For some, a preschooler was jealous of a new sibling. For others, a child was refusing to stay in time-out -- or follow any direction, for that matter.

Regardless of what brought them, the parents all needed help.

They hoped to find it in The Incredible Years program, a free parenting class for parents of 3- to 5-year-olds.

Kimberly Ingram, a parent educator for Welcome Baby, and Rachel Mills, a social worker with Healthy Families, run the class one night a week for 14 weeks.

"It gets really emotional," Ingram said, especially once parents realize they are not alone.

"Some parents have said, 'I don't want to be around my child right now because it's really difficult,'" she said. Grandparents won't babysit. Parents hate taking their children out in public for fear of embarrassment. Perhaps most difficult, some don't even want to spend time with their kids due to their behavior.

The program includes dinner for the parents, as well as child care. It teaches well-established social and behavioral learning principles that explain how behaviors are learned and how they can be changed.

It all starts with play.

Each week, the parents get homework. The first week's assignment is to play with their child at least 10 minutes a day, three to five times a week without giving commands.

Parents don't learn about discipline until the end of the program, after a strong foundation of trust has been fostered through play and the child has learned that a parent's commands are to be followed thanks to a focus on consistency.

Much of what lands parents in the class comes from their own behavior, Ingram said. They realize that about halfway through.

Many couples come in with the one goal of getting on the same page so they can discipline their children as a team.

For Stacey Modares, she simply thought the more she knows, the better.

"The whole reason I'm doing this is because I need more tools," said the mother of two. "It's been awesome."

Modares learned of the Incredible Years program from her doctor. When she told her friends, they seemed surprised she was taking a parenting class.

But she said she is proud of herself for learning new skills and bucking the stigma that keeps parents from admitting they struggle with their children.

"This class is more about understanding the dynamic," she said. The most important thing she's learned, she said, is to "let go" -- there are often natural consequences that will help teach children right from wrong.

During the second-to-last class, Modares volunteered for a role play, pretending to be a mother with a whiny child refusing to take time-out. When the exercise ended, some parents remarked how hard it was to watch -- they go through that in real life every day.

The class also watches video vignettes that serve as examples of what to do, and what not to do.

"I think people have always struggled with parenting. I think it's one of the hardest things we do," Ingram said. "Life is not a Disney film."

But there is hope for a happy ending.

Statistics from past Incredible Years sessions show measured improvements. The percentage of parents reporting above normal levels of challenging behaviors dropped from 60 to 22 percent. Parents reported using harsh discipline less and becoming more consistent. Parents also reported an increase in positive discipline and felt they used it more appropriately.

Over the 14 weeks, Ingram said, parents form lasting friendships. On the last class, the teachers serve a cake with "Congratulations!" written across the top and hand out certificates.

"The last class is also very tearful, but for a good reason," Ingram said.