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Parenting Support
By Sophie Barnes
FAMILIES facing difficulties can now receive advice and support thanks to a new scheme from an Edmonton charity.
Counsellor Terry Debney runs the course Effective Parenting which has a group focus enabling parents to share their experiences with one another. Ms Debney said: "Parents usually get a lot from working with other parents and it helps them realise that there is no such thing as a perfect life or a perfect child. Just because you struggle sometimes doesn't mean you are not a good enough mum or dad."
Sessions, which start this week at The Ark, in Montagu Road, are run in groups and usually involve role-play as a means of trying out different parenting techniques. The chance to hear about other parents' experiences can provide reassurance.
"Everybody's family is different, there is no such thing as a normal family but we all want similar things - for our children to be settled and happy," said Ms Debney.
"The only person we can change is ourselves and the courses are designed to give parents more self-esteem and confidence."
At the end of the six-week course the parents are invited back to the centre for a one-to-one session with the counsellor and follow-up sessions are available in the following months. Ms Debney often finds that previous participants have changed their parenting methods and that this has had a positive effect on their children. She said: "We see an improvement in the children's motivation and academic achievement, and parents are able to go into their child's school and have frank discussions with the teachers because they have more confidence and aren't feeling so defensive."
Ms Debney works with parents with children who range from 8-18, but the children are not present at the sessions. Whilst she is happy to deal with any situations that a family encounters, she has noticed an increase in clients with autistic children. To meet this demand the charity has set up a new course tailored specifically for parents with autistic children and this will begin in March.
The Effective Parenting course starts on Wednesday and is priced at £40 for six sessions, and £20 for unwaged participants. There is also a Self Development course, which starts on January 27 and costs £48 for six sessions, and £30 at an unwaged rate.
