Parent & Teacher Classes by PCU

Signing Smart™ Parent Workshop: Beginner (Adults of 0 - Under 3 yrs) Spring '08  Summer '08 Signing Smart Treasure Chest 2 video clip!  Home Materials include: award-winning Signing Smart with Babies and Toddlers: A Parent's Strategy and Activity Guide - for parents or caregivers to begin signing with their hearing infant or toddler, as well as for those seeking additional tools or activities. Photos of over 130 ASL signs and more than 70 fun interactive activities for the home or childcare setting. One book included per household.  Ages: Adults only please (Nursing moms of children less than 6 months of age are more than welcome but need to make sure all can hear the presentation). Perfect for expectant parents as well as those with children from 0-2. Cost: $40 + $20 Home Materials fee (50% discount for accompanying spouse/grandparent).  Description: The Beginner Signing Smart Workshop is for expectant parents or parents new to signing with their baby as well as for those who have already gotten started and are looking for support during the early phases. More than just motivating parents to sign, this workshop helps parents develop a plan for successfully signing with research-proven Signing Smart strategies and techniques. You will learn the Signing Smart Start - how many and which signs to use in the early stages - as well as how to build up your signs as time goes on. In addition, you will learn to create interactions in which your infant or toddler most easily learns signs, how to bring signs into your child's world, and how to recognize your child's first signs. Through instructor presentation, interactive activities and discussion, and video examples, you will learn over 35 ASL signs, as well as tools, strategies, and resources that will enable you to experience the success of Signing Smart from the very first day! Date: Thursday, May 29th 6:30-9:00 p.m. AND Wednesday, June 11th 6:30-9:00 p.m. Location: Monkey Business, S. Washington St. Falls Church, VA 22046 To Register: Call (571) 543-1002 or Register at www.ParentChildU.com - Registration page. Feel free to call with questions or to arrange a private group at your home, business or playgroup.

Signing Smart™ Childcare Providers & Infant/Toddler Teacher Workshop   Spring '08 & Summer '08 Signing Smart Treasure Chest 2 video clip!  Home Materials include: award-winning Signing Smart with Babies and Toddlers: A Parent's Strategy and Activity Guide - for parents or caregivers to begin signing with their hearing infant or toddler, as well as for those seeking additional tools or activities. Photos of over 130 ASL signs and more than 70 fun interactive activities for the home or childcare setting. Also includes 2 Diaper-bag Dictionaries – your choice of 2: First Signs, Animal Signs, Food Signs, or Holiday Signs. Ages: Adults. Perfect for child care providers, nannies, babysitters, and even grandparents who provide care for children ages 0-2. 1st Teacher Cost: $100 includes the $50 Home Materials fee, 2nd & 3rd Teacher at one center cost: $50 with no materials One materials fee included for every 3rd teacher enrolled in a center.  Description: This Signing Smart Workshop is relevant for childcare providers and teachers of hearing infants and toddlers and is specifically geared towards those who work with multiple children simultaneously. More than just motivating teachers to sign with the babies and toddlers in their care, this workshop helps professionals develop a plan for successfully incorporating signs and research-proven Signing Smart strategies and techniques into their classrooms. By using group-orientated Signing Smart strategies, teachers will enhance spoken language skills, facilitate cognitive and emotional development, and take advantage of this powerful classroom management tool. As a result, teachers will notice a decrease in children's frustration, aggression, and tantrums, and an increase in constructive interactions and positive affect. Through instructor presentation, interactive activities and discussion, and video examples, you will learn simple but successful Signing Smart techniques that make signing a welcome addition to your work with children. You will learn the Signing Smart Start in a group setting, as well as how many and which signs to use as you introduce Signing Smart to your entire class. You will further learn how help children access your signs in the hectic environment of a classroom, how to implement our simple and successful strategies that make signing a breeze, as well as how to recognize what signs look like on children's hands. Date: Available upon request for prearranged groups. Time: Time to be determined. Location: TBD To Register: Call (571) 643-1002 to arrange your own private session for your center or child care providers.

Parent/Teacher Workshop: Peer Pressure   Spring '08 & Summer '08 Peer pressure is usually considered a 'bad' thing. Peer pressure can be positive too! Come learn both the negative and the positive ways peer pressure can be used to help children thwart bullying and help the team!   Date & Location: To be determined by individuals & groups for the fall term. Continue to check back. To Register: Call (571) 643-1002

Parent Workshop: Positive Discipline   Spring '08 & Summer '08 What do we really want for our children? Do we want our children to become happy, responsible, independent, successful, etc. adults? Do our parenting methods match our goals or do we want children to simply do what they are told? If so, what kind of adult will such a child ultimately become? There are dozens of ways you can help your child learn to become a responsible adult. Perhaps the most powerful method is through modeling. However, it is tough being a parent! Tons of parents in a goal not to be permissive try talking to their child only to become frustrated and ultimately resort to power methods: yelling, grabbing, saying "Because I said so" and more. This teaches children the person that is bigger, stronger, and/or has the most power gets their way. Is that really what we want to teach our children? "More traditional parenting styles model bullying behavior" (Alfie Kohn, March 2007). Come learn positive discipline methods heralded by the best in the field. Come learn the research behind such approaches. Be the parent you always knew you could be through positive discipline. Be confident knowing you are helping your child become the adult you know they can be!

