Online programme: Getting It Right For Children

Most mums and dads want what’s best for their children whether they are together or apart. Very few set out to deliberately put their children in the middle when they separate, of course you don’t want to hurt them or put them under unnecessary stress. But as the emotional and practical realities of parenting after parting set in all too often it’s the children who get caught in the middle.

They may think their children aren’t being affected, aren’t struggling with being loyal to both parents, are happy to carry messages back and forth between mum and dad– but this is rarely the case.

Research shows when couples part there are inevitable disagreements and difficulties and children often become caught in the middle of parents’ arguments and this can be damaging.. whatever their age.

Of course both parents are hurt and angry and learning new ways of communicating with each other can be difficult especially in the early days. Or they are just too caught up with their own feelings to see what’s going on for the children. It’s not intentional but it happens.

Getting It Right For Children is a new online programme, specifically designed by One Plus One, to tackle the potential problems children can face when their parents separate. The course uses Behaviour Modelling Training techniques, which have proved very effective in helping people to break cycles of negative behaviour and do things differently.

Practitioners can signpost parents to the programme to do independently or may wish to use the course alongside face to face work with parents experiencing difficulties.

The programme is easy to use and is based on watching common scenarios.  Each scenario helps the user to understand the ways in which parents often without realising it involve their children in their difficulties with each other and shows how children can be affected.

After watching an alternative outcome, the user can watch the characters reflect on what happened in each case and how they feel about it.

They are then asked to identify the skills seen and to think about how they would practice using these skills in their own personal situation.

To help focus what has been learned on their own situation they’ll then set their own personal goals; specific things they want to change – that will help them communicate better with their exe and avoid putting children in the middle. There’s also a forum where users can share experiences and tips with one another.

The programme is easily accessible, engaging and has lots of practical tips and techniques, Getting it Right for Children When Parents Part is available free for any user – signing up is easy, and users can work through the course at their own pace depending on the time they have – complete one family at a time or all five in one session.

The programme can be found at theparentconnection.org.uk.