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This year Peter Alpaugh and Dave Wallace, two passionate, dedicated parents will be stepping down from the Beech Acres Parenting Center Board of Directors. Combined, Peter and Dave have served Beech Acres for nearly 20 years! Each of them possesses a real passion for service and for parenting which led them to serve on the board. Their individual strengths, wisdom, and leadership provided tremendous insight and value over their years of service. Peter A. Alpaugh Peter Alpaugh has been involved with Beech Acres Parenting Center for nearly 40 years. Peter is passionate about investing in the future of our community and strongly believes that means investing in parents, families, and children. Peter and his wife Vicki raised two daughters, Abigail and Amelia together. Peter was an active father to his daughters while they were growing up. He believes engaged, knowledgeable parents and open communications are the first lines of defense to counteracting the many challenges of raising kids today. This philosophy was a perfect fit for Peter’s tenure on the Beech Acres Board. It has also been a touchstone for him as he enjoys the role of grandfather to 9-year old Dyer and 4-year old Emeret (Abigail and Drew’s daughters) and 4-month-old Finnegan (Amelia and Matt’s son). During his tenure on the board, Peter has been instrumental to the success of our organization. He has invested his valuable time, financial resources, and most importantly, his insight and leadership into making our organization stronger. Peter understands the value and importance of parenting. He envisions a better community made stronger by equipping parents with the skills they need to become the best parents they can. “Kids need good life skills and parents are an important part of that,” Alpaugh said in a 2017 interview. He views the drug epidemic and bullying as two of the biggest problems we are facing as a community. “Parents are the first line of defense when it comes to their kids turning to drugs,” said Alpaugh. Teaching parents to understand their strengths and be intentionally involved in their child’s life is our approach to improving the circumstances for families and helping them address the challenging issues they face each day. Peter Alpaugh’s generous donations of time, insight, and money have and will continue to be tremendous assets to Beech Acres Parenting Center. Despite exiting the Board of Directors, Peter Alpaugh’s legacy will be felt in the community now, and for many years to come. Thank you, Peter, for your kind and selfless generosity. You have certainly impacted many lives. David T. Wallace, Esq. After serving on the Board of Directors at Beech Acres Parenting Center for a decade Dave Wallace is stepping down to focus on family and pursue other interests. Dave was drawn to Beech Acres Parenting Center after meeting Jim Mason soon after the transition to the modern parenting center had been completed. “I already had an appreciation for the importance of parenting,” Dave said. “I had a great set of parents myself and appreciated the impact parents have on their children.” Impressed with the work Beech Acres Parenting Center was doing in the community, Dave joined the outreach committee and eventually became a board member. “One thing that grabbed me about Beech Acres was that it was an organization devoted to parenting,” Dave said. “That focus gets us upstream of many of the problems we have in society.” During his tenure as a board member at Beech Acres Parenting Center Dave was most impressed with a proactive approach championed by Jim Mason. “Social services are usually in a position where they are cleaning up a problem,” Dave observed. “One of Beech Acres goals has been to be proactive about preventing problems before they manifest.” Dave was particularly impressed with the introduction of Natural Strength Parenting™, Beech Acres Parenting Center’s unique approach to parenting. “I have been a fan and advocate of Natural Strength Parenting™,” Dave said. “strength-based approach mingled with intentionality and mindfulness strikes me as really intuitive and has really resonated with me.” Dave has high hopes for the future of the organization. “I hope the organization continues to thrive,” Dave said. “The more people we can help and educate about Natural Strength Parenting™ the better for the community.” As impressive as Dave’s impact and legacy is at Beech Acres Parenting Center, his proudest legacy is his three daughters. Dave and his wife Shelly have three daughters, Laura, Becca, and Susan. “I’m lucky to have three wonderful daughters,” Dave reflected. “Shelly is the best mother I have ever seen. We’re really fortunate.” On parenting, Dave said, “Good parenting is equal amount good luck and hard work.” His and Shelly’s hard work clearly paid off. Here is Dave’s true legacy, as told straight from his daughters. Laura Wallace: A pop culture connoisseur, my dad recommended much of the media that comprised my formative years: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Mars, The His Dark Materials Trilogy, and Harry Potter, each of which feature a spunky, too-smart-for-her-own- good heroine. When we pointed out this “coincidence” recently, he admitted that, unbeknownst to us, he had intentionally cultivated media recommendations with strong female role models for us. Of course, he did – this is just one of the many ways my dad thoughtfully inspired us to be our best selves.   Becca Wallace: My dad is the golden example of showing your love for your family and your community through service. When we were growing up, my mom had to travel for work every once in a while, and anytime that happened, led by dad, we completed surprise home improvement projects so that my mom would return and know how much she was loved. Similarly, every time I came home from college, I would find homemade cookies and applesauce waiting for me and know how much my dad missed me and loved me. It has been truly incredible to see him show this same type of love to the Cincinnati community through his service on non-profit boards. Susan

