FARMINGTON -- For some of the students in Becky Tripp's parenting class, the knowledge is something they hope they can use soon.
But Julio Guerro, 19, is taking the parenting class offered at Davis County Jail not because he is a father, but so he can be a better uncle to his nieces.
"I don't know how to take care of kids," Guerro said.
Guerro said when he watched his sister with her toddler, she made it look easy. But when she left Guerro in charge of the tyke, it wasn't so easy.
The eight-week parenting life-skills class is one of several programs funded by revenue generated through the Davis County Sheriff's jail commissary program. Weber County Jail also offers similar classes for inmates, said Weber County Sheriff's Lt. Mark Lowther.
Weber County Jail offers parenting classes, anger management and coping with depression, he said.
Tripp, mother of eight, has taught a variety of life skills classes at Davis County Jail for the past 10 years.
The curriculum for the parenting class includes anger management, communication, self-esteem and basic parenting.
"Parenting is the most important thing you will undertake in your life," Tripp said.
On Friday, she was teaching the students how to communicate.
"You want to be your kid's best friend, but you still have to be the authority figure," Tripp said. "How do you do that and still communicate with your kids?"
She drew a circle on the white board showing that the sender sends out a message. Then, it is up to the listener to indicate whether he or she heard and understands the message.
Tripp handed out envelopes with a puzzle inside. She paired up the students, giving one student the puzzle pieces and the other student the picture of what it looked like.
Sitting back to back, the student with the picture would give verbal directions to the student with the puzzle pieces.
After they were done, they discussed how the person giving directions could have done it better. Some suggestions included having the person giving the directions tell what the overall picture was first before describing shapes and colors of pieces.
Tyler Billings, 22, has a 2-year-old daughter. He said learning how to communicate, even with a toddler, is important.
"I need to step back and realize she's still young," Billings said.
Scott Smith, 39, teared up when he spoke about his 6-month-old baby, whom he has not seen. As a father of 9-year-old twins, he knows he is missing some important milestones as he serves a one-year jail sentence for a class A misdemeanor attempted theft.
"I'm trying to change, so I don't end up back here," Smith said.
Mario Sotelo, 42, is serving a federal prison term at the jail.
"I've been locked up most of my life," Sotelo said.
He has taken a number of life-skill classes from Tripp and hopes the knowledge will someday keep him from coming back.
The parenting class has helped him "how to understand" others, he said. His own children are upset with him because he has been incarcerated again. But he hopes that someday he will be able to talk to them and be able to spend time with his grandchildren.
"I'm seeing a different point of view," Sotelo said.
Tripp finishes up the class by telling them they can change and make a difference.
"You can be better people and teach your kids to be better," Tripp said. "You don't want your kids here."
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