ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — Raising kids is tough. It’s a job we all have no training or education for, and fortunately most of the time, it all works out OK.

Most of the time.

However, there are times when a “strong-willed child” will start getting the better of his or her parents. Or the youngster starts experimenting with drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Or perhaps the youngster has some problems with discipline or attendance at school.

There is help, says Debra McCants, and attendance officer with the Baldwin County Public Schools; Rhonda Cotten, a dropout prevention supervisor with the BCPS; and Leonard “Buddy” Moore, a Parent Project coach.

It’s called the “Parent Project,” and Cotten says that the program has been used in 38 states and some international locations. The cost of the program is $20 for the workbook, but scholarships are available. Call 970-4415 for more information. The next Parent Project classes will begin early next month and will be Tuesdays, 6 to 9 p.m., at Bay Minette Middle School and Thursdays, 6 to 9 p.m., at Foley High School. The Parent Project Web site is at parentproject.com.

“The program was developed by a police office and a psychologist,” said Cotten, “and it really works. It gives parents training to deal with adolescent issues.”

There is a program for younger children, called “Loving Solutions,” that is geared to youngsters 5 to 10 years old.

The Loving Solutions program, according to the Web site, can also be useful for youngsters with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or attention deficit disorder. A one-day Loving Solutions class is offered Oct. 7.

Just because their children are misbehaving, it does not follow that the parents don’t care.

“Parents need three things,” Cotten said, “the desire, specific information and skills and practical and emotional support. This program give them all three.”

To implement the project in Baldwin County, Cotten says she and others at the BCPS recruited 30 volunteers from the entire community to become “certified facilitators.” Cotten added that the system may expand the program if there is more demand.

And while a child is thriving in a secure environment now, that can change in a moment.

“Family dynamics change,” explained McCants. “The economy has an impact on families.” She estimated that 15 to 20 percent of the students in Baldwin County were in the “at risk” category.

And getting ready for some “growing pains” now can pay dividends later, says Moore.

“The program is solution focused,” said Moore. “Families can prepare for misbehavior.”

And the program works, the three say.

“It has been shown to make significant changes,” said McCants. She added that the program was first developed in 1987.