Kaiser offers parenting classes

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Parents can pick up practical tips at two parenting classes offered by the Kaiser Lifestyle Program.

"The Magical Kingdom of Parenting in the Land of Oz and Personality Styles" (formerly called Parenting Patterns Workshop) will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. April 24 and repeats May 22 at the Kaiser Honolulu Clinic. The three-hour workshop focuses on strategies parents can use to deal with different personalities.

"They're gifts, not differences," asserts Linda Shiraishi, class instructor and owner/director of People Patterns, which makes sense out of personalities. "Each person is made uniquely. The class looks at the strengths and struggles of parenting and offers tips to help."

Cost is $45 per person for Kaiser Health Plan members, $50 for nonplan participants. Couples pay $65 for plan members, $70 for nonplan couples.

Parent Talk, a weekly one-hour support session, runs 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays from Tuesday to May 29 at the Kaiser Mililani Clinic. Each session focuses on parenting concerns and issues. The flexibility of each session allows the participants to dictate discussion topics. Cost is $8 per person for each session, $12 per couple, regardless of health plan participation.

Neither class has a registration deadline; they can take a maximum of 12 participants. For more information on either class, call the Kaiser Lifestyle Program at 597-2270 or Linda Shiraishi at 623-5438.