Parenting Education Workshops

​Our workshops focus on practical parenting and skill building to help parents gain tools in effective parenting. These workshops are currently held through our organization as well as partnerships with the Missoula County Public School System and Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes. Your child does NOT need to attend one of the schools for you to participate. Childcare Providers are also encouraged to participate. Individual training certificates will be given, and earned early childhood credits are available for childcare providers.

If you are an organization that is interested in hosting workshops, we would love to get connected! Please contact jadd@familiesfirstmt.org for further information and full topic list.

Bi-Weekly Parenting Workshops at Families First

  Join us in the beautiful new Missoula Public Library every two weeks. Click on the "Register" button below to see the listing of exciting upcoming classes! Can't commit? No problem, show up on the date of the class.
​Registration: Register or drop-in 
Location: Families First Classroom  (Missoula Public Library - Second Floor)
Time: 6-7:30
Fee: No fee required, suggested $5 donation. 
​Upcoming Workshops
5/16/2023 - Communicate So They Will Hear
​5/30/2023 - Conflict

MCPS Lifelong Learning Center Workshops

MCPS Lifelong Learning Center Workshops
MCPS Lifelong Learning Center Workshops will start again in Fall 2023

Register online through The Lifelong Learning Center: missoulaclasses.com
​*Free Childcare Provided
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Flathead Reservation Workshops

Upcoming CSKT Workshops (6:30-8:30) - Parent and Providers (must be on the CSKT CCBG Provider List or a CRO with CSKT): Please register here
May 22, 2023 (Pablo DHRD Building): Reading (0-4)
June 26, 2023 (Pablo DHRD Building): Conflict (5-10)
July 24, 2023 (Pablo DHRD Building): Discipline (11-14)
August 28, 2023 (Pablo DHRD Building): Bullying (5-10)
In-House Parent Topics - 
  • ​Helping Kids Manage Emotion
    • Children are not born knowing how to express or deal with their emotions. Sometimes behavior can tell us more than we think about how they feel. In this class you will learn how to identify emotions behind your child’s behavior and help them manage them by connecting and developing new skills.
  • Conflict
    • Whether it’s your child hitting out of frustration or refusing to get ready for a family event, establishing regular and healthy ways of working through conflict that aren’t harmful to themselves or others is essential as your child/teen learns to build healthy relationships. This includes teaching them vital skills that build confidence. 
  • Wellness & Self-Care for Parents
    • ​Parenting is a wonderful gift, but it can also be challenging, demanding, and exhausting. This workshop will focus on self-care strategies for the most important person in a child's life. 
  • Stress Management for Parents
    • ​It is hard work being a parent. In this class, you will learn how to cope with every day’s struggles of being a parent and bring home some practical tools to live a healthier life with your kids. 
  • Positive Parenting
    • Raising children should be considered a form of art. How can we be better parents to our children through positive parenting? In this class you will learn the concept of positive parenting as well as some practical skills and tools to make parenting life easier.  
  • Communicate so they will hear
    • Have you ever wondered why you talk and your children just don’t respond as you expected? In this class, you will learn about what is underneath parents’ and children’s communication and how to unveil great results just by discovering skills you already have and learning a few more to create connection, collaboration and healthy communication with your child.   
  • Cooperation, Compassion, Kindness, and Self-Esteem
    • Children who have healthy self-esteem, who feel accepted and appreciated, tend to approach life with optimism and confidence.  This class will answer questions like: What is self-esteem, how do children "get" it and how do parents "give" it?  Parents will leave with strategies to engage with their children in a manner that fosters self-esteem, kindness, and compassion. ​
  • Social Media and Your Family
    • ​In the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of technology, it's increasingly hard to keep up. While information and connection at our fingertips have advantages, they can also prove to be a risky environment for our children. In this class we will explore the ways that parents can stay informed and keep their family safe IRL.   
  • Bullying
    • Bullying can impact our children and our family in powerful ways. Learning how to prevent bullying, identify it if it’s happening, and deal with it if it becomes an issue can help parents feel prepared and proactive. It will also build skills in self-awareness, self-control, and understanding healthy personal boundaries. 
  • Helping Kids Manage Stress
    • Whether it’s your five-year-old breaking down in frustration over trying to get shoes on, or your fourteen-year-old staying up late worrying about why classmates have been staring at them, stress and how to deal with it can become a daily challenge if you don’t create plans and strategies for dealing with it. In this class parents will explore ways to help their children manage stress, they may even find some techniques to use for themselves. 
  • Learning Disabilities and Thriving at School
    • Although life with your child may at times seem challenging, it is important to remember people with learning disabilities symptoms can and do succeed. As a parent, you can help create home and school environments that improve your child's chances for success. In this class, learn strategies for coping with symptoms that help improve your child's life and the harmony of your entire family. 
  • Young Kids - Behavior and Development
    • I am a parent, now what? It seems logical to think that when our children are born that we will know everything we need to know about parenting. But the truth is that no one is born a parent. We learn how to be one. In this class, you will learn about children’s development and details about becoming the parent you want to be. 
  • Teens - Behavior and Development
    • Do you know what is going on with your teenager? Join in this class to learn more about what is really going on in their brains, bodies and emotions.  

    ​Let us know what you would like to learn more about! We are always expanding our class topics.

DeSmet Workshops

We are excited to be partnering with DeSmet to bring Parenting Workshops to the school! We would really like to bring topics that you want to learn about. Please look through "Workshop Topics" and list the ones you are interested in. To find out what the workshop topics are all about, explore our "Workshop Descriptions."

​Please e-mail jeanice@familiesfirstmt.org with any questions.
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Workshop Topics
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Workshop Descriptions
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    What workshops would you like to see at DeSmet?
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​Families First Learning Lab utilizes content developed by Parenting Montana. Parenting Montana offers parents tools and developmental information for every stage of their child's life. This content provides information on a range of topics including tantrums, back talk, and bullying and includes ages 0-19.
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