We hope you all had a lovely summer and are ready for the start of a new school year. Each new year brings with it excitement, change, and sometimes, some uncertainty or anxiety for both parents and children. This is completely normal, and we at Triple P are here to help!

There is a selection of free Positive Parenting workshops in August focusing on supporting parents as they prepare their children for the school year. These workshops are both in-person and virtual, and are presented in English as well as Spanish!

For parents of children about to begin Kindergarten, we have Thriving in Kindergarten, a one-hour workshop all about strategies parents can adopt to give their 5- and 6-year-olds the best possible start to their school journey. And for parents of older students who are making a school transition -- either to middle/junior high school or to high school -- we offer Doing Well in Middle School and High School, a workshop packed with approaches parents can choose from to help their child develop socially, mentally, and emotionally as they adjust to new academic experiences.

Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to find information and registration links for all of the upcoming Triple P workshops, including these back-to-school workshops hosted at Middlebury Public Library and online on Zoom.

As always, you can also find information about all upcoming Triple P workshops and group sessions in the community at TriplePElkhartCounty.org. Read on for more updates!

Sign up for free Triple P for Baby Online!

Since we launched Triple P for Baby Online this spring, we've already seen the positive impact this free program has had on parents-to-be and parents of babies in Elkhart County!

You can still sign up any time for this self-guided online support program. You’ll learn practical, proven strategies to confidently navigate new parenthood and more, with a local specialist ready to support you if you want a personal connection.

Plus, earn B.A.B.E. & More coupons! Easily do it online, anytime – and it’s free for all parents and caregivers in Elkhart County! Backed by research, proven by parents.

Even if you aren't a parent of a baby or expecting a baby, we hope you'll spread the word to those who are! You can download this PDF info sheet about Triple P for Baby Online to share or for yourself!

Start today at: triplep-parenting.com/elkhart-county

On Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., we will join many local organizations at the Minority Health Coalition Health Fair and Back2School event at Tolson Center for Community Excellence, 1320 Benham Avenue, in Elkhart.

This event is free and open to the public, and families can receive a number of health- and school-related resources including vision screenings, lead testing, blood pressure and glucose testing, immunizations for adults and children, enrollment for children in the Elkhart Community Schools district, and free school supplies and backpacks (while supplies last).

If you have questions about the event, you can call the Minority Health Coalition at 574-522-0128 or email elkmhc@gmail.com. You can also click the image of the flyer above to download a PDF of the flyer in English and Spanish. We hope to see you there!

The first series of Fear-Less Group Triple P for parents of children struggling with anxiety is in the books, and parents are loving it! Here is a sampling of comments from our attendees (with slight changes to protect anonymity):

• "This helped me realize that I have struggled with anxiety myself, and it has given me tools to use for myself and to teach my children. I didn’t realize how my anxiety was affecting my day-to-day life."

• "The group helped us discover how our actions were feeding his anxiety and sometimes making things worse. Now we have a better plan to strengthen skills and set realistic goals as a family to work through anxious situations."

• "We have a better understanding of how anxiety is manifesting in his behavior. This was a big eye-opening realization."

• "This has helped me better accept myself and my children."

Thank you to our practitioner, Trisha Lightfoot, for facilitating this first group, and thank you to our partners at Oaklawn and CAPS for referring and hosting these sessions.

We will be announcing our next six-week series of Fear-Less Group Triple P in the coming weeks: Keep an eye on TriplePElkhartCounty.org and your email inbox for details on that. In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about Fear-Less Group, click the image of the informational sheet above to download and read a PDF one-sheet.

Watch TriplePElkhartCounty.org for the latest Positive Parenting Program events across Elkhart County!

Contact Triple P: info@triplepelkhartcounty.org or call at (574) 226-0160.