Edina Community Ed

Come to class and learn new parenting skills as your child grows from Elementary through High School years. Beyond ECFE Classes are taught by Licensed Parent Educators, meeting once per month. Group discussion allows parents to share their challenges, experience and wisdom. Topics are determined based on the interests of the class. Classes offered are: Parenting Elementary Students, Parenting Middle School Students, and Parenting High School Students. Parenting Elementary Students (First Thursday of the month): Topics may include working in partnership with teachers, identity, sleep, friendships, discipline, emotion coaching, sibling relationships, over-scheduling, home-school communication, beginning puberty, teaching personal and media safety, moral development, chores and allowance and other concerns common to this age and stage. Topics are flexible and will reflect the interests of the group. For the months of January and April, class will be the second Thursday (January 9th and April 10th).

Come to class and learn new parenting skills as your child grows from Elementary through High School years. Beyond ECFE Classes are taught by Licensed Parent Educators, meeting once per month. Group discussion allows parents to share their challenges, experience and wisdom. Topics are determined based on the interests of the class. Classes offered are: Parenting Elementary Students, Parenting Middle School Students, and Parenting High School Students. Parenting High School Students (Second Tuesday of the month): Topics may include adolescent brain development, friendships and social dynamics, health & wellness, dating, emerging independence, positive discipline, parties and dances, technology and social media, college planning, time & money management, and drugs & alcohol. Topics are flexible and reflect the interest of the group. For the months of November and April, class will be held on the 3rd Tuesday (November 19th and April 15th).

Come to class and learn new parenting skills as your child grows from Elementary through High School years. Beyond ECFE Classes are taught by Licensed Parent Educators, meeting once per month. Group discussion allows parents to share their challenges, experience and wisdom. Topics are determined based on the interests of the class. Classes offered are: Parenting Elementary Students, Parenting Middle School Students, and Parenting High School Students. Parenting Middle School Students (First Tuesday of the month): Topics may include friendships and social dynamics, personality and independence, behavior and discipline, back talk and rude behavior, building resilience, developing responsibility, self-confidence, body image, emotion coaching, balancing homework and activities, puberty, adolescent brain development, and technology and social media. Topics are flexible and will reflect the interests of the group. For the months of November and April, class will be held on the 2nd Tuesday November 12th and April 8th).

Join a five-week class over the lunch hour to discuss the book Good Inside. "This book is for any parent who has ever struggled under the substantial weight of caregiving--which is to say all of us. Good Inside is not only a wise and practical guide to raising resilient, emotionally healthy kids, its also a supportive resource for overwhelmed parents who need more compassion and less stress." Each week will focus on a portion of the book and have a group discussion on information and how it applies to your parenting. The book is included with tuition. Please join in person or remotely. **We understand the busy demands of parenting--please don't feel pressure to finish the book. All contributions to the conversation will be valuble.

Join an ECFE class geared towards parents of children with special needs. The three-part class is intended to provide information, answer questions, and support families on their journey of parenting a child with a disability. Each session, the ECFE team will host guest speakers from the Early Learning Center's ECSE community, with topics ranging from how to navigate the evaluation process to transitioning to kindergarten and everything in between.

Join an ECFE class geared towards parents of children with special needs. The three-part class is intended to provide information, answer questions, and support families on their journey of parenting a child with a disability. Each session, the ECFE team will host guest speakers from the Early Learning Center's ECSE community, with topics ranging from how to navigate the evaluation process to transitioning to kindergarten and everything in between.

Parents of toddlers and preschoolers find themselves overwhelmed by parenting influencers on social media. While it’s difficult to filter out what is good advice on Instagram and Facebook, some can be genuinely useful when we’re seeking advice or ideas. In this class, we’ll take a look at some of the popular parenting-related influencers on Instagram and discuss what might work for us (or not!).

What are modern parenting approaches, and does the research support them? In this discussion-based class developed for parents of young children, we’ll learn about different parenting approaches, sort through some of their commonalities and the evidence to support each, and work to find your own personalized modern parenting approach so we can leave the course as more intentional parents.

What can we do to raise healthy boys? How is parenting boys different from parenting girls? As societal views of gender are changing, how can you teach your son about masculinity, identity, appropriate behavior and expectations? This class will explore questions like these so that you can formulate a plan for helping your son grow into an adult you will like and admire. Potential discussion topics include teaching kindness & empathy, building resilience, positive discipline, anger and conflict, bullying, chores/responsibility, self-regulation/emotion management, social norms & expectations, friendships, time management, how the pandemic has impacted boys, changing bodies and navigating the bridge between little boys and big boys. The format of the class might include podcasts, reading and discussing articles on current topics related to parenting boys, and small group discussions based on the age of the boys of participants. Topics and format are flexible and will reflect the interest of the group.

Twenty-first century family life requires twenty-first century tools. If you are a parent with an interest in kids, grown-ups, and the world around us, these podcasts are great. Each session will include time to check in with one another, as well as additional content and discussion of the week's podcast. Look for an email prior to the first session to let you know which episode to start with--the remaining three episodes will be determined based on the group's interests. Fall Podcast: Raising Good Humans with Dr Aliza Pressman. "In each episode, we'll go deep (but brief) with both experts and parents to share the most effective approaches and tools and talk about the important bigger picture of raising good humans. The goal is to make your parenting journey less overwhelming and a lot more joyful!" Winter/Spring Podcast: Flusterclux with Lynn Lyons. "Anxiety has been a growing, dominant force in the culture in recent years, and parents need to be on the offense to manage it and raise courageous and resilient children. Flusterclux offers authentic, compassionate straight talk for parents to connect, reflect, and feel prepared to support their family’s mental health with the stresses of our new normal."

Join this 3-part series to learn more about The Pyramid Model, the social/emotional framework used with your children in Early Learning Center classrooms. The Pyramid Model is a framework designed to help kids navigate their feelings and emotions, where teachers model for students how to solve problems and advocate for their needs. The Pyramid language is always positive and focuses on praise and preferred behavior.

This is a parent only class for families new to living in the United States to meet and share experiences with other new families.