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"There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in. "
— Deepak Chopra
When I grow up I want to be a Parent Educator. My school district has one of the oldest Parents As Teachers programs in the country. It is a great program, and has
influenced my parenting tremendously. I enrolled in the program when my daughter, Katie was just a few months old. A Parent Educator came to my house to meet with us. She talked to me about what stage Katie was currently in and where she is heading. She helped me prepare for the next immediate milestone, and gave me ideas of how to encourage more growth in other areas. She left me with literature on Katie's particular stage of development.
Parent Educators will assess your child's growth and give you resources if your child is behind in certain areas, and they can also help if there are developmental delays. They are also happy to assure you that your child is developing normally, despite any concerns you may have.
In addition to the house calls, my PATS program also has meetings and classes for parents to learn about a variety of different topics: making baby food, infant Yoga and massage, toilet training, sibling rivalry, discipline, homemade books, manners, dental health, sleep issues, and also general parent-child play hours. They also provide childcare for lots of these meetings, which is great because it allows me to focus on learning how to be a better mommy.
The thing I love most about the PATS program: all of their ideas. They have taught me how to use everyday items to entertain, intrigue, and teach my kids.
www.ParentsAsTeachers.org to find a program in your home state
