News

Here you'll find some comments from parents who have participated in parent workshops and some who have completed the development award.

Parent Workshops

“Coming to the meetings has given me a better understanding how to deal with certain situations regarding my daughter. I would like to thank Pat and Kate for all their hard work.”

" I attended the Parent Network Course primarily as it was done through my daughter’s afterschool care, Connect 2.I fully support everything that they try and achieve with the parents, and thought it would be interesting to hear other parents points of view and experiences. As a parent, you sometimes feel as though you are in your own “bubble of trouble” with regard to your offspring. It is good to share the load and get ideas bouncing around to try and resolve some of the issues that parenthood brings up at all ages throughout your child’s life.

Parent Network was great from the start. The facilitators, Mary and Jackie, were friendly, open and great listeners. Although they were very approachable, they also instilled a discipline in the class that kept the participants  on track to discuss all aspects of behavioural, and emotional issues arising from simply being a parent.  I am a single parent and our class consisted of a married couple, a single dad and other single mums with children of all different age groups. We all had different stories to tell whether it be divorce, as in my instance, or other issues. We discussed how our children coped and ways to get around problems arising from various  behaviour issues. The discussions ranged from sexual health to behaviour, praise and resolutions. All were aimed at making family life better and not feeling guilty about trying to do it all. None of us are supermum/dad and Parent Network allowed us to express our feelings and discuss things in an open environment without being judged.

I feel a great benefit from attending the course and have gone on to attend a further course with the possibility of becoming a facilitator. I want to spread the benefits that I have achieved to other people who may be feeling the same as I was  at the beginning. It is easy to feel lost and unable to cope, especially if you are on your own with your child. Parent Network allowed access to other peoples experience, other courses and other avenues to assist and helped me to feel that I was not alone and that my daughter was not an alien, but simply a child being a child.

The course reassured, reiterated and refreshed my experiences as a parent and I want to “spread the word”!

Development Award

"I thouroughly enjoyed the course and found the training a great space to reflect on my relationship with my sons.  The ACT model helped me immensely to become more
aware of my responsibility as the adult with my teenage son, this awareness created a space for me to stop and think about how to act rather than react to my son's anger.  I
now come from a calmer place and have found the benefits of using calmness and  humour to diffuse situations. Also in general 'Who's problem is it' has resonated with me
though initiallly I struggled with the concept I now realise how helpfull being aware of not taking responsibility for other peoples problems is,  as I find myself saying to people 'It's not your problem is it?"

L, Glasgow