{"id":48581,"date":"2022-12-16T21:50:59","date_gmt":"2022-12-16T21:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\/?post_type=family-stories&p=48581"},"modified":"2025-08-08T23:10:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T23:10:16","slug":"teen-parenting-program-nurtures-relationship-between-young-parents-and-their-children","status":"publish","type":"family-stories","link":"https:\/\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\/es\/region-stories\/teen-parenting-program-nurtures-relationship-between-young-parents-and-their-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Teen parenting program nurtures relationship between young parents and their children"},"content":{"rendered":"

As high school seniors, Darcie Silversmith and Selby Leonard not only juggle academics, but they\u2019re also raising a toddler. Every day between classes, the teens attend a school program that provides young moms and dads insight into the intricacies of parenthood.<\/p>\n

The Promoting Nurturing Parenting program brings together Silversmith, Leonard and other student parents at Salt River Academy of Accelerated Learning in Scottsdale for discussion and mutual support. In a typical week, the young parents focus on their academic studies, but they also take time to talk freely about parenting issues, said Margaret Lehn, a parent educator who teaches the classes.<\/p>\n

The First Things First Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Regional Partnership Council<\/a> funds the program to provide family support given the number of children living in poverty and the high percentage of children living with a mother 19 years of age and younger in the region.<\/p>\n

This semester\u2019s program includes two eight-week courses, one focused on the importance of healthy food for children and another on the role of music on child development. Students earn high school credit, along with college credit from Scottsdale Community College.<\/p>\n

The first course \u201cis really about thinking differently about healthy eating and how healthy eating impacts the brain and early learning development,\u201d Lehn said.<\/p>\n

Similarly, the music class explores the effect of music and movement on young children and \u201chow music really offers some opportunities for enhancing your environment in a fun and loving way, for making connections with your children using music.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Silversmith and Leonard, both 18, the courses are providing them with valuable skills on raising their daughter, Addalyn confidently.<\/p>\n

Since Adalynn already loves music, she responds quickly when her mom plays it to see if the toddler will break out in dance.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe just does,\u201d her mom said, and smiled. \u201cShe dances to whatever. It\u2019s kind of funny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something else Silversmith said she appreciates about the program is being able to connect with other young parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt helps me a lot to know that there are other parents in the class that actually are going through the same thing I\u2019m going through or have been through,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She and Leonard make it a point to engage in activities at home with their daughter that they learn about in class.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we were learning to cook, we were doing that with her,\u201d Leonard said of Adalynn, who is almost 2. \u201cShe would help us with the food and stuff \u2013 or she would just sit there and eat it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Lehn\u2019s class, the young parents also take time to meditate, write in journals and learn about child safety. There is also a literacy component that gives students credit for reading to their children at least 20 minutes a day.<\/p>\n

The goal is for these nurturing parenting practices to lay the foundation for a healthy parent-child relationship, Lehn said.<\/p>\n

Children benefit because they\u2019re learning skills from their young parents through shared activities, such as reading.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd really, more than anything, having that foundation of the secure base so that when they go to school, they\u2019re feeling very confident and comfortable to be able to be away from mom or dad for that period of time using the information that they already have, the academic information,\u201d she said. \u201cBut what\u2019s really important is the relationship that they have with their parents.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The First Things First Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Regional Partnership Council funds the Promoting Nurturing Parenting program to provide family support given the number of children living in poverty and the high percentage of children living with a mother 19 years of age and younger in the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":48582,"template":"","tags":[168],"class_list":["post-48581","family-stories","type-family-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-salt-river-pima-maricopa-indian-community","regions-salt-river-pima-maricopa-indian-community"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTeen parenting program nurtures relationship parents and children<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The First Things First Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Regional Partnership Council funds the Promoting Nurturing Parenting program to provide family support given the number of children living in poverty and the high percentage of 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