Mountain Strong Family series resumes Above, left; Betsy Epp is excited to facilitate this year’s Mountain Strong Families Series. Above, right; Mountain families are invited to learn about raising whole, healthy human beings starting September 13, 2022. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MOUNTAIN STRONG FAMILIES[/caption]

TEENS, Inc has been hosting the Mountain Strong Families parenting classes for many years now. During the pandemic, mountain families were forced to link up online in an attempt to nurture the development of their children’s social emotional skills. Like all families, parents have sought out this series because they have both good days and bad days. Days when everyone feels playful, cozy and loving, as well as days that are frustrating, worrisome, or completely overwhelming. This September, families with children under twelve look forward, once again, to meeting in-person.

Families will gather at 5:30 p.m. for a home-cooked meal in the Nederland Elementary cafeteria. At 6 p.m., staff from New Explorers Learning Center and Nederland Elementary will entertain the children while adults gather to share parenting ideas and challenges. This year’s Series will be facilitated by Betsy Epp, an educator at NES, and supported by Ann Sherman, the Social Emotional Coordinator for TEENS, Inc. Each class is based on current interdisciplinary research about the parenting practices which serve to successfully nurture a child’s wellbeing.

Betsy is a Colorado native and mother of two elementary students. She grew up in Denver, pursued higher education in Fort Collins, and fly-fished on her honeymoon at Red Feather Lakes before settling in Gilpin County with her family a few years ago.

Especially during the pandemic, she admits it was a struggle to connect with like-minded parents and friends. Like many other young parents, Betsy is constantly trying to figure out the individualized needs of her children and respond in a loving way. As someone who is often required to function as a “single parent” while her partner travels for work, she realizes that feelings of worry can easily affect her desire to be the best parent she wants to be. Parental anxiety seems to continually creep into our lives when addressing difficult behaviors, or when trying to keep our children safe in the midst of overwhelming dilemmas in our world. And yet, despite all this, we want to do right by our children. We want to give them all that they need to be healthy and secure in this ever changing world.

The Mountain Strong Families Series supports parents who crave a stronger sense of community and those who may feel isolated in the gullies and gulches that make up the Peak to Peak region. The Series resonates with parents who want to be responsive to their children instead of reacting in fear or anger to daily situations. Each session offers practical ideas for developing a child’s social-emotional skills. There is time to connect with other parents and time to reflect on what we adults bring to our family dynamics. Caregivers try on the ideas between sessions as they practice new skills.

“I learned so much from these parenting sessions,” admitted one parent after completing the eight classes last year.

“The best part was realizing that we are all in this together,” said another attendee.

This year’s topics include:

-Raising Whole Human Beings one day at a time

-Understanding why children act the way they do

-Nurturing ourselves on the parenting journey

-Raising children with emotional intelligence

-Modeling empathy and healthy communication skills

-Fostering a child’s self-worth

-Developing loving boundaries with children

-Using positive discipline to problem- solve with children

An incentive is offered for attending all eight sessions.

Some parents drop in for one or two classes that resonate with what their children are currently dealing with. However, most attendees commit to the entire monthly Series where they practice honing in on a nurturing approach to parenting. Several families repeat the classes year after year because they feel a deep sense of support as their children go through various stages. All are welcome.

The first parenting class is on Tuesday, September 13. All sessions are free. To register for the Mountain Strong Families Series, contact the host, Ann Sherman at ann@teensinc.org by September 2. An evening of food, fellowship, childcare and insights awaits you!