10 Resolutions That Show Your Kids You Care:

1. Teach your children to trust you by seeing you as a role model.

2. Be patient, not just tolerant. Apologize when you make a mistake or do something you regret.

3. Ask teens what they need from you – and do whatever you can to meet those needs.

4. Listen to your teens, a lot. Avoid interrupting.

5. Teach your children about ethics, values and principles they can apply in choices and decision making.

6. Help them discover the feeling of gratitude, not just to say thank you.

7. Keep the promises you make. If you do not keep your word, acknowledge that. Help your teen understand the circumstances or choices that precipitated the change in your plans.

8. Answer your teen's questions and be consistent. When you notice behavioral changes in them, make yourself available and encourage them to talk about what is going on in their life.

9. Be understanding when they have a difficult time and let them know you will love them no matter what.

10. Be diligent. Have ongoing conversations with your kids about the risks of drugs and alcohol.

One of the best gifts we can give our children is also one of the hardest to
fulfill - to let go and let them learn to sink or swim on their own.

It is difficult because it goes against what we feel our role is as a parent. We
want to protect our children and therefore want to do whatever we can to help
them avoid pain and disappointment. The only problem is...http://bit.ly/3O7sK

Having trouble getting the kids to listen?  Wishing your spouse understood your
needs?  Can't figure out why you're so crabby?  Join Peggy Smith, Owner of Open
Communications In her 6 week Non-Violent Communication workshop.

Learn how to communicate with yourself, your children, you partner and neighbors
with a needs based, empathetic, specific request approach to communication and
watch how, like magic, everyone is agreeing, getting along and having their
needs met.

This Level 1 Workshop Based on the work of Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent
Communication is a:

6 Week Course
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays
Oct 14, 21 & 28 • Nov 4 & 8 • Dec 2
Location: Community Partner's Senior Center 58 North Street, Portland, Maine

Tuition: Fee request is based on a sliding scale $130-190. A $40 deposit
reserves your space. To reserve your space visit us online to complete your
registration form.

This event is sponsored by Open Communication; Open Communication is dedicated
to bringing Nonviolent Communication and empathy skills to people of all ages
and life circumstance. We offer a variety of educational opportunities to
individuals, groups and organizations. We seek to support the development of a
culture of peace within individuals, families, communities and businesses. We
envision Maine as a place where children can flourish and all people thrive
sustainably.

Register online today at www.opencommunication.org.

In Peace,
Shay

Greetings everyone,

I am new to the group and wanted to say hello!  I think it is very important
that this forum exists.  What a great place to explore tools and philosophies on
connecting with our children and creating a more peaceful, safe community.

I wanted to tell you about an amazing woman who is offering a workshop you might
be interested in.  Peggy Smith is a very warm, humble and open woman who has
some very powerful tools and "methods" that help with parenting, partnering,
business, self and any communication really.  I would highly recommend checking
her out, attending a workshop or just visiting her website.  She has many
workshops coming up but thought I would point this one out....

Growing Peace Within Me and the World
with Peggy Smith, Trainer
Level 1 Workshop
Based on the work of Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communication

6 Week Course
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays
Oct 14, 21 & 28 • Nov 4 & 8 • Dec 2 Location: Community Partner's Senior Center
58 North Street, Portland, Maine


This 6-session workshop introduces participants to the basic understanding and
practice of NVC. Participants will practice:

Expressing themselves authentically
Listening with empathy by observing facts without evaluation, interpretation or
judgment
Identifying and expressing feelings
Expressing the needs behind those feelings
Formulating clear and concrete requests for actions
The quality of our lives and our relationships begins with the quality of our
communication with ourselves and each other. We will learn to release judgments
of ourselves and others, and to speak more authentically from the heart by
focusing on developing empathetic listening skills. We will explore the vital
role that empathy plays in developing a sense of presence, deepening our
experience, improving relationships among family and at the workplace and
resolving conflict.
We will learn tools to stay centered and in our compassionate nature when we are
triggered by someone's words or actions, and to resolve conflict in ways where
everyone's needs are met.

Tuition
Fee request is based on a sliding scale $130-190. A $40 deposit reserves your
space. To reserve your space, fill out your Registration Form today.

This event is sponsored by Open Communication
Open Communication is dedicated to bringing Nonviolent Communication and empathy
skills to people of all ages and life circumstance. We offer a variety of
educational opportunities to individuals, groups and organizations. We seek to
support the development of a culture of peace within individuals, families,
communities and businesses. We envision Maine as a place where children can
flourish and all people thrive sustainably.

