With every youth program you deliver, there is a parent or guardian coming as well. While the majority of network member instructors fit into the bracket of youth themselves, parents/guardians are most often working from different experiences and viewpoints. 

In terms of camp - are instructors and parents/guardians really that different? The goal of the following course is to help instructors prepare for the parent/guardian interactions by providing some perspective, as well as helpful strategies and understandings.

While this training module is called 'Communicating with Parents' it is important to remember that your camp and club participants will come from all different types of family structures. We know and appreciate that families come in many different shapes, sizes and forms that may or may not include a parent or parents. 

The frameworks for communication and understanding parents used throughout this training will be relevant and applicable to other types of caregivers and family members as well. It is important to ensure that as instructors we create great STEM learning experiences for all youth, and having positive and appropriate communications with parents, caregivers and families is an important part of this.

1. Introduction - 5 minutes
2. Understanding Yourself - 15 minutes
3. Understanding Parents - 10 minutes
4. Strategies for Communicating with Parents - 10 minutes
5. De-escalating - 15 minutes
6. Learning Summary and Reflection - 10 minutes

• Apply parent perspective to situations involving children
• Identify common areas of concern/interaction with parents/caregivers
• Apply appropriate communication techniques when interacting with parents/caregivers

By participating in this course you will also work on developing the following Future Skills:

• Problem Solving
  • You can strengthen your problem solving skills by working through scenarios presented here in an effort to predict possible outcomes, identify potential barriers and apply alternative approaches.
• Communication 
  • By learning how to consider the expectations of parents and various methods for conflict resolution, you can add to your communication skills and strategies for communicating effectively.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Through the exploration of various perspectives of individuals through emphasizing with their current situation and understanding their verbal/non verbal cues, you will enhance your social perception skills.

 You can use this workbook to capture your thoughts and responses to the reflection questions featured throughout this training course. Alternatively, you are welcome to record your answers in a personal notebook or another place.