Help! I am a Parent...
As a young mother, raising children was a very daunting prospect indeed. I quickly became aware of the many challenges of parenting and the pressures I felt to be a "good" parent. The parenting references I had were primarily derived from how I was raised by my parents, and although I could use some of the positive things that came from my upbringing, there were aspects of my parent's parenting that I wanted to change or do differently. I instinctively knew that I lacked the awareness and competence required to be an effective parent.
Being trained as a Social Worker I was fortunate have access to resources in the social sciences domain and when I came across the Parent Effectiveness Training (PET) parenting training course by Gordon Training International, my husband and I jumped at the opportunity to learn more. The training was a life-changer and provided a much-needed base for our engagement with our children, and having gone through this training together, it gave us the opportunity to remind the other of the parenting techniques we have learned when the going got tough - as it will do most surely!
I have since adopted the skills I have learned in emotional intelligence and communication techniques, not only in my parenting, but also in all relationships in my life. Today, my involvement with Parent Effectiveness Training has led to me qualifying as an Instructor ten years ago, and with two sons aged 28 and 25, and with a precious ten-year old daughter (yes!), I am grateful to have learned the skills required for parenting and for all my personal relationships.
