Parenting Workshop

Andrea and I hosted the first parenting workshop of the year today. We were thrilled with the participation. Twenty parents showed up to learn about Search Institutes's 40 Developmental Assets. If you missed it, here's a summary of what we covered. We started by brainstorming a list of things that kids need to grow into healthy individuals. The participants came up with a pretty good list that included positive communication, support, rest, nutrition, and physical exercise. Then we looked at Search Institutes's list. The list SI came up with is a result of research that started back in 1989. SI studied over two million kids all over America to find out what causes some kids to thrive while others struggle with substance abuse and other risky behaviors. The research identified 40 assets that improve a child's chance of maturing into a healthy adult. The best part of today's workshop was that each participant was able to look over the list and identify at least one asset that they are providing for their children. Here are a few that were mentioned: extended family, supportive neighbors, church activities, lessons, and positive family communication. If you would like more information about the 40 Assets you can go to www.search-institute.org. You can download a list of the assets free of charge.