Getting the Gift of Motherhood Back

Motherhood can sometimes feel like trial by fire. No matter how prepared a woman feels, the transition can be challenging. Real-life often doesn’t live up to the expectations we set for ourselves.

Adding drugs or alcohol to the mix can make the experience especially painful. For many of the moms who come to Parisi House, they have been living their motherhood in survival mode. For some of our moms, addiction has taken them away from their kids altogether. When describing her life before Parisi house, one Parisi House graduate says “I was a mom, but I didn’t deserve the title.” Another graduate says she could only watch her kids grow up from a distance.

At Parisi House, moms find the support they need to get sober and receive the gift of second chances with their children. In addition to drug and alcohol treatment, they attend parenting classes and our Celebrating Families!™ program. They learn practical things like nutritional needs, communication strategies, creating structure and routines, setting healthy, age-appropriate boundaries, reading and responding to children’s cues, and staying calm in moments of stress. They come to understand how these practices can help children feel more safe and secure and foster their long-term development.

These parenting classes also provide moms and children with opportunities to do arts and crafts, play play-doh, read, sing, and play games. They learn how to provide inexpensive, developmentally appropriate experiences for their children, strengthen the mother-child bond in new ways, and create positive and lasting memories to carry with them. One mom says that “the joy and laughter that came from gathering together and connecting” in this way was her favorite part of these activities.

Whether the day’s topic in these classes was fun or more educational, one thing is very clear. The parenting guidance and education received at Parisi House change our moms’ perspective of motherhood moving forward. One graduate says, “parenting changed from being a ‘have to’ task to a ‘get to’ experience” for her, noting that “as a result of participating in the program, I understand the depth of my role and responsibility as a parent.” She says that getting to watch her child blossom due to these positive changes is beautiful.

Motherhood is such a precious gift. Battling an addiction while trying to parent makes that incredibly hard to remember. Our moms get the chance to relearn that lesson while they are in our program. As a result, moms learn how to do motherhood in a rewarding way and get to watch their children blossom.

Getting the Gift of Motherhood Back

Motherhood can sometimes feel like trial by fire. No matter how prepared a woman feels, the transition can be challenging. Real-life often doesn’t live up to the expectations we set for ourselves.

Adding drugs or alcohol to the mix can make the experience especially painful. For many of the moms who come to Parisi House, they have been living their motherhood in survival mode. For some of our moms, addiction has taken them away from their kids altogether. When describing her life before Parisi house, one Parisi House graduate says “I was a mom, but I didn’t deserve the title.” Another graduate says she could only watch her kids grow up from a distance.

At Parisi House, moms find the support they need to get sober and receive the gift of second chances with their children. In addition to drug and alcohol treatment, they attend parenting classes and our Celebrating Families!™ program. They learn practical things like nutritional needs, communication strategies, creating structure and routines, setting healthy, age-appropriate boundaries, reading and responding to children’s cues, and staying calm in moments of stress. They come to understand how these practices can help children feel more safe and secure and foster their long-term development.

These parenting classes also provide moms and children with opportunities to do arts and crafts, play play-doh, read, sing, and play games.  They learn how to provide inexpensive, developmentally appropriate experiences for their children, strengthen the mother-child bond in new ways, and create positive and lasting memories to carry with them. One mom says that “the joy and laughter that came from gathering together and connecting” in this way was her favorite part of these activities.

Whether the day’s topic in these classes was fun or more educational, one thing is very clear. The parenting guidance and education received at Parisi House change our moms’ perspective of motherhood moving forward. One graduate says, “parenting changed from being a ‘have to’ task to a ‘get to’ experience” for her, noting that “as a result of participating in the program, I understand the depth of my role and responsibility as a parent.” She says that getting to watch her child blossom due to these positive changes is beautiful.

Motherhood is such a precious gift. Battling an addiction while trying to parent makes that incredibly hard to remember. Our moms get the chance to relearn that lesson while they are in our program. As a result, moms learn how to do motherhood in a rewarding way and get to watch their children blossom.