“It hasn’t just made me a better parent. It’s made me a better advocate and a better leader. Now I’m advocating for all students in the school.”
When my second son was born, I found myself home alone on maternity leave navigating how to care for both an infant and a three-year-old at the same time.
I had so many questions and doubts in my head. How do I juggle two kids? How do I make sure they both get enough attention? It felt overwhelming sometimes.
A friend shared information about Families First’s Power of Parenting program, and I decided to join. I ended up doing two programs at once — one focused on infants and one for older children.
It was exactly what I needed during that time in my life. I was home alone with an infant, and connecting with parents going through the same thing was really helpful.
Families First helped me build a new community of parents and a new support system. I connected with other parents who understood what I was going through, and we shared advice, encouragement, and support with one another. It was nice to talk to adults who were going through the same situations as me.
I still remember one moment when I shared that my three-year-old was officially potty-trained and everyone in the program clapped and celebrated with me. That was when I thought, “These are my people.”
As I learned new parenting strategies, I immediately started applying them at home. I learned to pause before reacting, give my children choices within limit, and communicate more calmly and intentionally.
Over time, Families First helped me become a stronger parent, and a stronger advocate and leader too.
Through leadership trainings and parenting programs, I gained confidence in my voice and became more involved in my children’s school community. Today, I serve as a Parent Ambassador for the same program where my own journey began. It was a full circle moment. I started Families First in this exact same program, and now I’m here helping other parents.
At a time when so many families are facing financial stress, uncertainty, and fear, having a community where people can share what they’re going through and know they’re not alone is so important. Families First helps relieve some of those stressors in a small supportive way.
Parent Cafés for alumni became an important space for me. They give parents a place to talk honestly about what we are going through, share resources, and support one another through stressful and uncertain times.
That kind of support changes families, communities, and futures.
“Having a community where people can share what they’re going through and know they’re not alone is so important.”
