Positive Discipline
Finding Balance
90 minutes

Many parents find disciplining their children one of the hardest aspects of parenting. They may feel they swing from being too lenient to being overly harsh and may not want to repeat patterns from their own childhoods. Parents want to ensure that their children are respectful and cooperative and learn good habits and values and they usually want to find ways of achieving that without being dictatorial or punitive or taking disciplinary action that is ineffective or harmful to the child.
We teach parents ways of achieving a balance so that they can be both positive and firm at the same time and can establish harmony at home whilst maintaining a positive relationship with their children. We address the reasons for inappropriate behaviour, how to encourage good behaviours and how to respond effectively when children don't behave well.

The talk will cover:

• What is "Positive Discipline"
• Why children misbehave
• How to respond to misbehaviour effectively so that children learn without damaging self esteem
• How to get children to willingly cooperate
• Establishing rules and routines that children are motivated to follow

Bringing out the Best in Boys
90 minutes

It can be a tough world out there for boys. They may be under-performing at school, having trouble with organisation or getting into trouble. Some boys’ high energy and excessive competitiveness can be difficult to live with and some are aggressive. Boys typically find it difficult to express or manage their emotions. This talk looks at ways to help parents help their sons become self-assured, cooperative and motivated. We show parents how to help boys channel their high energy constructively and how to manage aggression. We give parents tools for communicating in a style that suits boys and teach techniques for encouraging boys to talk.

The talk will cover:

• What kind of an adult man do you want your son to be?
• Effective ways to manage boys’ high energy, physicality and aggression
• Ways of encouraging boys to do their best without being excessively competitive
• Setting up structure and routine to help boys thrive
• Helping boys manage and express emotions

The Teenage Years - Communicating with adolescents
90 minutes

Many parents approach the teenage years with some anxiety. Adolescents experience many changes in brain development and hormones during this period which can impact behaviour dramatically. Parents often report a sudden change in their children and feel they no longer know how to respond to this new person in their midst. They need new strategies to enable them to communicate effectively and to support their children through a time of great change.

Parents need to be able to communicate well with their teens if they are to reduce conflict, help improve their teenagers’ self-esteem and to minimise the impact of peer pressure. Listening effectively to teens helps improve their ability to solve problems, to develop judgment and to be considerate of others. It also encourages teens to come to their parents if they need help.

In this workshop we teach communication strategies that help foster a really positive relationship between parent and teen.
This talk is suitable for parents of children approaching the teenage years as well as parents whose children are already teenagers.

The talk will cover:

• Understanding teenagers' behaviour
• Boosting teenagers' self-esteem and resilience
• Engaging with teens so they want to listen to you
• Listening actively to encourage teens to talk

The Teenage Years - Boundaries
90 minutes

This talk is an ideal follow up to the Communicating with teens talk.
Teenagers still need boundaries, even if they think they can decide for themselves. To make boundaries work parents need to encourage motivation and cooperation in their teens. Positive enforcement of boundaries is much more effective than punishment and doesn’t risk the fragile self esteem of the teenager. It also encourages self discipline and taking responsibility in ways that are vital for a person heading toward adulthood. Parents need new strategies to enable them to maintain effective boundaries and to support their children through a time of great change.
In this workshop we look at the changes going on in the adolescent brain and how this affects their decision making abilities. We explore why they need parents to maintain boundaries. We show how to set and follow through on those boundaries while preserving a positive relationship between parent and teen.
This talk is suitable for parents of children approaching the teenage years as well as parents whose children are already teenagers.

The talk will cover:

• Understanding teenagers’ decision making and risk taking
• How to motivate teens to want to cooperate
• Setting boundaries that generate respect, foster harmony and instil good values
• Following through
• Helping teens accept responsibility and deal with their mistakes

Bringing out the Best in your Children
90 minutes

All parents want the very best for their children and they want to see their children be successful and happy. Sometimes we worry that our children don’t seem to be achieving all they are capable of, we worry that they don’t seem to be trying hard, they won’t try new things or they give up too easily. In this seminar we look at ways of motivating our children to do their best and practical ways of setting things up so that children are likely to get things right.

