Circle of ParentsŪ is expanding again in Morrison County. This chapter started up two years ago by partnering with the Child Protection Team. They have gone from one group that met every other week to FOUR groups that meet every week. The original group meets weekly at the Head Start facility in Little Falls and the other open group recently started meeting weekly in Pierz. Ammanda Weidenbach, their Children's Program Leader, has gone through the training offered by Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota and provides the leadership for each of their open groups. (more)

Sharing and equal status: Ideally, a self-help group operates on an egalitarian basis. The input of each person is valuable. Everyone is or has been coping with the same difficulty, so in that way everyone is the same.

Giving and receiving help: In addition to receiving help, group members can also offer to help others. People benefit just as much from helping as receiving. The confidence and self-esteem of members is enhanced as they find that they have something to offer. (more)

One of the hardest aspects of having a Circle of ParentsŪ group is helping the community be aware of this wonderful resource. Research on community engagement notes there are three basic methods to engage your community: writing, speaking, and one-on-one conversations. 

Writing
  Writing your own articles, editorials, and such is effective for a number of reasons:
  You will have the opportunity to tell your own story in your own words.
  You will be communicating about and connecting people with the issues directly affecting the mission of your Circle of ParentsŪ group - the definition of advocacy!
  Through this communication, you will educate - a big part of the mission of just about every organization. (more)

The Playful Parenting: A Bold New Way to Nurture Close Connections, Solve Behavior Problems, and Encourage Children's Confidence
Lawrence J. Cohen
From Amazon Reviewer Kelly:
I whole heartedly recommend this book to ALL parents. Dr. Cohen's ideas completely changed the tone of our household. We were going through a very difficult phase with our three year old that was turning into a downward spiral of negativity. Nobody liked the way things were going. We'd read a mountain of "discipline" books, none of which was helpful in our situation. (more)

The website, Hand in Hand Parenting, has some good articles available in both English and Spanish. They also have some inexpensive literature for sale. Additionally, they offer teleseminars that you can attend from any location, podcasts that you can download to your iPod or computer, and a Yahoo discussion group! Check it out and let us know what you think. www.handinhandparenting.org