Current Parent Courses
All of our courses are free to parents living in Hertfordshire, and are run by us – Francine and Lesley. We offer a range of topics to help parents to navigate the challenges of daily life.
Over the past 17 years, 95 per cent of our parent attendees would highly recommend our services to other parents.
All our courses are being run online via Zoom.
To discuss commissioning Families in Focus’ Train the Trainer programmes for our CAN Parent certified, evidence-based, award-winning courses, please email lesley@familiesinfocus.co.uk and francine@familiesinfocus.co.uk.
2024 courses
Handling anger in the family
Funded by Hertfordshire Children’s Services and free for parents living in Hertfordshire and parenting children from 5 to 11 years not on assessment pathways, looking for ways to better handle anger in the home.
FREE 6 Week Handling Anger in your family (with primary aged children) for parents living in Hertfordshire via ZOOM (free downloadable app)
If you have a child with Autism or ADHD (inc awaiting assessment) please book on our specialist course called Handling anger in your child with Autism and/or ADHD
This CANparent quality mark course is for parents of primary aged children, and provides practical and proven techniques to reduce angry meltdowns in your family. The very popular, effective and award winning course offers:
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- Gain greater understanding of how anger and other emotions live in your family
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- Increase your understanding of triggers that cause angry outbursts
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- Learn healthy anger management strategies for children & parents to reduce angry outbursts
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- Discover creative ways to support children to ‘let go’ of anger safely
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- Gain effective empathic communication techniques to reduce angry outbursts
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- Meet and share experiences with other parents living in a similar family to your own
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- How to raise confident & resilient children
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- Helpful handouts each week
When
Monday evenings 6.30-8.30 pm
November 4th 11th 18th 25th December 2nd 9th
Parents need to attend all sessions and live in Hertfordshire
Next course Thursday mornings from September 12th or Monday evenings from November 4th Book from June 2024
Parent feedback February 2024
It’s been fantastic to reflect on how I can become a better parent and transform my family life. As a parent, I feel more confident and understand my children more now and as a result we are all much happier.
I didn’t always understand my child’s feelings and now I can see things from his point of view through his eyes and we are all calmer and enjoy being together and have much more fun times now.
Transforming family life through empathy
New courses starting in September 2024 helping parents to build strong family connections:
Using empathy to transform family life helps parents to:
- Slow down their reactions and stay calmer
- Tune into what the child is experiencing in the moment.
- Supports parents in gaining a better understanding of their child’s feelings
- In tricky moments it allows parents to stay emotionally regulated and guide their children through their heightened emotions, thoughts and behaviours
- Helps children to be more connected to and understood by important adults in their lives
- Supporting children to become more emotionally regulated
- Empathy focuses on the whole child not just the behaviour.
This Transforming family life with empathy courses is made up of 3 x 2 hour sessions (parents must attend all 3 sessions).
This online course takes place on zoom in small therapeutic groups of up to 12 parents of children aged 4-10 years old living in Hertfordshire or Bedfordshire. Interactive groups with discussions and experiential exercises. Cameras must be on during the whole session. There will be short daily homework tasks each week to complete with feedback required. All sessions will be delivered by Francine & Lesley founder directors of Families in Focus with over 30 years of experience in delivering courses
Separate courses will be made available and advertised for the groups below: 
Parents of children with SEND aged 4-10 years – Next Course:
Monday evening 6.30-8.30 Sep 10th, 17th, 24th
Monday morning 9.30-11.30 Sept 16th, 23rd, 30th
Parents of children aged 4-10 years – Next Course:
Monday evening 6.30-8.30 Sep 30th, Oct 7th, 14th
Parents of children with SEND aged 4-10 years – Next Course:
Monday evening 6.30-8.30 Sep 10th 17th, 24th
Fathers of children aged 4-10 years – Next Course:
Wednesday evening 6.30-8.30 Nov 27th, Dec 4th, 11th
Grandparents with grandchildren aged 4-10 years – Next Course:
Monday morning 9.30-11.30 Nov 11th, 18th
