Did you know that Families First can bring a customized parenting workshop to your living room? Imagine having a group of friends with similar parenting issues engaged in an interactive discussion with a professional parenting educator right in your very own home. This is exactly what Lolli Leeson, a parent of three, did last February. Leeson invited twelve of her friends who are mothers of "tween" children (ages 9 to 13) to her home for dinner; the dinner was followed by a workshop led by Families First Senior Training Specialist, Susan Marx.

Marx has lead several successful parenting workshops in participants' homes over the past few years. Parents who know each other and have similar challenges with their children feel very comfortable sharing concerns in such a congenial setting. When Leeson was asked if she would recommend this service to others, she replied, "Definately! My friends loved it. It would be wonderful to have our husbands join the program next time."

One of the many benefits of having an "in-home" workshop is that it is natural and easy for parents to continue supporting each other after the workshop ends. Participants' casual post-workshop conversations reinforce concepts and strategies they learned during the program. "In-home" workshops also naturally strengthen connections among parents of children in a particular age group in a community. Parents can check in with each other about what their children are doing, and how other parents are reacting.

If you live in the Greater Boston area and are interested in more information about hosting an "in-home" program, contact us at web@families-first.org , or call (617) 868-7687. Families First can provide an "in-home" single session workshop or a program series. View our topic list .