Building Emotionally Resilient Families: A Parent Education Workshop (PAT)

This project examines how third-party educational programs can equip parents with strategies to strengthen children's emotional resilience during the preschool years. Partnering with Family Focus Hyde Park, I designed and implemented a Parents as Teachers (PAT) workshop series that introduced families to cognitive pattern-recognition activities as tools for fostering both cognitive growth and emotional regulation, such as noticing differences, sequencing, and building behavioral patterns. Using a qualitative case study approach with surveys, structured observations, and parent reflections, I analyzed how caregivers practiced emotion-coaching behaviors (e.g., noticing, validating, and problem-solving) during and after the sessions. Findings suggest that even brief, low-stakes tasks provide powerful opportunities for parents to guide children's frustration tolerance, emotional awareness, and resilience. This work highlights the unique role of community-based programs in bridging cognitive learning with emotional development, and it offers practical insights for educators and family counselors supporting young children and their caregivers.