Parenting can be stressful and challenging. To counter those challenges and assist parents in finding success with their children, Marine Corps Community Services offers a variety of parenting classes.

“Routines For Your Kids” is a class offered quarterly at the Child Development Centers aboard base. Other parenting classes are offered monthly.

The hour long class focuses on how to develop routines for children, covers the importance of subjects such as: time, expectations, consistency and repetition in relation to creating routines and gives practical examples on how to implement routines.

“I have three boys; they are why I have routines,” said Dana Boykins, family care behavioral specialist. “Routines give us more time and quality time.”

The free class is open to Department of Defense employees and their spouses.

“I found the class while browsing the MCCS website,” said Amber McCarstle, family readiness assistant. “I wanted to be able to share this with the families of my husband’s unit. Because I am someone who’s been to the class, I can share my first-hand experience.” 

“We don’t [even] go into the grocery store without my children knowing my expectations,” said Boykins. “Repetition is really important and consistency is our biggest ally.”

Boykins believes there are simple strategies parents can learn during this free class that will benefit their parenting.

“Parents can enhance the time they have with their children,” said Boykins. “I find exhausted, frustrated parents who have time for their children, but don’t enjoy the time with their children. I want to help parents enjoy the time with their children.”

Boykins sums up the Routines Class with a simple statement: Routines prepare my children for life, whether that be a curfews or a future job, she concluded.

Correspondent: samuel.l.ellis@usmc.mil