| A parent, whether single or with a partner, | | | | |
| is often blamed for anything that goes wrong | | | | * EPT gives parents the opportunity to stop |
| with their children. Blame for the perceived | | | | and look at their home situation from a |
| wrongdoings of our children is probably one | | | | different perspective. What were your goals |
| of the hardest burdens that we as parents | | | | when you started your family? EPT is a big |
| have to carry. | | | | step towards achieving those goals. |
| | | | |
| The truth is that parents these days are time | | | | * EPT can help parents identify if they are |
| poor and their children are, more than ever | | | | working with or against each other. How do |
| before, influenced by many powerful outside | | | | they reach consensus? |
| sources. Most parents are doing the best they | | | | |
| can with the knowledge they have. For the | | | | * EPT provides guidelines for putting things |
| majority of people, this knowledge is based | | | | into order at home - creating a 'bottom |
| on how they were parented themselves. But | | | | line', revisiting values and establishing |
| times have changed, what worked for their | | | | rules, boundaries and consequences. This step |
| parents and for them as children may not work | | | | alone is critical. Too many rules become |
| now for their own families. Many people find | | | | unworkable but rules and boundaries provide a |
| that relying on what they learned from their | | | | baseline for the whole family and a structure |
| own experience isn't sufficient. | | | | with foundations for feeling safe with |
| | | | everyone knowing what is expected of them. |
| With just about everything that we do in | | | | |
| life, we learn from our 'mistakes'. Some of | | | | * Rules, boundaries and structure are |
| our mistakes are easy to move on from, others | | | | meaningless to children and teenagers without |
| can last a lifetime and cause untold | | | | loving, sincere and effective communication. |
| heartache. | | | | EPT will teach parents how to listen and |
| | | | communicate effectively rather than inflaming |
| Most people are born with parental instincts | | | | situations. |
| so parenting does come naturally to a certain | | | | |
| extent. But who among us can say that they | | | | * EPT will assist parents in understanding |
| have not made mistakes? The evidence of some | | | | what their children need to experience in |
| of our hasty parenting decisions can be in | | | | order to feel loved. Most parents do try to |
| the form of defiant, uncommunicative or | | | | show their love but do not understand that |
| sullen children and teenagers, and these | | | | what is perceived as love to one person may |
| mistakes are not easy to live with. | | | | be quite different to another. |
| | | | |
| Is there a better way? Yes, there is. | | | | * Parents will understand how their children |
| Learning to become an effective parent can | | | | learn. Once again, because we are unique |
| save a great deal of heartache. | | | | individuals, we all learn differently. This |
| | | | understanding can provide the parent untold |
| Effective parenting is a learned skill and | | | | and unique opportunities to help their |
| like just about everything else that we do, | | | | children gain confidence at school. |
| the more we practice effective parenting | | | | |
| techniques, the better and more effective we | | | | With these tools and a firmer foundation upon |
| become at parenting. | | | | which to move their families forward in a |
| | | | positive direction, parents and their |
| Effective parenting training gives us a | | | | children will feel empowered. |
| better understanding of the complexities of | | | | |
| our family, the pressures that our children | | | | Children are resilient and forgiving and they |
| face in the modern school setting, and the | | | | do want to feel the love their parents have |
| added pressure from part time work that many | | | | for them. It is essential for their growth |
| young people experience. It teaches us how to | | | | into healthy young adults. Where there has |
| listen, understand and communicate with our | | | | been continuing conflict you can be pretty |
| children so that we do not make things worse, | | | | sure that some of those loving feelings have |
| whilst still understanding that every child, | | | | been lost. They can be reestablished. There |
| family and situation is unique. | | | | has to be at least one 'adult' in a situation |
| | | | to turn things around; someone who is willing |
| Can effective parenting training (EPT) help? | | | | to take the responsibility to get things |
| | | | moving in the right direction. |
| In short, effective parenting training takes | | | | |
| some of the guess work out of parenting and | | | | Beginning parents will probably have a good |
| provides strategies and tools that can be | | | | understanding of some of the pitfalls in |
| used to create a more harmonious home. If | | | | modern parenting - prevention is so much |
| things are pretty good at home, proactive | | | | better than any cure. |
| parenting is even better. | | | | |