A mum-of-five who dismissed the idea of professional parenting support has revealed how her opinion was transformed by Family Friends. The local mother explained how a ‘Triple P’ course run by our charity “opened her eyes” and changed her perspective. She said she only agreed to join the group because she felt she had to initially, but then had a complete change in her view after discovering how beneficial it was. Led by our family support worker, Anna Morgan Cox, held at school in Broom Farm, Windsor, the course lasted eight weeks.
The ‘Positive Parenting Programme’ Triple P is a research-based approach that helps parents understand how their family works so they can use the things they already think, feel, say, and do in new ways. The programme covers the use of effective praise and incentives, setting limits and non-physical strategies for managing misbehaviour and dealing with high-risk situations.
The mum-of-five spoke to Family Friends at the end of the sessions to reveal what she thought.
“I’m quite a negative person sometimes when I come to these courses,” she said. “At first, I was having none of it. I was doing it because I felt I had to do it, but you find out things about yourself you never knew.
“But it opens your eyes to reality – that kids aren’t all the same and all have different issues and educational needs. It’s a learning curve. I’m not so stressed anymore. I used to be stressed when the children came home from school.
“It is about having a different perspective of our lives, you realise that other people are in the same situation, it makes you feel like you are human, and it takes anxiety away. It’s really about giving a positive outlook for you and your kids and the relationship with your kids.”
Another mum who completed the programme said it had helped her deal differently with her young daughter. She said: “I can step back now. I tend not to shout as much, and I think about it more. I think about the fact she (my daughter) is only little, and I’ll give her more leeway. I can see how she sees the big world herself. You don’t feel judged coming to this group. I would recommend it because it does calm you down about the situation in the home and it gives you a different perspective.”
Triple P helps parents:
- Create a stable, supportive, harmonious family environment.
- Teach children the skills they need to get along with others.
- Deal positively, consistently and decisively with misbehaviour, should it arise.
- Encourage desirable behaviour.
- Develop realistic expectations of their children and themselves.
- Take care of themselves as parents.
- Increase parental confidence.
- Feel supported, not criticised.