The 2nd annual Sharon James Day of Awakening Joy will take place next week on November 18th, 2020. Sharon James was a beloved member of the Beech Acres Parenting Center staff who was instrumental in developing Natural Strength Parenting™, our unique approach to parenting and building our effective parent coaching model. We’ll be celebrating Sharon’s life as a team and will also invite you to set an intention to awaken joy in your life. Earlier this year the Beech Acres Parenting Center family was shaken by the sudden passing of Sharon James, a beloved and cherished member of our community since October 2001. Sharon James was a loving mother, sister, and aunt, a skilled and caring parent coach, respected co-worker, and a much-loved friend. Sharon dedicated her life to helping parents raise children. Whether it was through her work with divorced parents, which was her true passion, new parents, blended families, families in crisis, or parents struggling with complex emotional issues, she offered hope for a brighter future. President & CEO Jim Mason had this to say about his longtime colleague and dear friend: “Sharon personified Beech Acres Parenting Center’s core values throughout her long and prolific career here. In many ways, this work was her life’s purpose. She embraced every opportunity to learn and grow as a person and professional. She generously shared her insights with thousands of others and was humbly open to learning from them as well. She left an enormous legacy to Beech Acres’ future. I am in awe and profoundly grateful for what she has done for our mission and everyone she touched. Mine is among those lives most moved. I will miss her deeply.” In tribute to Sharon James and her legacy here a 14-year-old client wanted to share with us how Sharon taught her to know that she mattered. Though our hearts are broken, we celebrate Sharon’s life and legacy with tremendous gratitude. Her dedication to improving the world every day through her work with parents was a genuine inspiration to everyone whom she met. Her smile was authentic, her demeanor caring yet never judgmental, and her presence was powerful and uplifting. She will be missed.

Parenting is tough! Sometimes it can be difficult to know if what you’re doing is the right thing. That is why it is so important to celebrate every #ParentingWin. What’s a #ParentingWin? You know, those little moments when you feel like you’ve done something right as a parent. Those small victories that have you saying to yourself, “Self, you’ve earned that Venti Iced Carmel Macchiato!” Those winning moments that earn the #ParentingWin hashtag on your social media feed.  Wins like getting your kids to bed without too much fuss. Wins like getting the crew to school on time (maybe even with breakfast first!). Wins like having the entire family together for a meal. Even if it’s take-out. Wins like those precious few seconds of quiet time with your kid when you have a chance to hug them and tell them you love them. They might even say it back. That’s a #ParentingWin.  All month long we’ll be celebrating every #ParentingWin; big and small. We’re so excited about every #ParentingWin it’s even the theme of our 170th-anniversary celebration! You can celebrate with us online by following along on Facebook and Twitter and sharing your favorite #ParentingWin or by joining us on June 25th at the American Sign Museum for our Annual Meeting and 170th Anniversary Celebration.  Send us an email with your favorite #ParentingWin to marketing@beechacres.org and we will select a parent at random to win a $10 Starbucks Gift card.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Every day millions of people live with a mental illness. This includes one in five adolescents, 13-18 years-old. A new, national Children’s Mental Health Awareness Study we conducted this year offers insights into the evolving perceptions and practices of parents regarding the mental health of their children. The study shows that acceptance of mental health as a key factor of overall health is becoming increasingly mainstream among parents. During the month of May, we have the opportunity to raise awareness of mental health and work toward removing the stigma associated with it. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter and be sure to sign up for our quarterly parenting newsletter.  

