Parenting Program

The workshop introduces our agency framework formatted for parenting. Our parenting framework “Living With Little Kids', based upon the affect script paradigm of Silvan Tomkins, centering on emotions and affects as precursors of behaviours, both positive and negative. Parents are initially invited to discuss their view of discipline and to define what parenting means to them. This information is then used to discuss parenting from the viewpoint of the parent’s emotional awareness, and subsequent behaviours when relating to children, separating behaviours from the person and the issues from people. 

By the end of the workshop parents can concisely describe the “Theory of Affect” and understand that emotions are built from our life experiences of affects (scripts).  Parents are introduced to the notion of shame as an affect and the “Compass of Shame” as defined by Nathanson, (1992).  The parenting session gives participants a basic understanding of how to behave with improved and informed responses to the challenges faced when disciplining children. 

Parents are given our "Living with Little Kids" booklet to assist with this new learning to further mentor improved responses to the challenges from children from within a supportive but firm discipline model.