Parenting Workshops
Parenting Workshops
While undertaking research for his Doctorate, Dr. Resnick observed that the majority of evidence-based and well-researched parenting programmes are based on Cognitive Behavioural Principles and Social Learning theory. In other words, they aim to help parents deal with their child’s behaviour.
What makes the SmartChoiceParenting Programme (SCPP) different from other evidence-based parenting programmes is that it educates the parent regarding the importance of their role in guiding their child to adulthood, and helps them understand that it is the quality of their parenting that is the key factor in the healthy development of the child.
Unfortunately, in the training of most professionals who are qualified to work with the child, very little knowledge is imparted to parents regarding this important fact. As a result, most professionals are taught that childhood disorders have very little, or nothing to do with the quality of parenting that the child receives. Many parents are informed that their child’s disorder is genetic which is simply not true.
In fact, from Dr. Resnick’s experience with the SCPP, parenting has everything to do with the manifestation of all childhood disorders. This is what makes SCPP so different, and more effective than the majority of other evidence-based parenting programmes.
Another huge advantage is that the workshop consists of only 2 x 2-hour sessions, plus a follow-up mediated session with the family. (Research has shown that fathers generally don’t attend workshops consisting of more than 2 to 3 sessions. Feedback from fathers who attended the SCP Workshop has been overwhelmingly positive.)
SmartChoiceParenting is an effective and easy to implement programme which encourages a child from an early age to take responsibility for making the right choices, solving their own problems, building their confidence and instilling in them a hunger to do well. The aim of this approach is to equip a child with the skills needed that will enable them to effectively deal with all the challenges that life will inevitably throw at them.
During the SCPP workshops, parents are shown how to increase positive interactions with their children. Feedback from participants indicates quite dramatic improvements in their child’s attitude and behaviour, as well as an improvement in their social skills and school adjustment.
The overwhelming feedback from parents who have completed the workshop is that the house calms down, and that the dynamics within the family show a significant improvement! Reduction in behaviour problems and an improvement in the child’s ability to concentrate have also been reported. The programme is proving successful in dealing with a host of childhood disorders such as ADHD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) anxiety disorders amongst others.
Significantly improvements have been noted in learners classified as Neuro-diverse.
The adults referred to in guiding a child to adulthood include: biological-parents, step-parents, single parents, foster parents, educators and any other adult involved in parenting a child.
SmartChoiceParenting consists of 2 programmes:
‘SmartKidz’
Geared at parents with children up to the age of 11. The SmartKidz workshop consists of 2 x 2-hour sessions, plus a mediated session for the family. Parents implement the structures that they have learned and should notice a positive change in their child’s behaviour within a very short space of time. A follow-up 90 minute session is highly recommend a few weeks after the workshop in order to keep the structures intact, as well as to ensure that parents do not fall back on their old ways of parenting.
Parents have telephonic access to Dr. Resnick regarding difficulties they may be experiencing while implementing the programme.
‘SmartTeenz’
For parents with teenage children (ages 12 and up). The ‘SmartTeenz’ programme also includes an extra mediated session with the whole family. This session takes place shortly after the 1st session. During this session, rules are negotiated and agreed to by the teenagers and other siblings. This includes all aspects of their lives, from going out, pocket money, schoolwork, devices etc.
It is recommended that parents book at least 2 follow-up sessions for the family to ensure that the structures of the programme are still in place and all issues that have arisen regarding the negotiated rules and consequences are dealt with and resolved.
What happy parents say about the programme:
“I believe that this programme should actually be included in all secondary and tertiary education programmes, because this information is invaluable, practical and offers vital life-skills. Allowing the child to become ‘who they are’ is an incredible thing, something that most parents strive for”.
“I was blown away! The tools that I selected, that I felt were appropriate for our family, worked and have done so ever since. The calm in my home has been restored and my credibility as a parent regained”.
“Things are so much better at home, the kids’s behaviour has improved dramatically and they’re loving their chores and earning pocket money.”
“Where we often had war and crazy behaviour, there is now peace. The tension and frustration have disappeared and we as parents are far more in control of the daily running of the house.”
“I really think that parents can benefit from this programme because a lot of the time we don’t know what we are doing, so it would definitely help a lot of parents. And if it’s helping the parents, it’s helping the kids. And if kids are good, then our society is good. It would be even better if it was incorporated into mainstream education.”
“We don’t feel guilty anymore. I got tired of being told that I needed to change my behaviour to parent the kids better, and was even convinced to get therapy myself. Not once were we ever taught how to manage the kids. However, we were blamed for not being good enough and being inadequate parents. I thank God we found rest in SmartChoiceParenting.”
