Parenting book author Tyler Durman followed up his BBMS assembly on Friday with a presentation for parents, which drew from his book “Bite-Sized Wisdom for Parents” which, he says, contains “chapters short enough for dad to read.” During the Common Ground-sponsored presentation, Durman engaged parents for hours, outlining specifics and boundaries that can foster intimacy with children, noting specifically, “Our kids want to respect us more than they want to like us. They won’t like us if they don’t respect us, and respect is earned.” Addressing age-related issues, Durman, a father of two, pointed out, “Young children push us because they need to know we are stronger than them.” He also focused on teens, especially given the talk’s title “Yikes, I Have a Teenager in My House!” and reminded parents that, in his words, “Eighteen-year-olds are like BBQ chicken—just because they look done on the outside doesn’t mean they’re done on the inside.” The Big Bear parent group Common Ground, which is affiliated with the Lighthouse Project and committed to the vision of a child-honoring community, will provide another opportunity for parents when, come June, a four-week parenting course called “Strengthening Mutual Respect (Between You and Your Teen/Pre-Teen)” will be offered free of charge. If you missed Durman’s talk, the interactive classes, offered on Mondays at the MOM Project, will draw on some of the wisdom presented by Durman on May 1st. As the Lighthouse Project’s Beth Gardner emphasized on behalf of Common Ground last week, “We are not alone in the business of parenting.” For more information on the four-week course, visit BigBearCommonGround.com, or simply call 801-1766 to register.
