The Parenting Children Course Online

  • Once you’ve watched Session One, have a think about the following questions or discuss them in your group:  

    1. Introduce yourselves. Tell your group who you are, what children you have, where you are from and why you decided to do the course.  

    2. Can you remember a special moment of receiving support from your family as you were growing up? 

    3. Did you have fun in your family as you were growing up? When do you have most fun together as a family now? 

    4. What demands on your time stop you from spending time with your children? 

    5. What routines have you developed in your family life? (eg: a weekly ‘family time’ during the weekend, around mealtimes, at bedtime) 

    6. What new routines would you like to develop? 

  • Once you’ve watched Session Two, have a think about the following questions or discuss them in your group:

    1. What are the signs of an empty 'emotional tank' in your child(ren)? 

    2. Do you have memories in your own childhood of receiving love from you parent(s) through any of the five love languages? 

    3. Which of the five (words, touch, time, presents, actions) was most important for you as a child to feel loved? 

    4. What expressions of love do you think make the most difference to your child(ren)? 

    5. Which of the five do you find most difficult to give? What would help you show love this way? 

  • Once you’ve watched Session Three, have a think about the following questions or discuss them in your group:

    1. Of the four parenting styles – neglectful, authoritarian, indulgent, authoritative – which style do you tend to adopt? Is this because of the way you were parented?

    2. With your own child(ren), what are the most difficult situations when discipline is required?

    3. What could help you to reinforce ‘right choices’?

    4. What consequences could you put in place for ‘wrong choices’?

    5. What could help you to choose the right battles?

    6. How can you stay in control of yourself when faced with bad behaviour?

  • Once you’ve watched Session Four, have a think about the following questions or discuss them in your group:

    1. Are there any unhelpful habits you’ve got into where you are favouring one child over another?  e.g. listening more attentively to a child who is more articulate than sibling

    2. Do you tend to react more like a rhino or a hedgehog?

    3. What helps you to express your anger constructively?

    4. How does each child tend to react when angry?

    5. What can you do to help them express their anger effectively?

    6. What could help you to listen effectively to your child(ren), particularly when they are expressing negative emotions such as hurt, anger, disappointment or sadness?

    7.  What helps your children to get on with each other? 

  • Once you’ve watched Session Six, have a think about the following questions or discuss them in your group:

    1.       What was your experience of faith growing up?

    2.       What was a new idea for you from this session?

    3.       What are some simple and manageable ways you could make your daily rhythm nurture your child’s (children’s) faith?

    4. Thinking about Christmas, how could you create one special family moment where faith and fun are central?

  • Once you’ve watched Session Five, have a think about the following questions or discuss them in your group:

    1. What are your own daily, weekly or annual traditions and rituals?

    2. Do you have any ‘negative’ traditions that need to be dropped? (eg: a tradition that is detrimental to a child or to your family life, such as having every meal in front of the TV)

    3. From this session’s talk and discussion with other parents, what new rituals could you develop?

    4. What values regarding money do you want to pass on to your children?

Course Manual