By Mary-Justine Lanyon

Cars come with them, as do vacuum cleaners, washing machines, even coffee makers. Instruction manuals.
What doesn’t come with a guide on how to handle and raise them? Children.
Enter the Mom and Dad Project, the San Bernardino Mountains’ parenting education and resource center. The main center is located in Big Bear but they also offer their free classes in Crestline on Tuesdays at the Crestline First Baptist Church.
The class schedule in Crestline includes:

• Mommy & Me at 10 a.m.
• ABC You & Me at 3 p.m.
• Childbirth Class at 4 p.m.
• Dad Project at 5:30 p.m.
• Parenting Styles at 5:30 p.m.

All of the classes will start new sessions in 2023. Dinner is offered at all the evening classes and snacks in all the others.
“Our mission,” said Nichole McGivney, a maternal health coordinator, “is to provide connection, education and resources to everyone involved in raising a child. Se habla espanol.
“Families who come to our classes find lifelong friends and support and they get the tools they need for the success of their family and their children.
“Parents need all the support and help they can get and that is why our classes are so useful to families,” McGivney added.
Andrew Caffey, a father engagement coordinator, encourages fathers to become involved with the classes. At the end of the Dad Project, he holds a graduation ceremony which, he said, always brings tears to his eyes. Having both parents fully involved in the raising of a child is a key to success, he maintains.
For more information on the Mom and Dad Project, visit www.momanddadproject.com, call (909) 878-2326 or send an email to [email protected].