Parenting Teens can leave us unsure how to deal with disrespect and backtalk. How do you set boundaries and deal with their bad moods? How do you encourage communication and connect into their world? How do you make your teen responsible and accountable? How can we live together in a calm happy home where everyone respects one another?
The Parents Plus Teenage Programme aims to help parents answer some of these questions. The teenage programme is delivered by professionals from Clarecare’s Family Support Team. Two facilitator’s deliver the teenage programme over 7-8 weeks in 2 hour sessions. These 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 parents in each group. Mums, Dads and others who are caring for teenagers 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.
The Teenage programme is aimed specifically at parents of teenagers and each week the focus is on a topic of relevance to young adults within this age group. It draws on well researched ideas about effective communication, conflict management,negotiating and teaching teenager’s responsibility. The programme also explores ways to connect with your teen.
Parents are provided with practical ideas, using video examples of parent-teen scenarios. The focus of the programme is positive, emphasising parents strengths.Throughout the video clips there are comments and tips from parents who have completed the Parents Plus Teenage progamme, professionals in the area of family support and tips from teenagers too on how they see things!
Parents have reported enjoying meeting other parents in similar situations, and gaining the opportunity to hear some new ideas from facilitators and from other parents. Weekly handouts are given to all who attend, while group discussions and exercises help parents put new techniques into practise in their own homes.
Topics covered in course are:
- Getting to know your teenager
- Communicating Effectively: ‘Listening & Speaking up’
- Negotiating Rules & Boundaries
- Teaching teenagers Responsibility
- Managing Conflict
- Talking Things Through
- Problem Solving together
Quotes from Previous Participants
“It has been a life-line”
” I understand now how to stay in control”
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 at 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 Teenage leaflet.