Principia's Parent Education and Support program for Christian Scientists

About 25 years ago, Principia, a school for Christian Scientists in St. Louis, Missouri, and a college in Elsah, Illinois, added a new dimension to its Pre-K through 12th-grade offerings - the Acorn program, for parents of infants to three-year-olds.

The Acorn Newsletter was born, helping parents with children under the age of six. But parents of older children kept asking for support through their children's teenage years, and in 2000 the Acorn Newsletter became Parent & Family, a Principia newsletter for all parents with children through the high school years, whether or not their children attended Principia.

Perspectives on Parenting
As Principia continued to develop ways to support parents, a new program evolved called Perspectives on Parenting, under the guidance and supervision of Principia's director of Parent Education and Support. Through seminars and noted speakers, Perspectives on Parenting supports parents and grandparents who want to bring a spiritual perspective to parenting. Those outside the St. Louis area are invited to participate via teleconference.

Parent & Family, a Principia Newsletter
Parent & Family, formerly the Acorn Newsletter, features articles, book reviews, and columns to support parents and strengthen the family structure. Published three times a year, Parent & Family is for anyone who has children, works with children, or has an interest in children from infancy through the high school years. Topics covered in recent issues have included parent-child communications, the media, time management, leadership, and the qualities of the Beatitudes. Subscription rates are $12 for one year, $22 for two years. The rate for Canada and Mexico is $13 for one year; other countries, $14 a year. To order a subscription, send a check or MasterCard/Visa credit card information to The Principia, Parent & Family, 13201 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63131, or call 1-800-218-7746, ext. 3315. When phoning, please be prepared to leave your credit card information on the answering machine.

Acorn Newsletter back issues on CD
You can read every issue of this helpful resource, published between 1975 and 1999, on your PC for only $25 plus shipping and handling. Through the search feature on the CD, you can research specific topics of interest to parents with children up to the age of six. This special CD requires an IBM-compatible computer running at least Windows 98. To order the CD, send a check or MasterCard/Visa/ credit card information to The Principia, Parent & Family, 13201 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63131, or call 1-800-218-7746, ext. 3315. When phoning, please be prepared to leave your credit card information on the answering machine.

PrinPOL - Principia's Online Parenting Forum
A private e-mail parenting discussion forum is available to Parent & Family subscribers. Members join groups based on the age of their child and can e-mail questions, metaphysical and practical ideas, humor, and inspiration to the others in the group. Discussion topics have ranged widely from discipline to extracurricular activities, even practical tips on laundry. There are two groups available for parents with children 0-3 years, and one group each for parents with children 4-6 years, 7-11 years, middle school, and high school. Small groups of about 30 families encourage a sense of camaraderie among members. To join a discussion group, e-mail Debbie Dutton at dfd@prin.edu.

Help Line
Subscribers to Parent & Family can call the editor to discuss parenting questions between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. (Central time) on regularly scheduled school days. Just dial 314-275-3558 and be prepared to give your subscriber ID number (next to your name on the Parent & Family label). If there is no answer, you can leave a message.

Parent & Family discussion groups
Sponsored by local Principia Clubs. Meet to talk about topics from the latest issue of Parent & Family and to share inspiration and experiences. These meetings provide Christian Science families the opportunity to come together to share practical ideas about Principle-based parenting. Occasionally these groups may join the all-school parenting meetings held at Principia via a teleconference link.

Parenting workshops
Hosted by local Principia Club Parent & Family groups. Principia's director of Parent Education and Support comes to your area for a three-hour workshop, "My Child Would Never Do That," which includes helpful ideas on teaching methods, discipline, and values. Other talks can be tailored to meet your group's needs.

Parenting teleconferences
Principia's director of Parent Education and Support talks and answers questions from St. Louis to groups of parents via speakerphone. These teleconferences, sponsored by local Prin Clubs, are similar in some respects to the workshops. The only cost is your long-distance phone call.

Cassette tapes on parenting
Recorded inspirational talks on parenting are available from Principia's Field Activities Office. The only cost is the postage to return the tape to Principia.

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This month's feature:

Principia's Parent Education and Support program for Christian Scientists

To learn more about any of the programs or publications on this Web page, e-mail Debbie Dutton, director of Parent Education and Support, at pf@prin.edu, or call 314-275-3558.

To find out more about your local Prin Club parenting activities, call Principia's Field Activities Office at 1-800-218-7746, extension 3442.