PARENTIN G SKILLS - Cornell College of Human Ecology

PARENTING SKILLS

WORKSHOP SERIES

A Manual for Parent Educators

John Bailey Susan Perkins Sandra Wilkins

in consultation with Jennifer Birckmayer Evaluation material provided by June Mead

A Cornell Cooperative Extension Publication

About the Authors

John Bailey is coordinator of the Ithaca Youth Bureau's One-to-One Program, which matches needy children with adult volunteers in open-ended friendships. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Wesleyan University.

Susan Perkins is a family life specialist with Tompkins Seneca Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services' Adult Continuing Education. She continues to support parents learning to strengthen their skills. She has bachelor of science and master's degrees from the Pennsylvania State University.

Sandra Wilkins is extension educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County. She coordinates parenting education programs, including the Parenting Skills Workshop Series. She holds a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Montana State University and a master's of professional studies in adult education from Cornell University.

Acknowledgments

This project would never have come to fruition without the support, guidance, and assistance of many people. We would like to thank Karen Carr and Sam Cohen for their work in initiating the project. Nancy Zahler of the Tompkins County Youth Bureau helped obtain ongoing funding when we were mere fledglings. Marcia Markwardt, Nancy Potter, Janeth Thurling, and Judith Winckler of Cornell Cooperative Extension helped expand the project and contributed to the development of the manual. Jennifer Birckmayer contributed Chapter 5 and provided numerous helpful comments on the manuscript. June Mead helped us evaluate the program and provided the chapter and supplementary materials on evaluation. Stephen Goggin and Dalva Hedlund of Cornell University assisted in obtaining a grant for the project and Professor Hedlund commented on the manuscript. Trudie Calvert and Linda Haylor Mikula of Cornell University Media Services provided fine editorial and design work. We would like to thank the many facilitators who have brought this program to the public and made many contributions to its development. Special thanks go to our families and to the parents and children who have inspired this work.

To order copies of this manual contact your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office or The Resource Center Cornell University P.O. Box 3884 Ithaca, N.Y. 14852-3884 Phone: 607-255-2080 Fax: 607-255-9946 E-mail:resctr@cornell.edu Web: e.cornell.edu/store

Produced by Media Services, Cornell University ? 1995 Cornell University Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities. Printed on recycled paper. 321PSW 10/95 3M CR MS40688

CONTENTS

V FOREWORD VII INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1

1 FIVE BASIC PARENTING SKILLS

Chapter 2

15 STRUCTURED LEARNING

Chapter 3

17 EMPOWERMENT

Chapter 4

19 A GUIDE TO FACILITATING WORKSHOPS

Chapter 5

27 WHEN IS HELP NEEDED?

Chapter 6

29 THE WORKSHOPS

Chapter 7

49 THE ROLE OF THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Chapter 8

53 TRAINING FACILITATORS

Chapter 9

59 EVALUATION 61 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Appendix

63 RESULTS OF A TELEPHONE SURVEY 71 EVALUATION FORMS

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FOREWORD

T he Parenting Skills Workshop Series project began in Ithaca, New York, in 1986 in response to a request by family court judge Betty Friedlander for training in parenting skills for adults appearing before her in cases of child abuse or neglect. Two professional youth workers, Karen Carr and John Bailey, saw in this request an opportunity to provide a program for the parents of the youth with whom they worked, but a review of available parent education programs showed that all required moderate to high levels of literacy and used study and discussion rather than hands-on practice as the primary teaching methods. John and Karen had recently attended a workshop presented by Arnold Goldstein of Syracuse University on using a teaching format called structured learning to work with adolescents. They decided to try to teach basic parenting skills using this format, which is based around role plays by facilitators and participants. The purpose of the program would be to replace impulsive behavior with rational behavior and ineffective or hurtful parenting styles with effective, child-friendly skills.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Involvement

Susan Perkins, then an educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, began working with John in 1987 when Karen returned to her primary work with adolescents. In 1988 Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County was awarded funding through the Tompkins County Department of Social Services and the Tompkins County Youth Bureau to coordinate and expand the Parenting Skills Workshop Series (PSWS). John and Susan devel-

oped and implemented a facilitator training program and PSWS began to grow. Interest arose in other New York counties, and facilitator training programs were offered in response. Sandra Wilkins became program coordinator in 1990, and by 1994 two other Cooperative Extension Associations in New York had contracts to teach the program and others were preparing proposals. The Tompkins County Parenting Skills Workshop Series continues to grow and expand in response to increased funding and continued need. In addition to workshops for parents, Tompkins County now offers a follow-up support group and home visitation by facilitators trained in PSWS.

This manual is designed to provide parent educators with a complete guide to the skills, teaching techniques, and empowerment philosophy used in the Parenting Skills Workshop Series. Chapters 1 through 3 describe the content, format, and philosophical framework for PSWS. Chapters 4 through 6 guide facilitators in implementing the program. Chapters 7 through 9 provide information on how to coordinate an ongoing county or regional program. The Appendix gives results from an evaluation of a Parenting Skills Workshop Series offered in Broome County in 1994. This manual is offered in conjunction with a facilitator training program. Contact your county Cooperative Extension Association for more information.

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