Workshop for Parents: How to Support your Child Navigate Big Over-whelming Emotions

Dear Parents, Caregivers, