Confident Parenting

Welcome to Confident Parenting

How long does the course take? You will need time to practice the skills you learn, so we suggest that you complete a session per week over a period of six weeks. This will allow you to put your learning into action and reflect on how well you are doing.

Support: You may find during this course you feel vulnerable, emotional or angry. It is important that you look after yourself emotionally. You will find links to relevant websites and helplines here.

We also recommend that you consider enrolling on a face-to-face parenting course at some point in the future; you will find advice in the programme on how to find parenting support.

Confident Parenting Worksheet

You will learn more on this course if you record your answers. We have provided a worksheet for you to use, but you can create your own document or write your answers on paper if you prefer.

Choose the file type that is best for your computer/device (right-click to download): Confident Parenting Worksheet (Microsoft Word version), Confident Parenting Worksheet (Rich Text Format), Confident Parenting Worksheet (Plain Text version).

Let’s get started!

No Image

4.11 – Positive attention and praise – feedback

Did you come up with any of these? “Good job – I am so proud of you!” “That makes me so happy.” “I knew you could do it!” “That is remarkable.” “Excellent, you tried… Read more
No Image

5.1 – Session 5. Behaviour techniques: introduction

Welcome to Confident Parenting Session 5. How we react to our children’s bad behaviour can influence how they react in the future. If you are shouted at, are you more likely to shout back? If you… Read more
No Image

5.2 – Ignore where you can

Children tend to continue with behaviour when it is rewarded and stop when it is ignored. You must decide which behaviour is actually ok (it might be their behaviour is appropriate to their age)… Read more
No Image

5.3 – Ignore where you can – feedback

How did you get on with the scenarios? Here are some ideas you could use for each of them. ScenarioWhat do you do? What do you say? 1. Omar the Terrible Ignore Omar’s face… Read more
No Image

5.4 – Complying with our requests or instructions

How do we get our children to comply with our requests or instructions? It can be frustrating as a parent to get our children to do exactly what we want them to do. What… Read more
No Image

5.5 – Complying with our requests and instructions activity

For each of the following, write what instructions and steps would be required Scenario 1. Pyjamas: ask a three year old to bring you their pyjamas. 2. Tidying toys: ask a seven year… Read more
No Image

5.6 – Complying with our requests and instructions – feedback

How clear do you think the instructions you wrote were? Did you check that they had been understood and that they knew what was expected of them? Here is some feedback on how you… Read more
No Image

5.7 – Complying with our requests and instructions 2

OK, let’s just complete one more activity on how to be clear when giving children instructions. Look at the following case study: Farina is washing up in the kitchen, facing the window with her… Read more
No Image

5.8 – Negotiation

There are things that you need your children to do and there are things that your children need from you. This is where you start to think smart and enter the world of negotiation!… Read more
No Image

5.9 – Negotiation scenarios

You can agree with what your children want (unless it’s outrageous!), but it’s good to tell them what you need them to do first, then when they do it you always thank and praise… Read more
No Image

5.10 – Negotiation scenarios – feedback

Here are some ideas that you could use to negotiate with your children. Did you think of any more? Remember your family is individual and what works best for you may be different to… Read more
No Image

5.11 – Negotiation scenarios 2

Look at these two scenarios. What negotiation can you use for Marta and Satyajit? In your worksheet write three things you would do and say in each. 1. Taxi service: Marta is 15 and… Read more
No Image

5.12 – Teaching and rewarding

Children just love Star Charts! Not the horoscope, but a chart on the wall where you add a sticky star when they have achieved something. If there is something you want your child to… Read more
No Image

5.13 – Teaching & rewarding scenarios

In your worksheet, write your advice for each of these situations: Brushing Beginner: Isobel is five, her dad has been brushing her teeth for her twice a day but he feels it’s time she… Read more
No Image

5.14 – Teaching and rewarding – feedback

Here are some examples of ideas to use in these situations. Did you think of others you could use with your children? ScenarioWhat others said 1. Brushing Beginner Isobel’s dad could put a sticker… Read more
No Image

5.15 – Thinking space

Everybody’s talking about the ‘Naughty Step’. You have probably heard about the Naughty Step or the ‘Time Out’ methods of discipline, where children are sent to spend a short time on their own to… Read more
No Image

5.16 – Thinking space scenarios

Now we have looked at how to use the technique let’s look at how we can put it into practice. Look at the following, this is how you could react to John who has… Read more
No Image

5.17 – Thinking space scenarios – feedback

Were your solutions similar to these? ScenarioWhat others said 1. Sasha’s Sofa: Tell Sasha she has to sit with you for a few minutes (telling her what she needs to do and removing from… Read more
No Image

5.18 – Avoiding arguments

We are all going to have arguments with our children. There are certain things we need to keep in mind when we find ourselves in this situation. Firstly, we are the adult; we need… Read more
No Image

5.19 – Arguments summary

Do you think this might help you to avoid arguments with your children? It might help with adults too! Try it. If you do try a new technique, write in your journal about how it went… Read more
No Image

5.20 – Physical punishment

Do you want your children to use words or force to deal with conflicts? If you would prefer that they do not use hitting as a solution to conflict then it’s important that you… Read more
No Image

6.1 – Session 6

We have reached the last session of this course. Well done for getting this far! In this final session we are going to look at Accessing Support and Children’s Learning. Accessing Support is making… Read more
No Image

6.2 – Dealing with children’s behaviour

For this activity we’re going to look at seven scenes and identify which techniques can be used to improve behaviour for each of them. In your worksheet write which behaviour you would choose from… Read more
No Image

6.3 – Dealing with your own children’s behaviour – activity

For this activity you will need to identify an area of your own children’s behaviour that you would really like to improve, then describe which techniques you would use (you might use more than… Read more
No Image

6.4 – Dealing with your own children’s behaviour – feedback

Here’s an example: (T)echniques and (S)teps 1. Behaviour/s that you want to address with your child. Alexander is 11, he dumps his bag and doesn’t empty it; his lunchbox is always left in his… Read more

< First < 1 23 4 > Last >