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Becoming a parent can be both the most rewarding and daunting commitment you may ever take on in life. The family dynamic changes and this precious bundle of joy becomes central to the family unit.

Before you know it the next sibling arrives!

At such young ages, their personalities shine through, you have the climber, the cheeky monkey, the princess - the list varies from family to family.

As a working mother I have experienced the highs and lows of motherhood; I have endured many a sleepless nights waiting for a tooth to appear; looked on proudly as they took their first steps and waited anxiously for their first words to be spoken.

At times it can be a challenge establishing and maintaining a routine to suit the needs of the family. Part of being a child is their need to test boundaries. This can manifest through temper tantrums, fighting with siblings and challenging routines.

All members of the family support team in Exchange House received intensive training in delivering the Parents Plus Programme. The programme is suitable both for children within the normal range of development as well as children with special needs.

There are three Parents Plus Programmes which individually target a specific age group.

• PARENTS PLUS EARLY YEAR’S PROGRAMME - Young children aged 1 to 6 years
• PARENTS PLUS CHILDREN’S PROGRAMME - Primary school children aged 6 to 11 years
• PARENTS PLUS ADOLESCENT’S PROGRAMME - Young adolescents aged 11 to 16 years

The aim of the programmes is to help parents:

• Solve parenting problems in a positive way that helps children learn
• Manage difficult behaviour and discipline problems
• Help their children be more cooperative and to learn to keep rules
• Help their children learn and to reach their full potential at school

The family support team have adapted this programme to suite the needs of Traveller families. The programme has been successfully delivered in the Dochas Centre in Mountjoy prison. We have also delivered the programme in Exchange House and in communities within the Dublin area. The Family Support Team have presented the parents plus programme to individual clients in their home.

The feed back we have received from participants has been very affirmative. Over all the parents stated that they were better able to deal with parenting issues in a more confident and constructive manner.

For further information regarding the delivery of the parents plus programme please contact the Family Support Team on 01 872 1094

Rebecca Dunne

Family Support Worker