Parenting Course

Klingon Hamlet

Hi where do I go to find a parenting course for Dublin 6 or Dublin 24? I'm working fulltime during the week except Wednesday so I've been googling for courses in eveningtimes/weekends/Wednesday afternoons.

I'm a father who's not with the mother of his child, I want to learn everything there is to know to be a good dad.

Thanks for any help/advice

just make sure any course you go on is not run by the church/priests. i've always found it absolute joke that men who have absolutely no experience of women/sex/parenting are considered suitable candidates to run courses on the very thing they know NOTHING about. I have many friends in your situation and the only advice i can give is:

see your child at least twice a week.

pay your maintenance.there are way too many deadbeat dads around giving all men a bad name.

accept that at some stage another man is going to come into the life of your ex-partner and child. prepare for it.

my partner and i had a son in june.if there is anything you wanna ask,dont hesitate.

Nevyn

It is wonderful to see that you are looking at doing a parenting course,
there are a lot of skill that you get as well as insigths when you do a parenting course.

http://www.dublin.ie/childcare/parenting-courses.htm
http://www.dublin.ie/childcare/one-parent-families.htm

While parenting calsses I think are best faclitated by someone who is a parent I have done two so far and the second was faclitated by a wonderful person who happened to be a nun. Most parenting classes are discussion format and not a lecture.

I know a lot of schools ( both primary and secondary ) run classes as do some of the local community centres, have you considered ringing your local health centre and asking the baby nurse if she knows of any in your area that would be suitible ?

lostinnappies

Failing getting a course you could try books. I have found that the baby whisperer books by Tracey Hogg to be the best out there when it comes to little babies. It talks about understanding what a baby is saying when its crying, the best ways to put your child into a routine and feeding etc everything really. She is not as agressive in her takticks as supernanny and also has follow on books for toddlers etc. I havent actually read her other books but if they are as good as the first ones you will be armed with knowledge.

Good luck and anything you are having trouble with im sure we could always help here on boards. Its nice to see a daddy taking an interest in their childs welbeing and up bringing even if they are not a "traditional" family. Some of the "traditional" family dads are so uninterested its unreal. Best of luck, and if you dont want to ask a question out loud on boards there is always the mommy and daddy group:)
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/group.php?groupid=77

ChickCool

think theres some sort of free seminar in dundrum shopping centre?its close enough to dublin 6. very responsible of you to go looking into the welfare of your child

di11on

Fair play OP - if only everyone was as proactive as you, we wouldn't have half the problems in the world as we do now.

One of the first books I read on the subject is called "How to Parent" by Dr. Fitzhugh Dodson. It was written in the 70s and I believe it's a goldmine of advice. We had to get our copy second hand.

There are a couple of chapters for single parents and he is very pactical and insightful.

MammaTina

My brother is in the same position - wants to learn more about parenting for more access to his child. He found a course running in The Clarion hotel in Liffey Valley - starts 1st November. Looks good - . Hope this helps and best of luck!

Nevyn

Do not publish phone numbers with out permission.
Can you put up more information about the course,
who is running it please, if there is a website.

MammaTina

Am very sorry - new to this and didn't realise. I rang my brother and he suggested that they can ring the clarion hotel as the course is being held there. Think they are called Help Me To Parent but not sure.

Nevyn

http://www.helpme2parent.com/

PARENTING AGE 1 TO 6


Our course director Dr. John Sharry has adapted the Parents Plus Early Years Programme exclusively for the Help Me To Parent age 1 to 6 course. The Parents Plus Programme was development by child development and support professionals to provide parents with techniques to enhance their parenting skills.

Drawing on well researched ideas about child development and parent-child communication this course is ideal for parents who want to maximise their children's learning, language and social development, as well as reduce behaviour problems, while ensuring their children grow up happy and emotionally secure.

Topics Include:

- Being a Responsive Parent

- Encouraging and Supporting Your Child

- Promoting Your Child's Language and Development

- Helping Your Child Concentrate and Learn

- Managing Tantrums, Misbehaviour and Problems

Our courses are divided into two sessions each running for a full day (2 full days in total)

Session/Day 1 – Gives you an overview of the positive parenting model, with a set of ideas and skills you can immediately put into practice at home with your children.

Session/Day 2 – The focus in day two is on deepening the ideas and principles covered in Session 1 and to review how parents have put them into practice at home. Some time will be given to cover individual concerns and questions.

Session 2 will be run within two to three weeks of session 1. This gives you time to practice the skills learned in session 1 before commencing session 2.

All courses are presented by a qualified facilitator and consist of video material, discussion and workgroup sessions. During the day there is an opportunity to reflect about your own parenting goals and to learn and practice new skills throughout the day

In addition to your training you will receive the following:

* Course handouts and skills sheets
* Tea/Coffee and refreshments
* Lunch
* FREE Parenting Book
* Certificate of Attendance

Course cost: €295 per person or €490 for 2 (Save €100!)

Next course date: Saturday 1st & Saturday 15th November 2008

Facilitator: Dr. John Sharry: Family Psychotherapist & Parenting Author

Venue: Clarion Hotel, Liffey Valley, Dublin

There is another one running in January.