Parents Need Friends
The next segment of the Strengthening Families Illinois Curriculum is devoted to the
protective factor, “Parents Need Friends.” This factor serves as a way to strengthen
relationships between parents and teachers, and parents with other parents. In the following
pages you will find materials for parents, teachers, classroom activities, and the Executive
Director. These are ideas to help your center build social connections for your parents and
with your teachers. They are a starting point to embed this protective factor into the daily
practices that occur at your center.
Teachers
We Need to Learn Parents Names………………………………………………………………..1
How to make a two-minute interaction with Parents Meaningful………………….2
Room Parents can be a Great Organizing Tool……………………………………………...3
Classroom Activity
Stone Soup………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
A Friend is dictation …………………………………………………………………………………...5
Executive Director
Newsletter Picture …………………………………………………………………………………….6
Creating a Family Friendly Climate……………………………………………………………..7
“Bear”ly Used Box………………………………………………………………………………………8
We Need to Learn Parents’ Names
 Days are busy, and we as staff do not always have more
than a moment or two of contact with all of our parents.
Yet, parents are people, too! They are not just Trishan’s
dad, or Sally’s grandmother.
 Take a moment to review your class list and parents’
names.
 An easy way to remember parents’ names would be to
post a list of your children’s first names and their
parents’ names on the same line. This will be a discrete
way to have an ongoing reminder of their names posted
in your classroom!
 Being able to greet parents by their names makes them
feel valued and respected!! This is a meaningful way to
connect with parents.
How to make a two-minute
interaction with parents
meaningful…
 Greet them by name
 Ask them how they are
 Tell them about their child’s day
 Find out if there is anything you should know about
how their child is doing at home
 Comment positively on something that reflects upon
their parenting.
Example: instead of “Jaden listened today” you
can say, “It is wonderful how you have taught
Jaden to follow directions- she did a great job
listening today.”
Room Parents Can Be an Organizing Tool
 Asking a parent to serve as a room parent can help
bring the parent’s in your classroom together.
 Room parents can collect the email address of all the
parents in your classroom.
 Room parents can help organize informal gatherings for
parents and children at a local park, bookstore or
museum.
 Room parents can put together book drives, toy swaps,
or special activities for the classroom.
 Room parents can help build relationships between
parents in your classrooms.
Book Activity
 Read
the book “Stone Soup” by Heather Forest, with
your classroom. Talk about what it means to help each
other. Everybody has something to offer and when we
work together we can make something great for
everybody.
 Have your own classroom’s version of Stone Soup.
Have
each child bring something in to put in the pot and serve
your soup with lunch.
 Use the art project on the following page to have each
child draw what a friend looks like. Ask each child what
a friend is and write the response at the bottom of the
drawing.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h71/navigate53/Inspirational/stonesoup.jpg
A Friend…
A Friend…
Insert into Newsletter
Creating a Family Friendly Climate
Best Practices
Photographs of families and children and
staff are displayed regularly
There is a designated space for adult family
members to sit and be involved.
Staff greet adults as well as children
There are informal events for families to get
to know one another
Refreshments and dinner (when appropriate)
are provided at events families attend
Staff introduce themselves and nurture their
relationships with families
Staff reach out to parents who are isolated or
have low self-esteem and connect them with
other families
Parents are invited to visit at any time that is
convenient to them
Adapted from Stronger Together curriculum, p.31
What do we do?
“Bear-ly Used” Box
Purchase a large stuffed bear. Create a sign that invites children,
parents and staff to bring in something and to take something
from the “bear-ly used” box. This builds a supportive network
among all those involved in your center.
http://bearsonboard.org/teddy%20bear.gif
Idea adapted from Stronger Together curriculum, p. 53