The talk will cover:

• Ways of motivating children to want to do their best
• Encouraging children by focusing on the positive aspects of their behaviour, no matter how small they are
• How to encourage your child to try hard and to persevere
• Practical ways of setting things up so that children are likely to get it right

Raising Confident Children
90 minutes

Encouraging independence and resourcefulness

Strong self-esteem is vital for children to be their best and to cope with the ups and downs of life. This workshop will explore the vital part parents play in improving their children’s self-esteem and confidence. It will look at research into the importance of self-esteem and will give parents practical and effective ways to improve their children’s self-confidence, nurture independence and encourage the children to deal constructively with challenges.

The talk will cover:

• Why self-esteem is important
• How to raise a child’s confidence
• Nurturing independence and resourcefulness

How to talk so Children will Listen
90 minutes

Do you find that sometimes your children can be argumentative, uncooperative and won’t listen to you? Many parents find that their children tune them out, have selective deafness or just ignore them. They find themselves repeating and nagging and ultimately shouting to get children to listen.
In this seminar we examine the impact of language on relationships. We will look at how to tailor the way you talk to really improve your children’s confidence and motivation, to encourage them to listen to you and to hear what you really meant to say. It will give you skills to build strong and positive relationships with them.

The talk will cover:

• How to tailor your language to really improve your children’s sense of self worth and so that children feel more motivated
• How to encourage your children to listen to you and to talk to you
• Skills to create positive relationships with your children

How to listen so kids will talk
90 minutes

Do you want your children to develop good communication skills and emotional literacy? Children are sometimes reluctant to talk about anything that is bothering them, making it difficult for parents to help. Unexpressed feelings often come out in poor behaviour. When children put their feelings into words parents can respond to this more effectively.
This workshop will give you new skills to enhance your relationship with your children so that they talk to you more about their lives. It demonstrates skills that allow parents to help children to recognise and manage their negative feelings. It also teaches ways to encourage children to be more considerate and thoughtful.

The talk will cover:

• How to respond to your children’s upsets and anxieties to help them deal with their feelings constructively
• Encouraging children to express themselves so that they can learn to problem solve and to communicate with others
• How to build real rapport with your children that will last a lifetime
• Ways of brainstorming with your children to tap into their creativity and to give them the message that they matter.

Helping Children Cope with Life’s Knocks
90 minutes

Strong self-esteem is vital for children to help them cope with the inevitable knocks of life. This workshop shows you how to really improve your children’s confidence and belief in themselves and how to encourage them to deal with things constructively when they face challenges. It will also address effective strategies for dealing with and avoiding any bullying children might face.

The talk will cover:

• How to foster strong self belief
• How to encourage children to share their problems
• How to encourage resilience, perseverance and coping mechanisms to deal with life’s knocks
• How to get involved when your child is bullied and teaching children strategies for coping with bullying

Fostering Harmony between Siblings
90 minutes

Do your children bicker, argue or fight? Do they come to you complaining about each other or telling tales? Parents can find it very upsetting to witness their child being cruel to his/her sibling. This workshop will give you practical skills to help your children be more tolerant and considerate of each other and resolve arguments successfully.

We will show you how much can be done to make it easier for your children to like each other. We will look at the causes of the rivalry and teach you many practical, well-tried solutions to help reduce the fighting and create a more harmonious environment. We will also look at effective ways to intervene without appointing yourself judge and to help the children resolve their own disputes.

The talk will cover:

• Why siblings fight
• How to respond when they do fight
• How to foster harmony between siblings
• How to help children resolve disputes fairly without getting overly involved

Homework: increasing motivation and reducing stress
90 minutes

Most parents agree that they want to bring out the best in their children; they want them to do well at school and be happy. However parents and children can find that homework can be hell! Parents can end up nagging and chivvying and it can be upsetting for both the child and the parent. Both can feel frustrated and resentful.
This seminar will help you ensure that homework becomes less time consuming and more positive and productive. We show how to get your children to be more motivated and self-reliant.

The talk will cover:

• Practical ways of setting things up so that the homework session is much more likely to be successful
• How to engage with your child so they are motivated to get on and do their homework
• How to focus on the positive aspects of your child’s behaviour and performance, no matter how small they are
• How to teach your child strategies for improving their work
• How to encourage your child to try hard and to persevere

Friendships
90 minutes

Do your children sometimes experience difficulties with friends? Have they been teased, called names, been left out of games, or excluded from ‘clubs’? Do you wish your children were a bit more assertive or had better social skills? Are you worried about the crowd your children are hanging out with?
This seminar will cover how to build up children’s sense of self worth so that they are not subject to undue peer pressure, can be assertive and project confidence without arrogance. We look at how to develop communication and other social skills for making and keeping friends and how to help children deal with upsets around friendships.

