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Teen Years Ahead Series in Tipton

Opportunity:
The parent education series, Teen Years Ahead, has been offered in Cedar County through funding from Prevent Child Abuse Iowa since 2004. To date, three school districts have supported this opportunity for families - North Cedar, Bennett-Durant and West Branch. The goal of offering the Teen Years Ahead series in the Tipton Community School District was achieved in the 2005-2006 academic year.

Response:
Middle school counselors in four Cedar County school districts were asked about the needs of children in grades 4-6. Their responses reflected a need for parents to be able to:

  • Set appropriate boundaries, establish family rules and follow through in a respectful way when necessary.
  • Talk honestly and openly about situations.
  • Make education a priority and create a support system for making it possible
  • Communicate about sexuality, drug and alcohol use.
  • Know what is going on in their child’s world, show support and interest, and get help when needed.
  • Spend quality time with their child on a regular basis.

Families First of Cedar County continues to address these identified needs by seeking funding to offer Teen Years Ahead for parents with children in grades 4-6. ISU Extension is a partner in offering this parenting series and provides support in many ways, including overseeing and supporting the work of the trained facilitator for the project.

Helping parents successfully deal with myriad issues as their child enters the pre-teen years is ultimate the goal of this project. The format for Teen Years Ahead includes seven, 2-hour group-based sessions, with one of the sessions for both parents and their children. The Active Parenting Now and Active Parenting of Teens video-based curriculums are used for the series. The Family Night provided opportunities for families to build their communication skills through play (team building activities) and learning about family meetings.

Tipton Community Schools cosponsored the series with guidance counselor, Kristin Coleman, assisting with recruitment, local arrangements and family support.

Outcome:
The following is a summary of the evaluation information self-reported by the Teen Years Ahead participants and reflects success in meeting the program goals. This summary includes nine completed evaluations; 82% of the parents who completed the series (N = 11 adults and 13 preteens).

All of the participants reported that their participation in the series was benefit to them (a 4 or 5 rating on the Likert Scale where 1 = Little Benefit and 5 = Great Benefit).

Fifty-six percent of the participants indicated a high increase in quality time – taking time to build strong relationships within the family. Parents wrote these comments:

  • Taking time to play is more important to me.
  • Family time has become more important.
  • Without a relationship, effective parenting isn’t possible.
  • I listen better when I ask, “How was school?”

Eighty-nine percent reported improved parent-child communication – avoiding communication blocks, using active communication skills, using problem-solving in situations. Parents noted:

  • Knowing how to steer away from negative ways and directing the conversation in a more positive direction.
  • I’m learning how to approach my kids with concerns.
  • It showed me some of the things I said when I talked were negative and disrespectful. I never thought they were before.

Eighty-nine percent rated an increase in ability to set limits and provide freedom within those limits.

  • How to give choices!
  • Offering choices to avoid power struggles.
  • Being able to give choices, not just an order.
  • Providing choices and using enforceable statements works. Starting sentences with I will ______, when you have _____ is working when I remember to do it.

Seventy-eight percent reported an increase in problem solving skills.

  • Whose problem is it really helped me understand each person’s responsibility.
  • Learned it’s OK for kids to suffer consequences from their decisions. Also learned how to make their problems stay their problems and support them while letting them figure out how to solve it.
  • Do more communicating by pushing for answers by asking questions instead of settling for “I don’t know.”

When asked how their parent-child relationship changed, parents reported the following:

  • Being more aware of MY negative parenting style and its impact allows me to be more effective.
  • I feel more connected because I have more to offer to strengthen relationships without using punishment.
  • Better! I am able to ask for something and get it usually at least the second time rather than the 10th.
  • My kids are better with their responsibilities and I am able to give them more positive feedback, which encourages them to me more aware of what they need to do without being told at times.

The support for this parent education series continues to grow. “This program has offered support for parents who need help with their children. It teaches the parents how to give their children support through controlled choices. The program helps parents to see if their parenting style is helping or hindering their success as a parent, in turn leaving their child less ready to handle teen life. I would love to see this program continued and even offered more times in a school year. We have so many parents who could benefit from the additional support and instruction,” Kristin Coleman, Tipton Community School guidance counselor.

Family Night provides opportunities for families to sharpen their communication skills and learn about family meetings.

Contact:
Wendy Peterson
331 E 8th St
De Witt, IA 52742-1736
Phone 319-659-5125
Fax 319-659-5126
Email wpeterso@iastate.edu

 

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Last update: December 6, 2006  
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