Stephanie Coueignoux, Your Kids

Being a parent can be incredibly rewarding, but also very frustrating because many parents put a lot of pressure on themselves to be perfect.

One local group is teaching parents that part of being a parent is making mistakes and learning from them.

"I needed help with the everyday routines with my son. I had a lot of behavioral issues, tantrums, the regular 4-year-old stuff, but I felt like I couldn't manage it," said Juliana Calta.

Calta said that as a mother of a 4-year-old boy and 2-year-old girl, she often feels overwhelmed, which is why she turned to Love and Logic, a new parenting class offered at Lakeview Elementary School in St. Cloud.

It is a program started by two pre-kindergarten teachers after several parents expressed concern about how their kids behaved at home.

"(They) saw their children were able to behave consistently at school and wanted to see the same types of behaviors at home," said Tina Purcell, a Love and Logic consultant

One of the most frequent comments by parents who have attended the workshop was that they have learned it is OK not to be perfect and that making mistakes is just part of the job.

"They make you see other parents have gone through it before. It gives you hope," Calta said.

Purcell and co-founder Stacy Johnson stress empathy and choicemaking in these Love and Logic workshops.

"It's not a hopeless situation. It's definitely a situation that is manageable and it's fun to be a parent, and it should be," Purcell said.

Calta said that after two workshops she can already see the difference. She said she is more patient and able to handle stressful situations better.

Other parents say they've also seen a change, and not only with their kids.

"My husband can't believe I haven't yelled for a week, and it even works on him, as well," said Beth Lanier.

You don't need to be a Lakeview Elementary School parent to attend Love and Logic workshops. Just call Lakeview Elementary School for more information.
 
The next workshop is on Thursday March 20 at 6 p.m.

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