By Meghan Festa

Fairbanks- Join Foundation Health Partners for the fall session of Particular Parenting. This four-week series begins Oct. 23 and takes place every Tuesday until Nov. 13 at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Madeline Nance, a certified family educator, will share information valuable to parents, grandparents, and childcare providers. The classes are free for the public to attend, and do not require pre-registration.

Nance has been teaching parenting skills since 1986. Her education is in social work and counseling ministry. After the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, Nance began her parenting series to teach children alternative ways to express anger. Since that time, the program evolved into an overview class on parenting.   Nance presents the classes in lecture format with time for a question & answer at the end of the session. During the first class, Why Parents Behave the Way They Do, Nance explores parenting motives and styles.

“Many parental behaviors are unexamined,” Nance said. “We weren’t born knowing how to take care of kids. Some is learned; some is experience.”

Nance’s approach is to discourage children from inappropriate behaviors but not to discourage them from being kids. People can get these mixed up, so it is Nance’s goal to help clarify the two.

“You don’t want to make a kid feel bad, because when they feel bad they don’t do better,” Nance said.   

This insightful series will also dive into topics such as adjusting children’s behavior and learning how to deal with conflict. Nance will be sharing strategies and resources for all age groups- infant to adult.

The series will be held in the Kiewit Room on the first floor of FMH from 6-7:30 p.m. on Oct. 23, Oct. 30, Nov. 6, and Nov. 13.