What to do when Children Misbehave
2.5 hours

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. Many parents have used disciplinary tools such as the naughty step and have had trouble making them work.

We teach parents ways of being 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, look at how to encourage good behaviours and how to respond effectively when children don't behave well. We look at tools for discipline which are effective and don't harm the child's self esteem or the positive relationship he has with his parents.

The talk covers:      

• What is "Positive Discipline"
• Why children misbehave
• How to motivate children to cooperate
• Establishing rules and routines that children are willing to follow
• Helping children accept responsibility and deal with their mistakes

Bringing out the Best in Boys
2.5 hours

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 covers:  

• 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

Raising Girls
2.5 hours

Do you worry about bringing up a girl in today’s world? You may be concerned about preserving your daughter’s innocence in a world which encourages them to grow up so fast. You may worry about the effect of the media. This talk looks at the issues that are especially relevant to girls, how girls are different and how parents can help. We look at techniques parents can use to bring up your daughters to be strong, confident, willing to try new things and with a strong sense of self worth as well as encouraging consideration for others. In particular we teach practical and effective strategies for fostering strong self-esteem and a positive body image and for helping your daughter to have positive friendships. This talk is suitable for parents of girls of any age.

This talk covers:      

• What makes parenting a girl different
• How do girls respond to the world
• Creating positive self esteem and body image
• Fostering positive friendships

Teens- awkward and awesome - how to bring out the best in them
2.5 hours

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, to maintain effective boundaries 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 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 covers:    

• Understanding teenagers’ behaviour
• Boosting teenagers’ self-esteem
• Engaging with teens so they want to listen to you
• Motivating teens to willingly cooperate
• Listening actively to encourage teens to talk
• Maintaning boundaries that generate respect, foster harmony and instill good values 

Fostering Harmony between Siblings
2.5 hours

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.

This talk covers:   

• 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

Bringing out the Best in your Children
2.5 hours

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.

This talk covers:    

• Ways of motivating children to want to do their best
• How to focus on the positive aspects of your child’s 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
• How to help your child handle things that go wrong and learn from them

Raising Confident Children
Encouraging independence and resourcefulness
2.5 hours

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 covers:     

• Why self-esteem is important
• How to raise a child’s confidence
• Nurturing independence and resourcefulness
• How to help a child stand up for himself 

How to Listen so Kids will talk.
2.5 hours

Do you want your children to develop good communication skills, problem solving abilities 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 build real rapport and closeness with your children so that they talk to you more about their lives and feel understood. It demonstrates skills that allow parents to help children to recognise, process and manage their emotions. It also teaches ways to encourage children to be more considerate and thoughtful.

This talk covers:

• 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 and deal with Bullying
2.5 hours

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.

This talk covers:   

• 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

Parenting in a Digital Age: safe and healthy use of TV, electronic games and the Internet.
2.5 hours   

The opportunities provided for our children by technology; computers, TV, mobile phones and games consoles are amazing. The wealth of information, the opportunities to learn, to socialise, to communicate, to create and to be entertained are immense but with this comes dangers of unwelcome content or unwelcome contact, as well as the health and other implications for our children of them spending hours in front of a screen.   

This talk looks at how we keep our children safe and healthy while making the most of the technological revolution. This is a most pressing question for parents of 21st century children and one we need to address if we are to keep them safe and pass on the values we want them to grow up with. This workshop examines the pitfalls or risks associated with the technologies that children are embracing at an ever younger age including what’s missing in their lives if they spend too much time in front of a screen.  

 This talk covers:   

• The need for parents to inform and educate themselves
• What parents can do to protect and educate their children
• The use of technologies to screen and shield
• Ways of developing trust between parent and child
• How to develop effective rules around the use of technologies and having a healthy blend of activities
• Ways of communicating empathetically when they wish to have more!

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Happy Families: Exploring Family Values in the 21st century.

Lead by Andrew Stead of Practical Happiness and Melissa Hood of The Parent Practice

2.25 hours

Britons and people across the world have been mesmerised by the riots that took place last year in London and other British cities and have been scrabbling for some sort of explanation for what went on and what motivated the rioters. There are almost as many theories to explain what happened as there were people who took part in the riots, ranging from ‘mindless thuggery and opportunism’ to anger and frustration with current economic circumstances, and several explanations revolve around a collapse in family values.

We meet families who find it difficult to uphold the values they think are important because they do not think of themselves as being or don’t believe that they can be ‘in charge’. Sometimes in this busy multi media world we live in with thousands of ideas and opinions zinging around we’re just not that clear on what our values are. And maybe we’re not conveying them clearly to our children. There will always be some differences between families on some values (eg I’m ok with my children having sugar in moderation but I’ve heard some parents compare it to giving them cigarettes) but it’s really essential in raising children to get clear about what our values are and to pass them on to them in a positive and effective manner. We don’t have to become stereotypical Victorian authoritarian parents but it would be good to be able to teach our children what we believe matters and to behave in ways that we think matter.

In this workshop we will:

• Explore the meaning and importance of values in modern society
• Explore what are the most important values for us as a family
• Develop the family ‘mission statement’
• Provide practical tools to embody these values in every day life

This workshop will use discussion and activities to explore the themes outlined above as well as presenting some tried and tested techniques for creating family harmony.

This workshop will be jointly led by Andrew Stead, happiness and wellbeing teacher and Founder of Your Daily Bread, and by Melissa Hood, parenting facilitator and co-founder of The Parent Practice. Melissa is a parent herself who understands the rigours of family life and who has, through her work with families, considerable experience of how families have created happy environments where children are taking on what we believe to be important.

From Defiance to Cooperation: Teaching Responsibility without Punishment or Blame
Presented by Bonnie Harris.

4.5 hours

When children “misbehave”, they are not being a problem; they are having a problem. This 180º switch in perception can change your parenting life, promote connection, and encourage trust and cooperation. This workshop will help you make that switch. When we blame or punish our children’s behavior, we increase that problem and set them up for defensive behavior. Learn why punishment and arbitrary consequences provoke the behavior we least want and create disconnect in our relationships. Learn the skill of problem solving to guide your children toward thinking for themselves, making good choices, solving problems, and taking responsibility for their actions.

When Your Kids Push Your Buttons 4.5 hours   A certain look, a defiant act, your child "pushes your buttons", and you say things you swore you never would. Blame, regret, shame—does this "spinning out of control" action/reaction cycle sound familiar? Effective parenting is achieved when we connect with our children, understand what their behavior is trying to tell us, and end the parenting "road rage" to give our children the help they may really be asking for.   In this one day workshop you will get the overview of the Buttons course and learn about how you can defuse your buttons by reframing the assumptions and expectations you make, which is what really triggers you, not your child.

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Creating Happy Learners: how to reduce stress and increase creativity.
2.5 hours 

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 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