This “Tuning in to Teens” course is ideal for parents with children aged 9-19 years and you need to come to all the sessions to make the most out of the course. I like to limit this course to only 16 parents which allows plenty of time for discussion.

This course is approved by the NHS and is one of the best courses for helping parents I have personally come across. It is evidence-based and by the end of the course you should:

• Have a better understanding of what “normal” adolescent behaviour is!

• Have a reduction in family conflict

• See a reduction in your children’s anxiety and challenging behaviour as well as an improvement in their mental health

• Feel more connected and empathetic towards your child and the less reactive to their emotions

• Have seen an improvement in the quality of family communication and relationships

• Ensure your children feel that you really do listen to them

• Have an improved awareness of your own emotional needs and well-being and how you can support yourself as you parent your children

The course focuses on helping parents become emotionally intelligent parents, better able to manage their own and their children’s emotions and behaviour which ultimately helps to improve and build stronger family relationships.

This course covers 4 sessions which run from 7 PM-8:45 PM in 2 week blocks on the following Tuesdays and Monday 30 March:

3 & 10 March

24 & Mon 30 March

Each session is taken by Ruth who is a qualified facilitator and has an extensive knowledge of parenting and parenting challenges. Each session includes:

• An opportunity to meet other parents in a warm, friendly, non-judgemental space.
• Support and encouragement as you go through the course.
• A total of 58 handouts by the end of the course
• Refreshments!
• Options for individual or ongoing support

The sessions:

Session 1: The foundations for emotional coaching teens

• An introduction to the programme and emotional intelligence
• An introduction to the concept and skills of emotional coachin
• Becoming more aware of your own and your teens’ emotions
• You begin to explore ways to connect with your teenager around emotion

Session 2: Connecting, showing empathy and emotional acceptance

• Exploring types of emotion dismissing parenting and why we might have developed these parenting styles
• Increasing your capacity for connecting with your teenage
• You learn how to increase your capacity to feel empathy with your teenager
• You also learn to strengthen your skills in empathetic responding
• You learn to develop skills in recognising and reflecting emotions in your teen including developing language to use in reflecting emotions

Session 3: Emotional coaching fear and anger

• You learn to improve skills in your own emotional awareness, regulation and self-care
• You consolidate your skills and emotional coaching and explore the 5-step problem-solving process
• You learn about managing your own angry feelings and behaviour including feelings of rejection
• Learning the difference between angry feelings and behaviour
• Developing emotional coaching skills around teen anger
• Understanding the need for boundaries and negotiation

Session 4: Emotion coaching now and in the future

• This session reviews everything you have learnt around emotional coaching
• It extends your understanding of the different parenting styles and their impact including exploring emotions or specific issues not already covered