If you were faced with the responsibility for designing and building a home, would you consult a builder? Before piloting a plane, would you want to take flying lessons? Would you seek medical training before attempting heart surgery?

If the answers to these questions seem obvious to you, consider this: Should your skills as a parent be learned only through trial and error?

All the love we have for our children doesn't automatically make us effective parents. Parenting, like any other skill, is something we learn, and learning "on the job" can be frustrating. As parents we become confused when, after constant repetition of the same theme, children still don't respond. "Active Parenting" is perhaps the most effective program ever offered in the "how to" of raising children.

YES Community Counseling Center, located at 30 Broadway, Massapequa (799-3203), will be conducting an Active Parenting group for parents of adolescents (ages 12-18 years) for six weeks on Wednesdays, starting Sept. 2, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. To register or for more information, please call YES at 799-3203.