- Seek the help that ‘From page 24 _ Approximately 30% of the classes are new each term, she said. Boesen said they service about £00 people annually through their parenting classes. , .” A drop-in service for caregivers is also offered through NSFS, where parents or nannies can take @ break and interact with other -earegivers while the children have - the. opportunity. to learn separa- - tion ‘skills and social skills by in- teracting with the other children. ;. Boesen said they have approxi- “mately $75 farnilies using the five ~ drop-in locations on the North ‘Shore. a “Fesource centre for parents where their’ current:“.services. could be ‘supplemented “with things like a . >, parenting library. _. Both PREP ‘and programs ‘of- fered through Chesterfield House - have .counselling and support for ... families where the children are 12 - -years old or younger.. And NSFS. also offers family counselling for. ‘‘normal ad- justment-type issues,” as well as problems: such as abuse, said Boesen. : . Chesterfield House is staffed by social . workers, family workers ‘and training volunteers who offer ‘free preventative and remedial programs to young families ex- periencing difficulty in parenting. They .also have a sexual abuse program for families requiring - counselling on that subject. PREP is.an outreach program, working ‘with families in their ‘homes and in the community as well as having them attedd pro- grams at the office. , Parents can find themselves in __- THE PARENTING (pg y RESOURCE © € SS chitasintn Newborn Care Give your family the best start with the hein of the Parenting Resource Centre. exciting events of your life and benetit from the extensive experience and obstetrics professional associated with the Grace Hospital. sessions on ail aspects of pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting, at her ome. For more information and a free CENTRE and Parenting Education Learn more about one of the most holistic approach of Vera Zerard, an Vera offers workshops and private remises or in the comfort af your awn brochure, please call: 922-8470. we, : - . ” Kids,’” NSFS -hopes to. establish a- counselling through Ministry of Social Services referrals, or through the courts. But ideally, parents should seek help bcfore they have reached the point of be- ing identified by outside sources as a problem family. Becoming aware that there is a problem can be the toughest step a parent must take. “I realized that my kids were scared of me,’’ said Heather B., a North Shore single parent whose family receives. counselling through both Chesterfield House andPREP. “Counselling was the best thing that ever happened to me and my _ she said, adding that parents should make an effort tc identify problems within their family and get help dealing with them. . Most parent counselling starts by identifying their strengths - as well as areas that need work, ex- plained Fitzwilson . “There isn’t a place all of us can go to learn about parenting.” The majority of PREP’s clients “are single-parent moms because they are the majority of single parents, and because they don’t always have the support or input from another adult. “This is a place people come for positive support."’ Like most counselling centres, Friday, October 16, 1692 — North Shore News - 25 FAMILY COUNSELLORS like Sue Fitzwilson, program director of the North Shore Parents Resources and Education Program, and her co-workers can help parents identify their strengths and their problems. NEWS photo Paul McGrath Is needed PREP deals with the parents and their children both separately and together. The separate counselling is necessary to “get a sense of who that little person is,’? she ex- plained. Often — especially with single Parents or stay-at-home parents -~ both the child and the parent are isolated from their peers. “We connect them to the com- munity."’ The older children become, the more they need interaction with other kids. But even that play changes, said Fitzwilson. ‘‘They go from playing on their own to playing . alongside other children to playing with other children.” Parenting is'‘‘a very, very hard job.” Parents constantly try to balance being a parent to their children, being a. partner to their partner, being a friend to their friends, and finding time for themselves, she said. Particularly with sole caregivers, finding that time for themselves is difficult, but very important. Parents can seek help by con- tacting their family doctor, North Shore Mental Health or one of the community’s counselling agencies. 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