Helping parents create a solid foundation for kids
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EmailTo support Michigan’s working families, Michigan State University Extension provides parent education trainings for caregivers of children from birth to 3 years old.
A child’s most formative years are those from birth to age 8. Building a solid foundation of social, emotional and academic skills during this critical time is of utmost importance for ensuring future success. However, many parents lack the knowledge and skills to provide this foundation – an issue that can be further compounded when families face financial and socio-economic stressors that add pressure to family life.
To support Michigan’s working families, Michigan State University Extension provides parent education trainings for caregivers of children from birth to 3 years old. The Building Early Emotional Skills (BEES) series, developed by MSU Extension and the MSU Department of Human Development and Family Studies, helps adults develop the skills needed to support the social-emotional development of their children while reducing parenting stress. As a result, parents are better equipped to provide their children with a solid foundation that allows them to more easily adapt in school and form successful relationships throughout life. In 2017:
- MSU Extension offered 10 BEES workshop series to nearly 200 families.
- Preliminary data from program participants showed increases in their knowledge about parenting, positive attitudes about young children's emotions and emotionally supportive parenting skills as well as a decrease in the rejection of children's negative emotions.
- Results also showed decreases in stress related to parenting, especially for parents with more depressive symptoms and who perceive their children as having more challenging temperaments.
*This material is based upon work supported by the USDA NIFA through the Children, Youth, Families at Risk (CYFAR) program under award No. 2013-41520-20939.