The Happiest Baby on the Block™ Parent Workshop!    Spring '08 & Summer '08 Video Clip from The Happiest Baby on the Block    Home Materials included in the price of the class include: The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD &  Super Soother CD. Ages: Adults Sessions: 1 Cost: $55 (includes $40 of materials in the price) Day/Time: To be determined. Private sessions and moms group sessions available. Class size: 2min/25max Description: The Happiest Baby on the Block Class is for all expectant & new parents and grandparents. New babies are such a blessing, but they can also bring with them sleepless nights, crying, and sometimes quite a bit of stress. Learn a step-by-step how approach to help their baby sleep longer and how to soothe even the fussiest colicky baby in minutes…even seconds. Magic? A miracle? No, it’s a reflex!™  Based Dr. Harvey Karp’s approach in his best-selling book and DVD, parents will learn: why the idea that colic is due to gas pains is mostly an old wives tale, why keeping the house quiet may actually be upsetting to many newborns, why most babies get more upset in the evening, why it’s impossible to spoil young babies, an easy way to help infants sleep a few hours more a night, why fathers are often the best calmers in the family. To Register: Call (571) 643-1002

Viacord Cord Blood Preservation Session  Spring '08 & Summer '08 Video Clip: ViaCord Family Success Story Archives                                              Description: For expectant parents & grandparents. Umbilical cord blood is used in the treatment of over 40 life-threatening diseases. The odds of someone in a family of 4 being diagnosed with one of these diseases is 1 and 27 or 3.7%. Current ongoing research suggests that cord blood may be used to treat heart disease and stroke. If so, the lifetime probability of being diagnosed with a disease treatable with cord blood then becomes 1 in 2! Call to learn about Viacord's Gift Registry and receive $100 discount coupon * while offer still stands. To Register: Call (571) 643-1002

Parenting Book Club: Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason  Winter '08      Ages: Adults only please (Babies of nursing moms of  6 months & under are welcome as long as mom does not mind missing parts of the lecture if baby fusses :)) Cost: Location: Shirlington Library Tentative Dates: 01/02/08 or 01/03/08  Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m. (The library closed at 9pm) Registration Required: Please register online at www.ParentChildU.com - Registration page or call (571) 643-1002 Facilitator: Tracey Kretzer, MS, Parent Edcuator & Parent Child U Founder & Exectutive Director Description: Please come discuss a perspective on parenting that is different from the traditional parenting book or class. Come see why traditional parenting "models bullying behavior." Come learn why praise and punishment are simply "two sides of the same coin, and that coin does not buy very much." Come discuss this book/video with parents and professionals. Share and learn a ton of new tricks.   It is not necessary to have read the book or seen this video to come learn & share!

Parenting Book Club: The Happiest Toddler on the Block: The New Way to Stop the Daily Battle of Wills and Raise a Secure and Well-Behaved One- to Four-Year-Old   Spring '08 & Summer '08   Ages: Adults Cost: Location: TBD Tentative Dates: Time: Registration Required: (571) 643-1002

The National Effective Parenting Initiative (NEPI)  Information Session Spring '08 & Summer '08 Ages: Adults Sessions: 1 Cost: FREE for local presentations Day/Time: 7:30-8:30  Future private sessions and moms group sessions are also available. Class size: 5min/50max (Individual sessions based on availability) Location: Aladdin's Lamp. Private and group sessions are available. Next Session Date: Tuesday, September 18th Description: www.EffectiveParentingUSA.org To Register: Call (571) 643-1002

Spring '08 & Summer '08 Written by world-renowned author & educator, Becky Bailey. Presented by Parent Child University Founder, Tracey Kretzer, M.S., LPSC  This uplifting and powerful workshop changes attitudes and provides participants with the skills and techniques necessary for adults to stay in control of themselves and in charge of children.  In this workshop you will learn:      *How to give effective commands so children are more likely to choose to do what you say.      *Guide children away from tattling and into problem solving.      *Empower victims, and teach bullies new skills.      *Gain a deeper understanding of how children develop in order to foster self-esteem (both yours and theirs).      *Look for solutions instead of blame, by conducting the seven steps to conflict resolution.      *Recognize the two ways that children communicate to adults and the most effective responses that elicit cooperation.      *Stop the "Do what I say, not what I Do" syndrome once and for all. These are just a few of the many new ways you will learn to deal in a positive way with young children! To arrange a presentation: Call (571) 643-1002

Playground Diplomacy™  Parent (or Teacher) Workshop!   Spring '08 & Summer '08   Ages:  Adults only Sessions: 1 Cost: TBD Day/Time: To Be Determined Min/Max:  2min/40max Description: Come learn research-proven methods of helping your child learn child to child “Playground Diplomacy.”  Learn parent to parent tips too. Empathy, problem-solving, bully-busting, tattling vs. reporting, and anger management will be explored. Voluntary role plays and a mock family meeting will be demonstrated. Come learn and have FUN!  See parent-tot Playground Diplomacy class for more information or learn more at www.ParentChildU.com. To Register: Call (571) 643-1002