Online – Sharing Parenting

We hope you enjoy access to these new resources. Please do contact us if you wish to discuss anything before, during or after taking part in the online resources.

Podcasts

You can also find our Podcasts, where we discuss real parenting questions, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and on our website HERE.

Quick Video/Vlogs

Some great ideas for any parents who have their children at home are popping up all over which is great. However, this can also be overwhelming and you may be feeling the pressure to be PERFECT!

Remember there is no such thing as a perfect parent!

We all do our best and that is good enough. Each of us is different and with different pressures – for some of us just managing to get up and get dressed can be a major achievement.

Plan for the worst and hope for the best – take each day as it comes, try to get daily fresh air and exercise, breathe slowly in (and out) and lower your expectations, reframe (focus on what you have done well (not on what you haven’t) speak to other adults (telephone, Facetime, Skype) and not just via written text and reach out for support when you need it.

Our amazing Sharing Parenting team have shared some top tip videos for parents and carers (and anyone really!) below. We hope these are useful and easy to watch and digest. Please share with other parents too.

Top Tips

1. Returning to School Tips

Starting school after lockdown feels very different than returning after the summer holidays or when children initially start school.

Like all of us children have had a lot of change recently with not being able to see friends and family, online learning and restrictions on going out. Some will also be worried about the virus. Children may also see us anxious which makes them worry too.

Some children are likely to find the transition back into school harder than others. Here are some tips to help with the transition back into school.

2. How to get your children to do what you want them to do – Choices and Consequences

Giving your children choices or consequences is a parenting strategy/tip to help prevent ‘getting in the ring’ or a power struggle with your child. Suzanne explains more:

3. Top Tips if your are feeling Anxious

Parenting can create anxious feelings at the best of time. Suzanne shares some top tips to support parents and their children:

4. Heal to deal with your children fighting – Sibling Rivalry

Do you feel you are always playing referee to your children?

Do you often ask yourself :

“Why do they always argue when I leave the room?”

“How can I support my children to get along with each other?“

Watch this video below where Suzanne explains more:

5. The first rule to being a good parent – Fill Your Jug

Who’s looking after you? How can you look after others if your don’t look after yourself? Suzanne explains more here:

6. How to be a better parent – STOP, THINK, ACT

Take a moment before you act. Remember to model saying sorry if you don’t act the way you want your children to!

At Sharing Parenting we share lots of tips and strategies to support parents/carers and professionals to keep the atmosphere calm and to protect children’s self esteem for now and the future adults they will become.

These are only any good if we can remember to use them at the right time (although, none of us are perfect and being reflective and saying sorry are all good characteristics of an assertive parent).

So, what can you do in the heat of the moment, when you are all ‘emotionally flooded’?

STOP THINK take a moment to calm down, count to 10, breathe and then ACT.

Our traffic lights are one of our popular handouts – you can download yours here: STOP THINK ACT

7. Build your child’s self esteem – Active Listening

What’s the difference between Listening and Active Listening? Suzanne explains here:

We aren’t taught to listen, we ‘just do it’. Some people are better than others. Sometimes as parents, things get in the way and we can be distracted when our children are trying to talk to us.

Listening does not mean fixing, it means supporting our children to work things out. To encourage them and build their self esteem.

There are 2 levels of listening – what the words are telling you and what your child is feeling. It is important to hear on both levels.

Helpful hints:

Make a conscious decision to listen
Switch off your own agenda
Ask open questions (who, what, where, when, how)
Think of your body language – open posture, nodding, facing child, eye contact when you can.
Resist giving advice. Remember – you’re not fixing.
Listen for their feelings (e.g it sounds like you’re really angry)
If it isn’t an appropriate time for you to listen, make an arrangement with your child to find a suitable time. Make sure you stick to it.
Think about how it feels when you are not listened to compared to how you feel when you are being listened to.
Mirror good listening to show your children how to become good listeners.
8. The secret to getting your child to do as you say – Don’t Say Don’t

Don’t think of a white rabbit ….I said don’t!

It’s very hard for the brain to not picture the don’t.

Children often only hear the last 2 words of your sentence so don’t even hear the don’t – you are actually asking them to do it!

If you want them to do something ask them what you want them TO DO – stay on the path, pick up your toys, take your plate to the kitchen etc.

9. Keeping parenting real – Roller Coaster Parenting

Ever feel like you’ve been given a ticket to a theme park? Being a parent is like being on a roller coaster. There are ups and downs, highs and lows. Hold on tight and enjoy the ride!

