CRAFTCONNECT:
Prevention Program
Skills for Parents and Caregivers of School Age Youth 10-18
Weekly “Parents & Caregivers Only” Group Meetings
EAST Group Meetings Start January 28,Tuesdays 6:00 - 7:30 pm (MT)
WEST Group Meetings Start January 29,Wednesdays 6:00 - 7:30 pm (ET)
How Everyone Benefits
Learn to understand and manage unwanted behaviors, not fight against them.
Stop the “nagging, pleading and threatening” cycle by giving children more independence and responsibility.
Make behavior change feel possible by treating it as a step-by-step process. Encourage making and keeping daily promises.
Help children create and follow through on plans to change their behavior.
Learn about the needs of children and how caregivers can help meet those needs.
Create a partnership between caregivers and children that addresses behavior issues openly and kindly. Talk about warning signs and triggers for unwanted behaviors.
Teach children to help themselves by learning practical skills needed to maintain healthy behaviors and have a happy life.
Your family already has strengths! Our skills training helps you build on them.
“The CRAFTConnect 7-week program gave me a safe, supportive space to learn from other caregivers and experts—ideas I’ve applied at home and have already made a difference in my relationship with my 12 and 16 year old’s, and our whole family.”
“I increased my child’s willingness to listen, our talks don’t turn into fights anymore.”
Sample Prevention Session
This is an excerpt from the “Seeing Things ‘Their Way’ session.
We want our children to come to us with their problems and questions. Validation means finding the ‘kernel’ of truth, however small, in what your child says and showing that their feelings and thoughts are real and understandable to you. It’s important to validate only what’s valid in their experiences, feelings, beliefs, opinions, or thoughts. You can connect with your child using these six levels of validation.
Click on the plus sign to see how to for each level of Validation
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Look interested, listen, and observe facial expressions and body language. Make eye contact, nod, and smile when appropriate.
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Say back what you heard to make sure you understand. Try to really “get” what they feel or think.
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Be sensitive to what is not being said or expressed
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Given their past experiences or current situation, are they making sense? You know more about your child than anyone else, use that knowledge to help them change.
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Even if you don’t agree, show that their thoughts, feelings, or actions make sense given the facts.
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Admit mistakes, avoid being defensive, and be careful when giving advice. Try to treat your child as an equal.
Prevention Session Goals
Increase Children’s Willingness to Listen
Sometimes, talking with your children can be tough. You might find yourself using strong words — nagging, begging, or threatening to try and change their behavior. Communicating this way doesn’t help and can even make things worse. To make a real difference, we need to change how we talk and listen to each other.
Why Kids Do What They Do
Do your children do things that seem like they come out of nowhere? To help them change, we need to understand why they behave the way they do. Every behavior, wanted or unwanted, happens for a reason. It’s not random. Your children do things because they're trying to meet their needs, even if they don’t realize that themselves.
Repeating Positive Actions
There are ways to help shape your children's behavior using rewards. These rewards may seem small, and they can lead to big changes. A reward is something that makes your child feel good and want to repeat wanted behavior including items, activities or gestures that are easy for you to give, free or cheap, and available right away.
Seeing Things ‘Their” Way
When your children’s thoughts and feelings are dismissed, emotions can become more intense. The best responses to your children in need are often very simple. Listening and understanding, or validation, can improve the connection with your child. This is especially important if they have strong emotions or unwanted behaviors.
Manage Stress
Stress is how our brain and body react to different situations. Sometimes a little bit can help us stay focused and do well. If stress gets too high, it can feel overwhelming and make may you and your child want to avoid challenging situations. Learning to manage stress is important for staying healthy and happy.
Healthy Thinking
Inaccurate thoughts can be our and our children’s worst enemy. Thinking errors are irrational thoughts that can influence how we feel about ourselves and others. We all experience these thoughts at times, but when they are frequent, they can be harmful to our emotional health. Thinking errors are a form of judgment – judging self or others.
Break Down Problems Into Smaller Pieces
Change is not something that happens overnight. It takes effort and time. Small changes lead to big changes. We want our children to choose a life without unwanted behaviors. By breaking down bigger challenges into smaller steps, we can support their progress. With patience and consistency, small efforts grow into lasting positive habits.
