Center for Parents: University of Maine Cooperative Extension

University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Parenting Education


Care for Self	Understand	Guide	Nurture	Motivate	Advocate

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The National Extension Parent Education Model (NEPEM) was developed to teach parents specific practices that can improve the well-being of children. These practices are important throughout childhood and adolescence.

The model rests on five key beliefs regarding parents and children:

Parents are the most important teachers their children have.
Parent education does make better parents.
Parenting is a learned skill that can be improved.
The parent-child relationship is part of many social and cultural systems.
Both the parent and the child have needs that should be met.

NEPEM has six categories of parenting practices.
Each one is identified by a special symbol:

Care for Self means knowing and understanding yourself, managing life’s demands, and having clear goals.

Understand is observing and understanding children and their development.

Guide is setting and maintaining reasonable and loving limits, and helping children to be self-responsible.

Nurture is expressing love and compassion, teaching kindness, and fostering children’s self-respect and hope.

Motivate is stimulating children’s curiosity, imagination, and the search for knowledge of themselves and the world around them.

Advocate is using community services when needed, getting involved in social change, and building neighborhood and community relationships.

You can use these categories and parenting practices to think about what your strengths are and what you are doing well. You may also learn about practices you could improve or do more of. Each category has resources to support life-long learning. For information on parenting education opportunities or classes in your community, call your local Cooperative Extension office.

This material is adapted with permission. Debord, K., Goddard, H. W., & Myers-Walls, J. A., Bower, D., Mulroy, M., Kirby, J., Ozretich, R. A., & Kobbe, A. M. (2002). National Extension Parenting Educators’ Framework. Cooperative Extension System.

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Last Modified: 04/22/09
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Send comments, suggestions or inquiries to www-questions@umext.maine.edu

	Care for Self means knowing and understanding yourself, managing life’s demands, and having clear goals.
	Understand is observing and understanding children and their development.
	Guide is setting and maintaining reasonable and loving limits, and helping children to be self-responsible.
	Nurture is expressing love and compassion, teaching kindness, and fostering children’s self-respect and hope.
	Motivate is stimulating children’s curiosity, imagination, and the search for knowledge of themselves and the world around them.
	Advocate is using community services when needed, getting involved in social change, and building neighborhood and community relationships.