Explore the self-paced PAIRSOnline course free through Thanksgiving, or join a six-week PAIRS Essentials class on Zoom beginning November 17.
Caring about someone and knowing how to stay connected under stress are different things.
A father can want to be more patient and still struggle when a conversation turns tense. Partners can want closeness and find themselves talking mostly about schedules, bills and what needs to get done. Good intentions need a way to become everyday habits.
This fall, PAIRS Foundation is offering two opportunities to practice those habits: a self-paced relationship education course available at no charge through Thanksgiving, and a live PAIRS Essentials class that brings participants together on Zoom for two hours each week.
Both introduce practical skills for the conversations that shape family life: expressing appreciation, asking clearly for what you need, listening to another person’s experience and addressing differences with respect.
Learn at your own pace, free through Thanksgiving
For people who need flexibility, PAIRSOnline.com offers a self-paced way to explore the PAIRS approach. The course is available at no charge through Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2026.
Participants can learn on a schedule that fits their lives, without attending a weekly live class. For parents balancing work, caregiving and unpredictable evenings, that flexibility can make it easier to begin.
“Cost should never keep people from learning how to listen, work through conflict and feel close again,” said Seth Eisenberg, president and CEO of PAIRS Foundation, in the organization’s announcement of the Thanksgiving offer.
The self-paced course can also be a starting point for someone curious about relationship education who wants to explore the curriculum before joining a live class. A useful way to approach it is to set aside time for a lesson, choose something to practice and notice how it changes the next conversation.
Begin at PAIRSOnline.com/enroll.
Learn with live instructors beginning November 17
For those who prefer a regular meeting time, live instruction and opportunities to ask questions, the next PAIRS Essentials class begins Tuesday, November 17, 2026.
The course meets Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Eastern via Zoom, with six weekly sessions providing 12 hours of instruction. Seth Eisenberg and Lauren DelGandio will lead the class.
The weekly format gives participants time to learn a skill, try it in everyday life and return to the next session with questions. That rhythm can be especially useful when an idea makes sense during class but becomes harder to remember in a stressful moment at home.
The live course is open to individuals and couples. Tuition is $495 per connection, allowing a couple participating together through one connection to attend for a single tuition. Course materials are included, and limited scholarships are available for people for whom cost is a barrier.
For registration and scholarship information, visit PAIRS4me.com, email info@PAIRS.com or call (786) 503-8103.
Turning care into something another person can feel
PAIRS stands for Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills. Its focus is on skills people can practice in the relationships they already have.
“People are relieved when they realize relationship skills are learnable,” Rachel Marmor, LMHC, a PAIRS Trainer, said in a previous Fatherhood Channel article. “PAIRS helps couples understand that love is real, and skills still matter.”
Consider a familiar moment: one parent feels overwhelmed by the evening routine, while the other does not realize how much help is needed. Frustration builds around an expectation that has never been clearly discussed.
A more useful opening might be: “I’m feeling overwhelmed by everything that needs to happen tonight. Would you handle bedtime while I finish the kitchen?”
That request gives the other person something specific to respond to. Listening adds another step: “It sounds like you’ve been carrying too much. What would make tomorrow evening more manageable?”
These are examples of the everyday conversations relationship education can help people practice. The work involves noticing feelings, expressing needs clearly and making room to understand another person’s experience.
PAIRS tools include the Daily Temperature Reading, a structured check-in that makes room for appreciation, updates, questions, concerns and hopes. Setting aside time for those conversations gives family members an opportunity to speak before an unspoken concern becomes harder to address.
Why this matters for fathers and families
For a father, practicing relationship skills can begin with a small, observable action: putting down the phone when a child starts talking, asking a partner what support would help, or returning after a tense exchange to take responsibility.
“I interrupted you. I want to hear the rest.”
“I was frustrated, and I spoke harshly. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you for taking care of that. I noticed.”
Those moments give care a form that another person can recognize. They also create opportunities to practice accountability, curiosity and repair in ordinary family life.
Participation can begin individually or with a partner. Someone learning alone can work on how they listen, express a concern or make a request, while recognizing that each person remains responsible for their own behavior.
Choose a place to begin
The self-paced option offers flexibility and a chance to explore PAIRS at no charge through Thanksgiving. The live class offers six weeks of scheduled learning with instructors, beginning November 17.
Choose the format you are most likely to make time for. Then bring one skill into one conversation.
A sincere appreciation, a clear request or a willingness to listen a little longer is something a family can practice today.
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