Happy Mother’s Day! There are many important women in a child’s life. But none are more important than “mom.” Mom may be a birth mother, an aunt, a sister, a special mentor or teacher, foster care parents, grandma, or another kinship caregiver. A “mom” is any woman who provides a child with love, protection, and guidance. This Mother’s Day, we celebrate all moms! Happy Mother’s Day!  Make a gift today in honor of a special mom in your life and we’ll send your honoree a message of gratitude. When you make your gift, we’ll also send a note of encouragement to a kinship caregiver or foster care mom thanking them for providing care to a special child. On behalf of moms, grandmas, aunts, sisters, and other special women raising kids in our community, thank you for your support!        

Understanding Differences between Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression Today’s society is becoming increasingly sophisticated in how we view gender. Experts who work with youth and gender issues share the two most common myths: Gender is binary, offering only two options Gender and sex are the same things. The take-aways: your gender is not based on your anatomy. And people can be “gender fluid” rather than only male or female. Some important distinctions to understand: Biological Sex. This is a medical classification that refers to anatomical, physiological, genetic or physical attributes that determine if a person is assigned male, female or intersex identity at birth. Gender Identity. One’s innermost feeling of maleness, femaleness, a blend of both or neither. One’s gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth. Gender Expression. External appearance of one’s gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, haircut or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being masculine or feminine. Sexual orientation. The gender of people you are sexually attracted to.

It is with tremendous sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the sudden passing of a beloved and cherished member of our community, Sharon James. Sharon James was a loving mother, sister and aunt, a skilled and caring parent coach, respected co-worker, and a much-loved friend. Sharon spent 18 years at Beech Acres Parenting Center. During that time she mastered her craft in working with parents, often helping them find their own strengths to guide them through their most difficult of times. Whether it was through her work with divorced parents; which was her true passion, new parents, blended families, families in crisis, or parents struggling with complex emotional issues she offered hope for a brighter future. “Sharon personified Beech Acres Parenting Center’s core values throughout her long and prolific career here,” Beech Acres Parenting Center President & CEO James R. Mason said. “In many ways, this work was her life’s purpose. She embraced every opportunity to learn and grow as a person and professional. She generously shared her insights with thousands of others and was humbly open to learning from them as well.  She humbly left an enormous legacy to Beech Acres’ future.  I am in awe and profoundly grateful for what she has done for our mission and everyone she touched. Mine is among those lives most moved. I will miss her deeply.” For the past few years, Sharon was focused on transforming Natural Strength Parenting™, Beech Acres Parenting Center’s unique strength-based approach to parenting, from simply a loose concept of ideologies into a movement. Dave Brewer, a good friend, and colleague of Sharon’s shared that, “Sharon had a unique presence, was so connected with each of the people who had the privilege of crossing her path. She lifted so many hearts and heads. She had the ability to see into our hearts and be with each of us, to support us in ways that sometimes we did not even know we needed to be supported.” Though our hearts are sad, we celebrate Sharon’s life and legacy with tremendous gratitude. Her dedication to improving the world every day through her work with parents was a genuine inspiration to everyone whom she met. Her smile was authentic, her demeanor caring yet never judgmental, and her presence was powerful and uplifting. She will be missed. A memorial visitation will be held Saturday, March 9, 2019, at Hodapp Funeral Home 6410 Cincinnati-Dayton Rd. Liberty Twp., OH 45044 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to Yosemite Conservancy 101 Montgomery Street, Suite 1700 San Francisco, CA 94104.