You can download the Roller Coaster Poem here

10. Looking after your child’s self esteem – Connecting

Rich shares some great tips for connecting with others and the importance of it here:

*Rich mentions going outside but please only do this if it is safe to do so.

11. How to express your feelings without upsetting others – ‘I’ statements

How to turn behaviour around just by changing the word I from you! Ginny explains more here:

Using I instead of You gives you ownership over your feelings and actions and helps you to take responsibility for them.

You can model this so your children learn to take ownership of their feelings and actions too and know that they have control over them.

12. Enjoy the parenting moments – If I had to raise my child again

It’s so easy to get caught up in the housework, chores and mundane things in life. Ginny reads a poem by Dianne Loomans which reminds us to appreciate the little things which mean the most:

13. How to discipline your child without conflict – Stay Out Of The Boxing Ring

Do you find yourself in a power struggle with your child? Has the house become a battle ground? Suzanne shares some great tips and advice about ‘how to stay out of the boxing ring’ and how to spot the danger signs of being invited into it!

14. Discipline your child effectively – Discipline is to TEACH

Are you teaching your children? Ginny explains more about the word discipline and what it really means here:

Sharing Parenting Online Raising Children Course

Each session will take about 20 minutes depending on how long you choose to spend on each activity.

To get the most out of the courses please find a quiet spot where you will not be disturbed, grab some paper and a pen to write down your thoughts and relax and enjoy!

Session 1 – Setting the scene

Session 2 – Parenting Styles

Session 3 – Identifying Needs

Session 4 – Understanding Challenging Behaviour

Session 5 – Active Listening

Session 6 – Effective Discipline (Part 1)

Session 7 – Effective Discipline (Part 2)

Session 8 – Labelling

Session 9 – Encouragement

Session 10- Review

We would love to hear your feedback from these online courses, please contact us with your thoughts or download, complete, scan and email us this Online Course Evaluation Form April 2020 or copy and paste the below (scroll to the bottom of this page) into your email, complete and send to info@sharingparenting.com

Sharing Parenting Online Workshops

Effective Discipline for parents with Outreach Workers Ruth and Nina

2. Anxiety and how to cope with it for parents, with Outreach Workers Nina and Ruth

3. Let’s Play (for parents)

Do you love playing with your children or is it something that fills you with dread? Our Outreach Workers Rich and Ken guide you through our Let’s Play Course to help you make play time a positive experience for you and your children.

We would love to hear your feedback from these online courses, please contact us with your thoughts or complete this short online survey or complete and email us this Online Course Evaluation Form April 2020.

Facebook Videos

Building Self Esteem in Children

2. Tips for starting a new school

3. Supporting Children with Dyslexia

4. Tips for Managing Tantrums

5. Praise or Encouragement?

6. Positive Reinforcement

7. Choices and Consequences

8. Supporting Children Through Divorce and Separation

9. Why Labelling can be bad for your child

10. Tips for Fussy Eaters

11. Respectful Parenting – 5 tips

12. Understanding Anxiety

13. Mindfulness for Children

14. Supporting Children with English as an Additional Language

15. Mindfulness for Adults

You may now feel ready to join one of our programmes – take a look at What’s Coming up for Parents and Carers and book your FREE place now. If you can’t make one of our courses or you would prefer a 1 to 1 session please contact us.

Please add your comments, photos and ideas to our Online Notice Board HERE

You can also read lots of information on our News/Blogs webpages here.

You may also be interested in:

How to support my child at home

and

Top Tips to Keep calm with the children at home

and

Video top tips for positive behaviour

and

Top Tips for helping with school closures

and

How to talk to your children about Covid 19

and

Emergency Contact Numbers

and

https://www.sharingparenting.com/2019/08/15/a-to-z-of-parenting/

You can contact us or email us with your parenting questions at info@sharingparenting.com and give us a call for confidential advice on 07867 568339.

Evaluation to copy, paste and complete into your email to info@sharingparenting.com

Name:

Date:

Training Course Title:

Did you enjoy the training? Yes/ No

The level of training was about right for me. Yes/No

I now feel more confident as a result of the training. Yes/No

I can apply the skills and knowledge I have gained. Yes/No

What was the most important thing for you (good or bad) about attending the training?

What (if anything) has changed for you and your family since you started the training (if applicable)?

Would you recommend the training to others? Yes/No

Why?

Why not?

Is there anything you would like to change about the training?

Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

Where did you hear about the training?

Would like to be added to our database to be forwarded details of future training courses?Yes/No