Peer Parent Teaching Tip

Congratulations to Julie Trujillo for winning the "Peer Parent Teaching Tip" contest! She will receive a gift card to Target. Julie is from West Haven, has been a peer parent for almost two years and has been very successful with all the clients she has worked with.

Julie's tip... "Working with parents who are hard to engage can be challenging, so when this is the case I have created a "Skill Review Quiz" after each of our meetings I give the parent a review. We do it together, but I only help when they get stuck. This encourages communication and questions. It also lets me know if they are understanding the skill and if we need to continue discussing the topic. Good Luck All!'

This is a great suggestion - it helps reinforce the topic to the parents and gives the peer parent good information about where to go from there. Thanks, Julie!

IMPORTANT TRAINING INFORMATION:

When I was scheduling the advanced trainings for this year, I didn't think about UEA (Fall Recess) falling on October 14-15. I had planned to hold a training on Sat., Oct. 16 but now realize this is probably a bad day because a lot of people go out of town over this weekend. Our next advanced training will now be held on Saturday, Oct. 23rd so mark your calendars - more information to come.

CONGRATULATIONS, KERRI!

Kerri Miller is the lucky winner of a $15.00 gift card to Target for being the first peer parent to comment on this blog. Thanks, Kerri! Now I know at least one person is reading it...

Kerri lives in Clinton. She is a fairly new peer parent and is working on her first case. Kerry commented to me in an email, "I'd like to see other's ideas and tips on teaching the different subjects. Maybe the more experienced parents could blog about how they teach? Give us ideas and "teaching aids"?"

That is exactly what I hope this blog becomes - an interactive message board for all peer parents to share ideas and tips. Peer parents can do this one of two ways:

1) Respond in a "comment".

2) Email me the information you would like posted in the blog and I will put it in for you. The State has requested that only coordinators be able to actually post on the blog since blogs are open to anyone and we wouldn't want unauthorized people to post inappropriate or unrelated stuff on our blog.

So...I am offering another $15.00 gift card to Target for the first person (other than Kerri - I want to see if anyone else is reading this!) who emails me some peer parenting ideas or tips that I can post here. I know for a fact that we have some really great peer parents in our region who have lots of experience and a wealth of knowledge to share with others so let's hear from you!

Gotta Love Fall!

Last October we were able to enjoy beautiful New England in all its autumn splendor. Our daughter lives in Boston. This is a picture of our son, Christopher and daughter, Tristan (and me...the big orange pumpkin!) when we visited Ben and Jerry's Ice cream Factory - yummmm!

Is Anybody Out There?

I haven't posted on this blog for awhile because just when life was already crazy with my mom's death, my mother-in-law passed away too! Needless to say, it has been a trying summer. But now we are into my favorite time of year... fall. There is just something about the cooler days, vibrant colors and crisp air that makes me feel energized and hopeful. I hope you all feel the same.

We've had this blog going for awhile but I haven't gotten much response (maybe because I have written so inconsistently!) I've decided to have a little contest to see if anyone is actually reading this, so... the first person to post a comment to this blog will get a $15.00 gift card to Target!

Soon I'll be posting information about our next advanced training so tune in!

I'd like to share one of my favorite thoughts with you. It's by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

SUCCESS

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people

And the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation

of honest critics,

And endure the betrayal

Of false friends;

To appreciate beauty,

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better,

Whether by a healthy child,

A garden patch,

Or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life

Has breathed easier,

Because you have lived,

That is to have succeeded.

Wishing you all true success -

Pam