Lesley Lane is our Senior Family Co-ordinator from Home Start came back to Wallace Fields Junior School on Tuesday 3rd October into to hold another popular parenting workshop on positive parenting.
Please find below some top tips from the workshop and attached are the full handouts.
TOP TIPS FOR POSITIVE PARENTING
REMEMBER : There is a reason behind every behaviour. All behaviour is emotion driven.
Use Empathy
Try to put yourself in their shoes. What is the emotion driving the behaviour?
Steps for giving Empathy
- Stop what you’re doing
- give full attention and listen
- give appropriate eye contact/body language and facial expressions
- Try and find the feelings behind the words
- Tentatively suggest the feeling behind the words, or actions, e.g “It sounds like….you seem……”
- Allow them to tell their story if they want to, or walk away, or be silent as they wish.
- Avoid questioning, commanding, giving advice or instructions
- Do use gentle touch if appropriate
- Keep focused on the person’s feelings
- Avoid fixing it or over reacting
- Pause after the empathy (give time) to allow the child to come back (it could open up the conversation).
Empathic phrases that can help
- “I’m wondering ……..
- “You seem……….
- “It sounds as though……….
- “You sound…….
- “You look………..
- “It can be hard when………
- “I can see…….
- “It seems as though……..
- “I can hear that……