CULLMAN, Ala. – The Link of Cullman County is knee-deep in preparations for its community education classes that are set to begin on May 13.
“The Link is driven to empower individuals and families to build sustainable paths toward self-sufficiency and resilience. We not only want to provide services that meet vital, immediate needs but also to foster long-term connections and opportunities for life-enhancing growth,” said Director of Programs Julie Hall. “We can only do this through collaboration and partnerships with organizations, volunteers and community members.”
The free classes begin Monday, May 13, at The Link. Topics ranging from active parenting and cooperative co-parenting strategies and a 12-step program are included. One of the offered courses, “Understanding Dad” delves deeper into the importance of a father figure in children’s lives; communication strategies and tips will be shared to assist in strengthening parenting partnerships for the benefit of the child involved, ultimately leaving mothers and caregivers with valuable knowledge and the ability to ease the burden of a tumultuous parenting relationship.
Another class, “Anger Management arms,” will arm attendees with tactics to control their anger and impulses in situations that may be less than ideal. This course will assist in identifying some of the underlying causes of anger and external outbursts and expressions of anger, encouraging the participants to move toward internal management.
“I was having a particularly heated argument with my wife. As tensions escalated and emotions ran high, I felt myself on the verge of erupting in anger. However, instead of reacting impulsively, I remembered to apply mindfulness techniques. I took a deep breath, centered myself and reminded myself to respond with clarity and composure,” shared a recent course graduate. “By remaining calm and collected, I was able to express myself effectively, articulate my concerns and listened attentively to my wife’s perspective. We were able to communicate more openly, address underlying issues and work towards finding mutually acceptable solutions.”
Monday, May 13, kicks off the courses with Understanding Dad at 10:30 a.m., followed by Anger Management at 3 p.m. and Parenting Birth to 5 Years, which outlines various styles of parenting along with stages of child development and bond building that often go hand-in-hand at 4 p.m.
Tuesday, May 14, at 4 p.m. sees Active Parenting, a comprehensive and in-depth parenting program aimed at helping parents of children ages 5 to 12 raise responsible, cooperative children who can resist negative peer pressure and thrive.
Thursday, May 16, at 3:30 p.m. will be the Cooperative Co-Parenting course. This program helps separated parents with shared custody shield their children from ongoing and potentially damaging parental conflict. Parents learn to navigate through the process of recovery with their children while establishing a cooperative long-term relationship.
Each Tuesday and Thursday, year-round, The Link hosts a Biblically-based 12-step program at noon.
While the classes are free to attend, interested attendees must register by scanning the provided QR code, by contacting The Link at 256-775-0028 or by emailing Julie Hall at juliehall@linkingcullman.org.
The Link of Cullman County is located at 708 Ninth St. SE in Cullman.
