Parenting children is challenging, frustrating and rewarding all at the same time! Parents of children in the 6-11 year age range sometimes feel alone and lost in this important job. Would you like to meet other parents in the same boat? The Parents Plus 6-11 Year programme may be just what you need.
The programme is facilitated by professionals from Clarecare’s family support team, over 8 weekly 2 hour sessions. Groups are delivered in community settings throughout Co. Clare, depending on the location of participants and demand for the programme. There are a maximum of 15 participants per group.Mums, Dads and others who are caring for children are welcome to attend. Parents who attend the programme come from a variety of family settings and ethnic backgrounds.
Facilitators arrange to meet interested parents before the group begins. At these individual meetings parents are asked to fill in some forms if they are happy to do so. These forms provide facilitators with basic demographic details on participants and some details on their children’s behaviour. All such information is entirely confidential and is used for research and information purposes only. Parents do not have to fill in these forms, if preferred, and they can still fully participate in the group.
This programme focuses on what parents are doing well and how to build on this. This programme is aimed specifically at parents of children aged between 6 and 11 years. Each week there is a new topic introduced and discussed, with the needs of children in this age group in mind. DVDs are used to illustrate scenes of family interactions and challenging behaviour. There are also useful and practical comments from professionals and parents who have completed the programme. The parents plus 6-11 years programme uses well researched ideas about managing children’s behaviour and building a positive relationship between parents and children.
Topics covered in the 6-11 years programme are:
- Using Parental Attention to Change Behaviour
- Play & Special Time with Children
- Encouragement and Praise
- Using Reward Systems effectively (star charts etc.)
- How to Set Rules & Handle Misbehaviour
- How to Set Rules & Help Children to keep them
- How to use Active ignoring to reduce Misbehaviour
- Using Time Out and other Sanctions
- Solution Building with Children
Parents who participate in these groups enjoy meeting other parents with children in the same age group, weekly handouts and tips about their specific issues at home. Parents who have completed the programme have found information from facilitators about other services available to them and an opportunity to make new friends of great benefit.
Quotes from previous participants:
“It gave me great confidence; my child loved the praise and would do a lot more for me”
“It has made our (parent & child) relationship more stronger”
If you are interested in attending this course or wish to find out more, please contact Michelle Barnes, Parenting Admin. Support, Clarecare tel: 065 68 94246 or email parentingsupport@clarecare.ie to add your name to the waiting list for this course. We will contact you when the next date is confirmed. Download our Parents Plus 6-11yrs leaflet.