A
group workshop program.
I have run
parenting groups for more than 500 couples and have noticed that
there are many areas of difficulties that are common to all parents.
That many parents want to know how to engage cooperation, deal
with sibling rivalry, or how to discipline effectively. And that
many parents want to know what is appropriate for each age and
stage of development. I have also seen that parents prefer practical
suggestions to deal with these issues.
Every profession
requires some training, except the job of parenting. This workshop
aims to provide some skills on dealing with normal developmental
issues. The group runs for 5 consecutive sessions. Each session
is self-contained in that it deals with a separate topic around
parenting.
Topics:
1.
Dealing with children's distress: How to handle
your child's difficult feelings: anger, sadness, frustration etc.
2.
Discipline: Do behaviors and don’t behaviors:
How to get children to do all the things we expect them to do
e.g. get in the bath, get dressed, do homework etc. This session
also looks at stopping inappropriate behavior like hitting, nagging,
kicking, spitting, whining, teasing etc.
3.
Building independence and autonomy: helping children
to become self-sufficient. In this session we also talk about
the ages and stages of development and what is normal within these.
The aim is to build realistic expectations for children and their
parents.
4.
Raising self esteem: Helping children to become
who they are. In this session we discuss our role as parents in
building self-esteem. We focus on the need for children (and adults)
to have a good self concept as a foundation for a good self-esteem.
5.
Roles that children take in the family (including sex
role identity - raising boys/girls): How do girls grow
up to feel like girls and how do boys become little boys? Here
we talk about their differences and our role as parents in helping
children to grow. Children can take certain roles in the family
such as “my clumsy child” or “fussy baby”
or “stubborn or even “my sensitive child”. And
when parents put children in these roles, they begin to act them
out. We discuss how important it is to allow children the freedom
to become who they are.
The group is interactive but also didactic. There are evening
groups for couples and morning groups for mothers or fathers.