The talk will cover:

• The impact of friendships on a child’s life
• Normal friendship patterns for different stages of development
• How parents can help foster qualities in your child that make positive friendships more likely
• How parents can help when things go wrong

Dealing with toddler tantrums
90 minutes

Does your toddler throw tantrums over seemingly minor incidents? Do you sometimes wonder who is in charge? Do you feel at a loss as to how to deal with your children’s behaviour? Developing effective strategies for dealing with tantrums and misbehaviour in the under fives establishes positive parental authority and fosters a relationship based on mutual respect as they get older.
This seminar will cover why toddlers have tantrums and ways to remain calm, support your children and help them recover from tantrums.

The talk will cover:

• Why toddlers have tantrums –developmental norms
• What to do when they have a meltdown and what doesn’t work
• How to avoid tantrums

Why can't you buy me one?
90 minutes

Bringing up children in a materialistic world is often a big challenge for parents. We want them to be appreciative and value their possessions. We know they have so much yet it is difficult not to spoil them at times. Many parents report that they find the pestering wearing and that it is difficult to refuse the children. Parents often feel resentful and worry that the children are becoming demanding and spoilt.
This talk explores how to strike the balance between rewarding your children and not over-indulging them. We show you how to help your children earn their treats and absorb the kind of values that will set them up for life.

The talk will cover:

• Getting clear about your own values –what you want to happen and why
• How to be in charge and manage your children’s expectations
• How to respond firmly and consistently but with empathy to nagging and pestering
• How to set things up so that children earn their treats and develop an appreciation for their privileges, outings, opportunities and possessions
• How to do all this without lecturing or criticising

Path to somewhere better: Redefining success and helping children be happy, motivated and creative.
90 minutes

Race to Nowhere is a film screened in London in March 2011 by The Parent Practice which “raises important questions that educators and parents must confront … a provocative, conversation starter”. - Daniel Pink, Author of ‘Drive and a Whole New Mind’

Vicki Abeles, mother of 3 and former attorney in the US, became aware that something was wrong with how we raise our children to be ‘successful’ when her 12-year old daughter was being treated for a stress-related illness. She created the film Race to Nowhere which looks at the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that permeates schools and children’s lives across the globe, creating unhealthy, stressed-out and unmotivated  youth unprepared for the realities of working life.

The film listens to the stories of young people who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students aren’t developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do what’s best for their kids. The reality examined by the film is that cheating has become commonplace; students are disengaged; stress-related illness and depression are rampant; and many young people arrive at university and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.

What can we do as parents? Are we stuck in a culture that we are powerless to change? Or is there something we can do in the way that we raise our children that will redefine the way our children view success and themselves? Can we help our children do well and be motivated and creative rather than just following a script and be happy? At The Parent Practice we believe there are things parents can do that will help kids view success and failure differently, be motivated and creative learners and happy and confident people.

In this 90 minute workshop we examine notions of success in our society and how parents can present to children a different model of success. This is not to say we want to abandon measuring academic achievement or we’re advising opting out of the educational system but rather helping our children to rise up to rather than be weighed down by educational aspirations. We want to encourage children to do their best and work hard but not to define themselves completely by their results.

We look at

• important research done by Professor Carol Dweck on creating a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset and a collaborative rather than a competitive approach to learning
• how parents can encourage healthy attitudes to study, motivation and effort in all endeavours
• how to develop resilience and positive ways of responding to set backs
• how to create a healthy self esteem which is not precariously linked to results

Staying Calm, Being Positive
90 minutes

Most parents agree that they hate nagging, shouting and threatening and feel so drained when they really lose it. Parents usually want to be both positive and in control but can find it difficult to keep their cool if children are being rude, demanding or refusing to do what they’re asked. Staying positive helps to bring out the best in children and have a loving, constructive relationship with them.
This seminar helps parents to establish practices which help them to remain calm more often when provoked and to be positive and effective in teaching their children to behave well.

The talk will cover:

• Some of the reasons for children’s misbehaviour
• What causes parents to lose their cool
• Positive strategies to reduce the incidence of misbehaviour
• Constructive ways of encouraging cooperation
• Strategies to help parents feel calmer and more relaxed