Deirdre Newman Parent Education usually means exactly...

Deirdre Newman

Parent Education usually means exactly what it says: teaching

parents how to raise their children, without their children present.

Coastline Community College puts a twist on the traditional

delivery of parenting classes by inviting parents and their kids to

take the classes together at its branch in Costa Mesa.

This way, preschoolers have an abundance of activities to choose

from while parents watch their children develop, glean valuable

skills and meet others in the same stage of parenthood.

“You get to learn about your child because you’re in that safe

environment,” said instructor Diana Jason. “You get to be with them,

but can hang back a little bit and observe.”

On a recent Thursday morning, 2-year-old Keaton Staggemeier was

playing with a tractor in the playground sand box when he was joined

by Jason Gong, also 2.

As the boys played, fully absorbed in the sandbox world around

them, their moms introduced themselves to each other and struck up a

conversation.

“I love the opportunity to be here with [Keaton] and watch him

grow and see what he gravitates toward,” said his mother, Melanie.

The 16-week class includes lectures like “Building Responsibility

in Preschoolers” and field trips to places like Cold Stone Creamery

in Newport Beach.

Parents keep observational notes of their children so by the end

of the class, they “have a wonderful record of [their] child’s growth

and development in this time,” Jason said.

The three-hour classes include indoor storytime, songtime, art,

outdoor activities and lunch.

Michiko Muramatsu, of Huntington Beach, said the class is enabling

her daughter, Karie, 3, to be more social.

“She can interact with other children,” Muramatsu said. “I think

that’s great. She was a little bit shy, but she’s getting used to

it.”

Many parents return to the class for multiple semesters as they

find the draw of structured activities and camaraderie irresistible.

“I get companionship out of this,” said Cecilia Schreyer, of Costa

Mesa., who has been taking the class with her 5-year-old twin sons

Alex and Karl for the past three years. “As a new mom it really

helped because it put things in perspective, since you see a lot of

things other parents do.”

Balancing between adults and preschoolers can be tricky, but Jason

does it with aplomb, Schreyer said.

“She’s wonderful and gentle with the kids,” Schreyer said. “She

talks at their level and teaches them good behavior.”