Parenting Course

The question of discipline-we look at guiding children using praise, consistency and boundaries rather than criticising and focussing on unwanted behaviour. We introduce 'time to calm down' as a strategy to use when emotions are running high

Parenting styles and family rules-we discuss different approaches to parenting and how this might impact your family. Family rules, rewards and consequences helps families to establish a calm and harmonious home

Personal Power and Self Esteem looks at how as adults we have the 'power' to make decisions and get our needs met. Children, especially young children, often feel frustrated at their lack of 'personal power' as adults tend to make decisions/choices on their behalf. This often leads to unwanted behaviours and friction. We explore a strategy known as 'choices and consequences' to allow children to take responsibility for themselves whilst still keeping the adult 'in charge'

Feelings....and what we do them - explores our own feelings and how that impacts on our behaviour. We then look at how children's behaviour is impacted by their feelings. We introduce 'I statements' which is a communication strategy to share our feelings about a situation, without using 'blaming' messages against another person

Kinds of touch explores ours, and our child's experience, of both positive and negative touch. We look at the importance of nurturing touch and meeting our own needs in order to be able to look after others - 'you can't pour from an empty cup!'

Ages and stages in child development - we often compare children to their siblings/peers without realising. We discuss how children develop and the importance of having 'appropriate expectations' If we expect too little from a child (when they are quite capable) it can be as damaging as expecting too much from a child. Both scenarios can lead to low self esteem. Helping children grow up gives parents/carers ideas to allow their children independence in a safe environment

Keeping children safe. All parents worry about being able to keep their children safe. We explore the topic together and share ideas on sex, relationships and the digital world

Behaviour to ignore is a strategy used to ignore minor irritating behaviours. It can be difficult to do but really useful when you are in that cycle of 'nagging' We spend time looking at problem solving and negotiating which is a great skill for older children to learn.

Continuing the Family journey-we look back over the past weeks at all we have learnt and go over any strategies which parents are finding 'tricky'