Your Thriving Marriage September 2013

The Thriving Marriages retreats are now wrapped up for 2013, and we want to thank everyone who has been a part of the process! A big "Thank You!" goes out to all the presenters and staff who made every retreat a success, and to all of the couples who attended and prioritized their marriage and family. We've had so much fun this year, and we're already looking forward to 2014 – stay tuned for upcoming retreat dates which will be announced soon!

Since each retreat offers different presentations, we wanted to share information on some of our breakout sessions so that everyone can learn about helpful resources. Below you'll find a brief overview of six presentations that were offered at various retreats throughout the year. We hope these resources, as well as the skills learned during the Thriving Marriages retreats, help your family and inspire your marriage!

Parenting Curricula – Active Parenting for Stepfamilies, Parenting with Love and Logic

Subject Matter Expert, Lauren Alvarez took our couples in stepfamilies through part of the evidence-based Active Parenting curriculum, which covers a variety of topics including parenting, stepparenting, divorce, school success, and character education. Active Parenting offers online parenting classes and information about finding classes in your area. . For more information, visit www.ActiveParenting.com.

Master Trainer Scott Roby shared innovative parenting techniques from the Parenting with Love and Logic curriculum. Simple, practical techniques were presented to help parents raise responsible kids, have more fun in their parenting role, and easily and immediately change their child's behavior. Love allows children to grow through their mistakes. Logic allows children to live with the consequences of their choices. For more information, visit www.LoveAndLogic.com.

Bonus resource: Take this quiz to discover your parenting style!
http://www.activeparenting.com/Parents-Parenting_Style_Quiz#anchor2145

Family Finances – Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Central Oklahoma

Cristy Cash (yes, that's her real name!) from Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Central Oklahoma (CCCS) presented on Family Finances at several of our retreats. This is a highly requested topic, and Cristy's presentations are always popular. Cristy has shared with us information about how to create an "Insta-Budget", debt management, emergency savings plans, investing, and even finding your "Moolah Personality"!

CCCS is a United Way partner non-profit agency and has been serving Oklahomans since 1967. You can find more information about CCCS as well as many of the tools mentioned here on their website, http://cccsok.org.

Oklahoma's Job Match

Programs Manager, Jon Eller shared information about Oklahoma's Job Match site at two of the retreats this year. OKJobMatch.com is a service of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and provides Oklahomans with a free job-matching tool. The site allows job seekers to post their resume and search for jobs, and employers are able to post jobs and search for candidates. Once both the job and job seeker are registered, OKJobMatch.com matches employers with jobs seekers based on a number of criteria, including experience, education, skills, certifications and licenses. To explore Oklahoma's Job Match yourself and upload your resume, visit https://okjobmatch.com.

Sibshops

Lori Wathen is the Oklahoma County Sooner Success Coordinator, and she joined us at the January retreats for couples caring for a child with Autism or Down syndrome. Lori shared about an exciting program called Sibshops, which provides opportunities for brothers and sisters of children with special health and developmental needs to access peer support and education while having fun! Sibshops are designed for school-age children and intersperse information and discussion activities with new games, cooking activities and special guests.

To find a Sibshop near you, go to http://soonersuccess.ouhsc.edu/Sibshops.asp.

Fostering Hope Clinic

Dr. Deb Shropshire spoke to our foster couples retreat about her experiences as a pediatrician at the OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City. Her heart was captivated when, as a medical student, she encountered the complex world of foster children. That experience changed her career direction, and she now provides direct health care service to children at a local shelter and through the Fostering Hope Clinic and serves as a resource for child welfare workers, CASA volunteers, courts, families, and anyone else who encounters the foster system. There are two Fostering Hope Clinics operating in Oklahoma—one in Oklahoma City and one in Tulsa.

Oklahoma City: OU Children's Physicians Pediatric Care Center, 1200 Children's Ave, Suite 6100, OKC 73104. For more details and to make an appointment, call (405)271-6827.

Tulsa: OU-Tulsa Schusterman Clinic, 4444 E. 41st Street, Tulsa 74135. For more information call (918)619-4384.