right?
With the upcoming national elections, I find I have a renewed sense of excitement about Parents as Teachers and work we do here at the National Center. The random debates and friendly banter among family, friends and neighbors around this time of the year has given me the excuse to talk about Parents as Teachers and educate them about early childhood and parenting support issues, something most people my age aren’t even thinking about as they are putting their kids through college. The betterment of our families, young children and communities is everyone’s issue.
To this end, here are two pieces of information that might be useful for when you have the opportunity to share information about early childhood development and parenting support issues during this election:
This is Parents as Teachers 