Guiding Good Choices

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More than 40 percent of individuals who start drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence at some point in their lives.

Guiding Good Choices

Thursdays, April 28, May 5, 12, 19, and 26
6:30pm - 8:45pm
McMurray Middle School
with Woody Pollock

Free


Guiding Good Choices® is a five week research-based “Best Practice” program that brings parents together to learn and practice skills for improving communication and building stronger bonds with their teens.


The premier, research-based drug-prevention program for parents of children ages 9-15. Find out what you can do to help your tween/teen make the right choices. Perfect for parents and guardians of 4th-9th graders.


Guiding Good Choices® is an interactive workshop that will give you and your family the skills to work together and take action now, to prevent drug and alcohol use in the future. We give research based tools, and families who learn our tools have kids that are less likely to use drugs and alcohol.

Parents who’ve attended this series raise kids with lower rates of drug and alcohol use, teen pregnancy, violence, and dropping out of school. In addition, these parents better understand and deal with changes and behaviors that arise during the middle school years - helping parents and teens stay connected.

Studies show that first time use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana most often occurs in 7th and 8th grade. The likelihood of your youth knowing somebody who uses drugs increases by the time they reach eighth grade to one out of every four kids.

If your kids aren’t talking to you, you can be sure they’re getting their information somewhere. Make sure they’re getting reliable, accurate facts from the biggest influence in their life: You.


Have you ever wondered…

  • How to answer the question: “Mom, dad, did you drink or use drugs when you were younger?”
  • What is known about teenage development now that is vital for parents and teens to know?
  • How to set and enforce rules around drug and alcohol use that reflect your family’s belief system?
  • How to manage conflict?
  • How to get household help from teens and why its more important than ever for today’s teens to have this experience?
  • How do you monitor and respect privacy.
  • Can you have both?
  • How to teach your tween or teen refusal skills that really work and lets them keep their friends?


You will learn...

  • What creates risk for teens and how we can better protect them.
  • Realistic refusal skills for your preteen that helps keep them stay out of trouble and lets them keep the friends they have.
  • How to manage conflict and why conflict can increase during adolescence.
  • How to create opportunities to get kids involved in the family and why they need to be involved.
  • How to communicate clear rules on drugs, alcohol & other issues.
  • Monitoring methods that maintain family bonds.

We answer these questions and more in our workshop series. It’s what good parents learn to make themselves great.

Facilitated by Woody Pollock

Woody2Woody Pollock attended the University of Idaho and LIOS Graduate Collage of Saybrook University. He has a Bachelors Degree in Public Communications and a Masters in Psychology with a concentration in Systems Counseling.


He has worked in the fields of leadership, education, and training for over 20 years, and has supported individuals, families, and groups as they connect more deeply with themselves an others in a variety of settings. He specializes in working with youth, adults, and diverse populations in an therapeutic counseling setting.


He also has extensive background in alternative and experiential education, working with youth as a mentor and vocational trainer, and with adults as a facilitator for leadership and group development. He is currently a community trainer for national curricula, delivering evidenced-based parenting, prevention, and mental health programs across the state.


Woody has a deep passion for menswork, and is an active long-time participant in ManKind Project meetings and weekends. He leads mens’ groups as part of his practice, as a way for men to connect and explore their deeper selves and hold themselves accountable in a culture that encourages men to disconnect from their emotions, devalue authentic friendships, objectify and degrade women, and resolve conflicts through violence.


Currently consulting with case managers of youth in foster care, Woody is also trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Relief, and is completing certification in Process Oriented Psychology at the Process Work Institute, Portland.


www.flowtherapeutic.com