Parenting workshops set for next week in Havre

The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Task Force that is working to prevent teen pregnancies in Hill County is set to hold parenting workshops titled, “Have You Had ‘The Talk?’”

These workshops will take place April 16 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., April 23 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and April 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be held at Northern Montana Hospital Conference Room 4A.

According to the website http://www.countyhealthrankings.org, as of 2014 – for every 1,000 teenage girls ages 15 to 19, Hill County has 66 teen births out of a thousand teen girls, which is twice the state average.

Janet Trethewey, a member of the task force, said one of the biggest things people can get out of these workshops is learning to open lines of communication.

“We are working on trying to help parents talk to their preteens and their teens about, not just sex, but difficult kinds of topics, sometimes, for parents to bring up,” she said. “A lot of it is really helping them feel comfortable enough with the topic that then they feel comfortable enough talking about it.”

Trethewey added that anyone is welcome to attend these workshops.

“It’s never too late to start talking,” she said. “If people want to bring their tablets or their smartphones — we (will) provide lots of stuff that’s available online.”

These classes will be free of charge and will be taught by Trethewey and Darlene Sellers.

For more information on the workshops, contact Jessica Kennedy at 265-5481 ext. 269.