As the 2024-25 school term begins, this is an ideal time to introduce and reintroduce parents and guardians to the ParentingMontana.org website. This website was established in 2018 following a survey of parents throughout Montana. So, this is a program that was developed from the responses of Montana parents and therefore is home grown.
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and Montana State University’s Center for Health and Safety has sponsored the program and continues to update the content.
As I have presented the Parenting Montana website at Kindergarten roundups, parent-teacher conferences and other events, parents will invariably comment: “This is great”, “So easy to use”. The program addresses ages 0-19 and topics pertinent to those ages: risk taking, stress, tantrums, homework, chores, making friends, anger, confidence, routines, bullying, back talk, discipline, conflict, eating – to name a few.
When Montana parents were surveyed, “back talk” rose to the top of the parenting challenges listed. Whether it’s your five-year-old screaming, “I hate you,” your second grader shouting, “No, I won’t go!” when you need them to leave a friend’s house, or your nine-year-old crying, “It’s all your fault,” when they’ve spilled a plate of spaghetti on the floor, establishing healthy ways of responding to life’s most challenging moments in ways that do not harm themselves or others are vital skills your child needs to thrive.
Today, in the short term, teaching skills to respond to upset or disagreements in healthy ways can create greater opportunities for connection, cooperation, and enjoyment; trust in each other; and a sense of wellbeing and motivation to engage.
Tomorrow, in the long term, managing conflict in your child develops a sense of safety, security, and a belief in self; builds skills in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making; and deepens family trust and intimacy.
This content is then followed by the 5 Step Process which is used for all ages and every topic:
Step 1: Get Input – Get your child to engage in a conversation, Create ownership, Build skills to be successful
Step 2: Teach – Demonstrate a task, Convey purpose of the task, Equip your child with knowledge and skills
Step 3: Practice – Learn by doing, Apply the learning, Grow habits and confidence, Support a growth mindset, Provide opportunities to handle failures
Step 4: Support – Monitor, provide feedback, Effect thinking, Reinforce successes, Grow responsibility, Apply logical consequences when needed
Step 5: Recognize – Recognize your child’s effort and success, Grow motivation
Each of the libraries in Jefferson County have Parenting Montana rack cards with various subject matter and topics. These are available for the taking. This is just the tip of the iceberg for “tools for your child’s success”. Isn’t this what we want for all children?
Barb Reiter is the Jefferson County Prevention Specialist. For more information on public health and other issues, she can be contacted at (406) 461-3618.
