Parents Together Program
Please reference our Adolescent Services Directory in our latest Parent Services newsletter, Bridging the Gap April 2010 if you require immediate assistance.
Fall 2010 Programs begin the third week in September. Please phone Melanie at 250-338-7141 after September 1st for details or to register.
Interested in our newsletter? Click on the following link for a .pdf version: Bridging the Gap – April2010
For Parents of Teenagers Only!
Parents today face increasing challenges in raising their teens to become strong, functional and fulfilled members of society in today’s world. Coping with these challengers can be difficult as many of our teens are facing situations that we never dealt with in our own teen years. If you are worried about your teens’ behaviour, please take a couple of minutes to answer the following questions.
- Do you frequently worry about your teen’s use of alcohol or drugs?
- Is your teen’s attitude towards school a cause of disagreement between you?
- Do you and your teen disagree about their choice of friends?
- Has your teen been in trouble with the police?
- Have you been verbally or physically abused by your teen?
- Has your teen ran away from home or frequently threatened to do so?
- Is your teen’s lying an issue in your life?
- Has your teen stolen from you, family members, or others?
- Is your teen’s behaviour causing stress and conflict for other family members?
- Is anger in your household escalating?
- Are you worried of an influence of your teenager’s behaviour on your other children?
- Do you frequently feel tired and discouraged as a parent?
- Do you feel alone, isolated, guilty, or unfairly judged as a parent?
- Do you sometimes ask yourself “Where did I go wrong?”
You Are Not Alone
Like many parents of teens’, you’re coping as best you can – challenged but continually seeking help and support wherever you can find it. Even if you answered “YES” to only one question, sometimes you may feel like you’re on and emotional roller coaster. This is not the relationship you envisioned you would have with your son or daughter and the tension and unpleasantness are beginning to take a toll on you and your family. You worry about the safety of your teen and may be concerned about your own safety. You feel “out of control” and helpless a lot of the time, afraid that you may never be able to connect with your son or daughter again. You have tried without success to get the help and support you need. Parents who have “been there” want you to know that you are not alone. In fact, you’re probably like most Moms and Dads who have become involved with Parents Together. They entered the program (often reluctantly) feeling embarrassed, confused, angry, and terribly alone. Their lives sometimes felt out of control and their family and relationships in jeopardy. Most had tried several other types of help before joining Parents Together, convincing evidence that these are caring, courageous, and responsible folks who simply haven’t found solutions to parent/teen conflict issues that are right for them and their teen. Often, they tell us they tried Parents Together as a last resort, believing they might find what they were looking for by meeting other parents in similar circumstances who were willing to share their concerns, ideas, successes, and support. Each week, hundreds of parents are helping each other in community-based Parents Together groups throughout British Columbia. Why not check this solution out for yourself? Your local Parents Together program welcomes your call. It could be the beginning of a new relationship between you and your teen. For more information, please contact the Parent Line @ 338-7141