Parents are leading the way to help other parents navigate issues affecting their children in hopes of starting a dialogue not only with their kids, but with each other.
Andover Parent to Parent and the North Andover Parent Resource Network are two parent-driven organizations that aim to provide parents with outlets to help better understand the challenges that children face today.
The two groups host virtual and in-person programs on issues kids could be dealing with at home or at school, such as anxiety, stress, excessive phone use, dating, internet safety, substance abuse, depression and eating disorders.
Andover Parent to Parent president Michelle Finno, representing the Andover School of Montessori, said parents or caretakers can sometimes be apprehensive about attending a school function about such difficult topics, not wanting their children labeled or singled out in the schools’ eyes.
But in these settings, it’s the parents at the helm.
Both organizations hold discussions and workshops in settings where parents can communicate with other parents about what they are experiencing and find resources for use at home. Speakers and experts are brought in to offer insights on dealing with tough topics. The two groups also provide pertinent, timely articles on parenting along with local, state and national resources listed on their websites.
The Andover organization has been around since the 1990s. It started as a collaboration with the school district to strengthen family relationships and provide additional support to students. Over the years, it separated from the school district and became a nonprofit organization with a nine-member board with representatives from Andover schools.
In North Andover, Lisa Roberts of North Andover Parent Resource Network said her group works alongside guidance counselors to hone in on the issues affecting kids. School refusal, vaping and anxiety are some of the matters students are grappling with locally, Roberts said, according to school counselors.
North Andover Parent Resource Network works with North Andover Public Schools and the Youth Center. The network focuses on the students’ social and emotional well-being and complements what the students learn about in social and emotional learning at school.
Roberts said she has a personal connection to wanting to help parents navigate tough conversations with their children.
She said she needed to learn how to talk to her daughter about eating disorders. When Roberts saw the positive effect on her relationship with her daughter, she wanted to share the resources and knowledge she gained with other parents.
Roberts said she recalled a recent event where the organization showed a documentary about anxiety. About three dozen people attended and Roberts said she initially felt disappointment with the turnout.
But after the film, a parent came up to her and told Roberts about how anxiety had begun to percolate at home and how the documentary inspired them with the courage to do something about it.
“When you realize there’s at least one person it helps, that motivates you,” Roberts said.
In North Andover, she added, she’s found the parenting group has become a great resource around the clock for parents. Many of the presentations and discussions are available online for parents to watch at their leisure.
Andover Parent to Parent has brought in speakers and created videos covering topics ranging from how to be an ally in the LGBTQ+ community to self-compassion, anxiety and dating.
Recent North Andover programs have included “Wait Until 8th,” a virtual discussion on the benefits of delaying smartphone and social media use until middle school. A local man, Anthony Sideri, who graduated from North Andover High School, came in to talk about addiction. He shared his personal story and road to recovery.
Finno and Roberts said each group strives to find local connections for parents to make the conversation feel more authentic and to humanize the issues on a more relatable way.
In North Andover, Roberts said she is planning a roundtable discussion with local experts to discuss anxiety, depression and suicide this spring. The focus will likely be geared toward elementary school-age students. Finno and Andover Parent to Parent are working on events for the coming year as well.
The programs in both communities are free and open to the public. Attendees do not have to be residents of Andover or North Andover.
North Andover Parent Resource Network programs are also available to view on its website.
“We want people in the greater community to be involved in whatever way they can,” Finno said.
For more on Andover Parent to Parent, visit andoverp2p.com.
To find out information about the North Andover Parent Resource Network, visit naparentresourcenetwork.org.