Discover new parenting skills and ways to help your children succeed at the Family Outreach Network’s brown-bag lunch lectures and evening town hall meeting this spring at Anne Arundel Community College.

All sessions by AACC faculty members are presented free as a public service in the Cade Center for Fine Arts Room 219 on the Arnold campus, 101 College Parkway.

The Brown-Bag Lunch Series meets from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., and participants bring their lunch to the talks. Carol Miller, psychology instructor, will discuss “Birth Order: Things to Know When Raising Kids or Working with Adults” on Wednesday, Feb. 9. Maria Turkson, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, will talk about “Helping Kids with Career Choices” on Wednesday, March 9. Lou Aymard, Ph.D., director of the Family Outreach Network, will explain “How to Teach Values and Manners to Children” on Thursday, April 7.

“Let’s Chat About Children: A Town Hall Meeting” will tackle the mental health of children in “My Child Needs Counseling: Navigating the Mental Health Maze,” from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 21. A panel of childhood mental health professionals will answer questions about finding the right counseling services for children who have experienced a trauma or severe life stresses.

Aymard said children should be in the care of competent mental health professionals who understand their emotional needs and vulnerability so that they can acquire the coping skills they will need in adulthood. Before making a mental health decision for their child, parents need to consider several issues, such as who is best suited to evaluate a child’s needs, what type of professional should counsel a child, what kind of therapy is recommended, if medication is necessary and the length of time the professional thinks counseling will be needed, he said.

For information, call 410-777-2159. Call disability support services, 410-777-2307 or Maryland Relay 711, 72 hours in advance to request special accommodations.

Important Links

• AACC Homepage
• The Parenting Center (formerly FON)
• Contact the PR Coordinator