Announcing The 2019 Strength Spotting Tournament! Find Out What Strengths Are Champions In Your House! This March, while you’re watching your March Madness tournament brackets don’t forget to acknowledge your family’s strengths. Fill out this bracket for your family. Tally up your strengths each week and discover which rise to the top. At the end of March, you’ll know which strength is the champion in your house! Share your brackets on our Facebook or Twitter page.

Parents, You Don’t Have To Be Anxious About Anxiety Nearly all children feel anxious at times, whether it’s imagining a monster under the bed, worrying about their first day of a new school year or feeling uncertain about how to manage a situation with a friend. These feelings are normal and fortunately, there are simple things you can do to help. Parents, you can’t help your kids avoid ALL of the things that make them anxious, but you CAN help them learn to confront, assess and cope with their anxiety. What is Anxiety? Anxiety is a common feeling that can cause fear, stress, and worry. There are ways to calm an anxious child by focusing on your child’s strengths. The best way to start is by showing empathy and offering reassurance. You can then try calming activities like a body scan exercise. You can also try a fun activity like making a calming canteen. Want to learn more? Schedule a Natural Strength Parenting™ Coaching Session with one of our Child Development Experts today. In Case You Missed It Watch Dave Brewer discuss anxiety and share some tips to help you mitigate the effects of anxiety in your home.

Nearly all children feel anxious at times, whether it’s imagining a monster under their bed, worrying about the first day of school, or feeling uncertain about how to manage a tough situation with a close friend. In an attempt to help, you may tell your child they have nothing to be afraid of or find that other suggestions you offer are not helping. It’s natural that out of love you want to shield your child from things that make them worried. And since we cannot always control what is going on in their world (they will move from one grade to the next for example), the best way to help is to discover ways with your child for them to manage their reaction to those uncomfortable situations. It is always a good idea for parents to check in with their Pediatrician and here are some ideas that may also help: Show empathy and offer reassurance. Let them know that you don’t like those feelings either and are so sorry they are experiencing them. Offer the reassurance that most people experience scary feelings and that there are a lot of different ways to feel better. “When I am worried, I like to color (walk, etc) and it really helps me feel calm. What would you like to try?” Do a mindful ‘body scan’ with them. Our thoughts can oftentimes increase worrying so move from head (thoughts) to body (physical) with questions like “Where in your body do you feel scared?” or “What part of your body feels calm?” Together, visualize moving the scary feelings out of the body through fingers or toes. Do deep breathing. Deep breathing brings oxygen to all parts of the body and calm, gentle breathing can settle an anxious child more than words. Your child can use their fingers to represent candles as they slowly breathe in and out. “Let’s gently blow out 5 ‘candles’ together”. Focus on their strengths. Think of a time that they managed a situation that was unfamiliar or scary. “Do you remember when you felt worried about going to the sleepover but you ended up really having fun?” Ask them if they can share what they did to help themselves with those feelings. For younger children, suggest reading “Visiting Feelings” by Lauren Rubenstein. With beautiful illustrations and descriptive prose, it allows children to explore and befriend their emotions with acceptance. The movie “Inside Out” offers a unique perspective on how big emotions show up and ways to better understand them. For teens, ‘The Anxiety Workbook for Teens’ by Lisa Schab has a lot of different activities for older children to try. Use metaphors to help children understand how feelings can be big and small and how they come and go. A parent might offer a metaphor: “Feelings come and go like waves” and explore with them how their feelings come in waves: Big, small and then go away. You can use something more tangible such as toy cars. “Your cars go up and down on their tracks and on bridges. Feelings are like that, too”. Get playfully curious with them and ask how they imagine their feelings. One child made paper wings and showed how her scary feelings flew around the room all around her. And then asked mom to buy a butterfly net so that she could catch them. Celebrate their success in any attempt to master their anxiousness. “I know those are not fun feelings but you are very brave for working so hard to make your worried feelings go away”. It is important to empower children to deal with uncomfortable feelings by equipping them with the tools to manage them. When they discover their own solutions with your support, their confidence soars. And this is one tool they can use their entire lives!