Amanda Beneke

Agency: The Parent Connection

Term: Fall - 2004

I am doing my internship with The Parent Connection. The Parent Connection is a member of Arizona’s Children Association family of agencies. The Parent Connection offers classes on parenting children of all ages beginning before a child is even born and continuing all the way through the teenage years. In addition to these classes, there are also playgroups offered at The Parent Connection. As children learn through play, these fun groups are helpful as parents learn how to play with their children. The services offered through The Parent Connection are available to all members of Pima County and the surrounding vicinities.

As an intern with The Parent Connection, I have a number of different responsibilities to keep me busy. I help facilitate the family playgroups and work alongside the parent educators teaching the different parenting classes. Through my internship, I also have the opportunity of being a First Steps volunteer. First Steps is a program that operates at the national, state, and local levels to help prevent child abuse. My job is to distribute newborn baby care information to mothers of newborns. While my main focus is on these three things, I am also available to help wherever I am needed at The Parent Connection.

I decided to do my internship at The Parent Connection because I was excited to be able to work with parents, as well as children. I have been babysitting for many years now, but I thought it was time to see things from a slightly different perspective. The Parent Connection has given me this opportunity. After I graduate from the University of Arizona, I plan to pursue a career that works with young children. I have not yet decided exactly what I want to do, but I know this internship has already started to point me in the right direction.

I have had many priceless experiences since starting my internship at The Parent Connection. The children are so much fun to be around and the parents are so supportive. There are so many touching stories I could share, but one stands out in my mind. One day after a playgroup had ended, I had the opportunity to spend extra time with two of the children who attend playgroup regularly. We just talked and played, but it was during the time I spent with them that I realized I had found my place at The Parent Connection. These two small children had proved to me that I really was making a difference. We had such a great time together. It is the little things in life that can carry a person so far. My smile from that day has yet to wear off. I now look forward to every day I get to spend at The Parent Connection. I am always hoping to come across more moments like these.

In addition to all the fun I am having, I am also learning a lot. I have learned how to work with children in the presence of their parents. This has given me the chance to see just how much parents and children learn from each other. I have also learned new strategies for parenting children. I always take what I learn and apply it to the babysitting that I do. I am very interested in the ideas of giving children choices and also encouraging them rather than just praising them all the time. I thought I knew so much about taking care of children, but I soon came to realize that there is always something more to be learned.

The Parent Connection is a great place to do an internship, especially if you like working with children. The opportunities are endless. If you talk with your supervisor often, there is a strong chance that it will help you make the most of your experience. My advice to any student who might be thinking about doing an internship is to just go for it. The experience itself is absolutely priceless.

University of Arizona | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
School of Family and Consumer Sciences | Family Studies and Human Development

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