Learn more online at www.opencommunication.org.

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
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Hello,

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Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the timetotalkportlandme
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   File        : /Dennis Embry Poster Draft 4 with logos.pdf
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   Description : Dennis Embry Event (May 21, 2009)

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Building a Better Future is a new five week series of workshops for parents who have open cases with child welfare. This series is designed to provide parents with education and support. Sponsored by Parents as Partners, the series will be co-facilitated by parents who have successfully reunified and DHHS/YI staff.

Topics covered during the five weeks include: How a case moves through the system, How to file a grievance, What to expect from your caseworker, Dealing with grief and loss, Communication skills, How to speak up for yourself and your family, and How to get the most from your Family Team Meeting

The first session of Building a Better Future will begin on Tuesday March 24th and run for five weeks, ending on April 21st.  Classes will be held from 11am to 1pm at the Youth Alternatives Ingraham Family Center in South Portland.

There is no fee for these workshops, but registration is required. Parents can register by calling Parents as Partners at 523-5079. 

(The PDF flyer is in the Yahoo! Groups File)

http://www.yimaine.org 

Parenting can be challenging. To bring up a child requires many
different types of parenting skills. An important and yet challenging
skill is to be able to train and educate a child to become
responsible and to learn appropriate ways to behave. Family life and
maintaining a home is fun generally when we get the basic aspects in
place and it can also be an unpleasant experience if we get certain
aspects wrong.

I think it is generally advisable to be informed about the
intricacies in running a family and a home and how to go about
overcoming it. To get more enlightened, I will suggest you visit
http://familylyfe.blogspot.com/

Family care is a very delicate process and needs to be handled with
experience, patience and a positive mindset.

Children especially; are difficult to handle at early stages, so
knowing how to go about these things surely helps.

During Children of Alcoholics Week you can do much to spread the word that children living with addiction in the family need the support of caring adults. During this week we can join our voices to raise awareness that children of alcoholics can be encouraged and supported to seek out help and that they can and should have access to caring adults who are able to provide that help. And there are some messages that children of alcoholics and other drug dependent parents (COAs) need to hear. Among others, they need to understand that addiction is a disease and that it's not their fault.

During Children of Alcoholics Week, choose to speak out, to initiate, to get it done. Choose to be among the Champions for Children during this important annual celebration. Your own experience in your community and organization will inform you how you can have the greatest impact but we want to suggest some of the many ways your organization and you as a private citizen can make a difference during Children of Alcoholics Week 2009. 

Here are some ideas 

Center’d just launched a new school event planning center that
has everything people need to make organizing school activities and
signing up and coordinating volunteers easier.  With readymade school
event templates and sign-up sheets, Center’d helps people
organize school book fairs or fund raisers without any hassles.
Center’d offers simple, web-based tools with quick-start
templates for all kinds of school events. Schools can use it to
coordinate volunteers, plan for classroom events like parties or field
trips, and even organize faculty and PTA meetings. It provides task
reminders and tracks individual responses and responsibilities, and
they’ll alert organizers if someone backs out of a volunteer spot
so they can still fill it

Use a sample plan available at Center’d, for any one of the
school events, and see how easy it is to organize one. Come and explore
at http://www.centerd.com/plans/s/school-events/

Thanks,
Mike

The spring session of the Strengthening Families Program will begin on Wednesday, March 4th…registration is now open.

This evidence based, 14-week program is designed for parents and their children ages 6-11. Childcare for younger siblings and some transportation are available. Parents and children attend the program together. The program runs from 5-7:30pm and includes a family meal, separate parent and child classes, and family activity time. Fee for the session is $395/family; limited scholarships are available. Space is limited, and early registration is recommended.

(The flyer is located in our Yahoo! Groups Files section)

For more information or to register, please contact Deb Dunlap at 874-1175 x6001 or visit: www.yaimaine.org  

(See the flyer in our Yahoo! Groups "Files" section)

Parents as Partners announces a new weekly support group in Westbrook for parents going through the family reunification process. Groups will be held every Monday evening beginning January 5th from 6:30 to 7:30 pm at the Mercy Recovery Center in Westbrook.

Parents as Partners is run by parents who have successfully reunified with their children. By parents, for parents, these confidential support groups provide a safe space for parents to talk to others who have successfully reunified, get support from other parents going through the process, express their thoughts and feelings, and learn about services available to them.Other group locations and times are also available.

The flyer announcing the new Westbrook group is listed in our FILES section of this Yahoo! Group.

For more information please contact Parents as Partners as 523-5079.