As we are all well aware, times are different these days—with kids attending school virtually, parents working from home or experiencing job loss, and major events being cancelled for the foreseeable future. You might be struggling to communicate with your kids or handle conflict at home more now than in the past. It’s important to know that you have accessible resources at your disposal to help you tackle these issues head on.
I was lucky enough to be able to “email interview” Amanda Tolentino, the Family Engagement Coordinator at Family & Children’s Counseling Services in Binghamton. Amanda has spearheaded the effort to get the online version of Cortland Prevention Resources’ Parenting Wisely program up and running in both Broome and Cortland Counties.
Here are some highlights of our “interview:”
Q: What is your background?
Amanda: My work in Prevention began roughly 6 years ago while I worked for a program designed for teens in an afterschool setting. I then took on a new role in prevention working in a school-based mental health clinic where I provide parent education, support groups and community resource navigation for students and their families.
I have always had a passion for working with others. I received my Associate’s degree in Human Services A.S., and Bachelor’s degree in Human Development B.S. and I am currently working towards my MSW degree at Binghamton University.
Q: What is Parenting Wisely? Can it be done virtually?
Amanda: Parenting Wisely is an educational program for parents and caregivers that are seeking tools to increase their communication and positive interactions with their children. Parenting can be hard! And there certainly is not a manual that comes with children, however, we hope that Parenting Wisely can help. The program has been previously offered in-person to parents and their children through our Cortland Prevention Resources, a division of Family & Children’s Counseling Services. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we have been able to continue to offer this wonderful program, now through a virtual platform that includes constant support from a trained prevention specialist. This online program allows for families to complete this program on their own time, in the comfort of their own home.
Q: Who can participate in Parenting Wisely?
Amanda: Parenting Wisely offers 2 separate programs based on the age of the child(ren) within the family. For children ages 3-11 years old, Parenting Wisely offer’s their “Young Child Edition” and for children 11 and above, they provide the “Teen Edition.”
The Teen Edition cover’s various skills on increasing communication amongst your teen in addition to establishing chores, time with friends, a curfew and more. The Teen Edition is broken into a series of 10 relatable scenarios where the parent will view the scenario/presenting problem and then explore different solutions that could help relieve the conflict.
Q: How do parents get signed up?
Amanda: Parents can visit our website and fill out the initial contact information form. This will give us an idea as to the age of their children and what the parent is seeking support with. Our Prevention Specialist will then contact the parent by phone or email to complete the registration process.
Q: How much does the program cost?
Amanda: We are happy to announce that this program is free of cost to parents and families! Cortland Prevention Resources does however cover the cost of each individual membership of the online program, therefore we encourage parents to consider the time and commitment of this program before completing the registration. If parents are unsure of the program or would like more information, they are able to contact us and receive a trial of the program first.
Q: What is the time commitment?
Amanda: Parents should expect for each module of the program to take anywhere between 15-45 minutes. This program allows for parents to work at their own pace. So, some may work quicker if the information is a “refresher” to what they may know or practice while others may take more time to learn new skills and tools. We suggest that parents dedicate consistent time during their week where they can sit down and complete a few modules at a time, similar to how we offer the program in person.
Q: Is the program only for parents or do teens participate too?
Amanda: Teens (ages 11 or older) are more than welcome to join their parent or caregiver in completing this program! The partnership between parents and their teen allows for them to work together in choosing solutions that work not only for the scenarios, but for themselves at home. We also find it helpful for teens to see and understand the tools that can help to reduce conflict and improve communication between them and their family. For the young child edition–parents complete the program without participation from their kids.
Q: Does it actually work?
Amanda: Parenting Wisely is considered an “evidence-based program.” Therefore, that means that this program was tested previously with parents and families and then evaluated to see if it actually works. Which it does! Parents reported seeing quick and also long-term results with their interactions with their children.
We also appreciate that Parenting Wisely chooses relatable scenarios that families may be experiencing at home. For example, some of the modules within the Teen Edition is, “Monitoring School and Friends,” “Getting Up on Time,” and “Sibling Conflict.”
Q: Do you have a success story you can share?
Amanda: It would be hard to choose just one success story of this program. But I have seen this program help to support families reunite, and be used by first-time parents, grandparent raising grandchildren and parents who have been faced with new challenges since the pandemic. I really appreciate that the program promotes parents to highlight even the small successes we see with our children. These small steps can help families to become stronger with how they communicate and treat one another overall.
If you have any questions about online Parenting Wisely please contact:
Mary Dykeman by phone 607-756-8970, ext. 254 or email mdykeman@familycs.org
