When Time-Out doesn't work: Practical positive parenting

About This Course

Simple and effective parenting strategies for a happier, calmer family life.

***** NEW FREE DOWNLOADABLE *****

Now available to download and print is our signature '4 Week Family Fun Challenge'.

Packed with EASY, FREE and FUN activities for you to do at home with your family.

If you feel like there isn't much fun in your home anymore or you need simple ideas for play then this is the challenge for you.

Designed to be used alongside the course, you'll be strengthening your relationship with your child at the same time as learning simple positive parenting techniques.

WIN WIN for everyone!

Why are you here?

You’ve probably clicked through to this course because you’re a parent who feels like you sometimes have to battle with your child to get them to behave or because you want to stop them from having huge meltdowns when things don’t go their way. 

You’ve searched online and read a whole host of articles and blogs about strategies you should use. You’ve tried them all and you feel like they don’t really work, but you keep using them because you don’t know what else to do. 

You feel like you don’t always handle those tricky moments all that well and are looking for new ideas for how to do it differently. 

If any of that sounds like you then this is the course for you. 

Based on sound, scientific evidence and informed by the most recent research in psychology, neuroscience and child development, this course will introduce you to a new way of thinking about your child and your parenting, and will help you to make changes that mean you will never have to use 'Time Out' as a strategy ever again. 

Why we created this course 

We are Claire and Nneka and together we run Mellownest. 

We have extensive experience when it comes to working with others around psychology and child development. Some of our previous work includes being commissioned by one of the largest local authorities in the UK to provide advice and support for foster carers and teachers of children who are in foster care in that local authority. 

We have also spent several years working together in schools in the UK, training teachers to learn more about child psychology, child development and neuroscience – in other words, we helped them to understand what was going on in those little heads! 

What we noticed was that, while the teachers found what we had to say helpful for them in their classrooms, more often than not they were coming to talk to us about their own children. We realised that there was a need for this sometimes overly theoretical, hard-to-understand science stuff to be presented in a much more accessible way to parents. 

So, that’s why we’ve created this course. As you work your way through it you will develop a better understanding of why your child sometimes behaves in a way you don’t like, and what you as a parent can do to respond to that in a way that feels better for you and for your child. 

What does the course cover? 

You’ll start by thinking about yourself – what your values are as a parent and what you want your relationship with your child to be like. We believe that this is the true starting point of your parenting journey as it lays the foundations for what comes next – the kind of parent you want to be and the kind of person you want your child to grow to be. This is less about your ‘parenting style’ and more about you, and there will be an assignment for you to complete to help you think about this. 

Then comes the brain bit. You’ll be guided through the development of the brain from birth, what you should be aiming for as a parent in supporting your child’s brain to develop, and what happens in your child’s brain when things get too much – in other words when they have a huge meltdown over something that seems so small and you are completely unable to figure out why! 

You’ll then look in more detail at your child’s feelings such as anger – how, when and why they experience certain feelings in a big way and why it’s important for you as a parent to keep your own feelings in check. You’ll also learn why ‘Time Out’ is NOT an effective strategy to use at these times. 

Then comes the practical bit – the next sections will help you to build up your parenting toolkit by focusing on ways to be with your children – playful, empathetic and connected and more mindful. 

You’ll look at: 

• why it’s important to play and how you can helpfully use play to manage tricky situations 

• how you can set boundaries and limits in a way that is firm but still keeps your relationship intact, and 

• how you can simplify family life and slow it right down but still keep your child entertained.

  
  

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• ********Bonus lecture*********

  Creating a calm space in your home.

  - What to have in your calm space.

  - How and when to use your calm space.

  - How to use the calm space as a way to model emotional regulation.  

Why take this course? 

We have run this course as a live workshop a number of times and the feedback we have had from parents is that it has been a revelation! They have told us that it has been a game-changer for them and it has literally transformed the way they think about their children, and the parenting approach they take. 

The saying is true – when you have a baby nobody gives you an accompanying manual with instructions. We hear this all the time from parents at our workshops, but they also say that if there was a manual then it should contain everything that is in this course! Not only that, but they have told us that they have enjoyed the course immensely because it has been presented in a clear and concise way but it has also been fun – we’re not stand-up comedians by any stretch of the imagination but we do like to keep people entertained!   

We know that family life can be hectic and not everybody has the time or means to come to a live workshop – if that’s the case in your household then this course is perfect for you. 

We truly believe that this course will make a difference for you and your child. But it is important to note that we're not offering a set of 'quick fix' strategies that will result in changes overnight. The approaches we advocate in this course do work, we know that for sure, but what they need to make them work is dedication and a commitment from you to doing things differently. We've said parenting isn't easy, and neither is making changes to how you do it. But if you're looking at a course like this then we think it's pretty safe to say you're the kind of parent who is willing to put the effort in to get to where you want to be on your parenting journey. And this is the course you need to help you do just that.  

But don’t just take our word for it, enroll now and see for yourself. 

• Develop effective strategies to minimise the problem behaviours.

• Help your child to manage their big feelings.

• Understand how your child's brain develops.