Need parenting help? You only have to ask

A recent example of a parent's bad decision underscores that sometimes moms or dads need help. At Boys Town, there is help for parents but they have to ask.

Driving high on PCP, Langston Perkins caused a death. Later accused of robbing a pharmacy at gunpoint to steal drugs, now his mother takes some of the responsibility for his addiction and wrongdoing.

Darnesha Perkins said, “I gave him breast milk with crack in it because I was addicted to crack so bad, It messed him up. It ruined him.”

Dr. Daniel Daly, with Boys Town, said, “If you’ve got a drug addicted parent, you're more likely to be drug addicted. There’s no question about that. That's, that’s a bad example Father Flanagan was talking.”

Dr. Daly is a clinical psychologist and the Executive Vice President for Youth Care at Boys Town. He says bad examples, bad environments and bad thinking can make children grow into bad adults and oftentimes the parents of these children need help themselves.

It might not be an excuse but a bad upbringing in a bad environment could be a reason why children grow up to be troubled adults.

Boys Town wants to get to these children before they get into trouble and change their behavior by working with their parents to change their behavior.

Boys Town offers common sense parenting classes. Parents learn how to be better parents to help raise better children.

Bridget Barnes has been directing the classes for more than 30 years and said, “Having a place to go so I don't feel like I’m not alone. Number two, there’s somebody there who can give me some practical tools that I can use right away and number three, I feel like I’m making some kind of accomplishment. I’m having some kind of impact on my child.”

Dr. Daly says there is help out there but parents have to ask before their children grow up and it’s too late.

For more information on Boys Town’s Common Sense Parenting Classes, go to

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If you need answers to parenting problems you can call the hotline number at 1-800-448-3000.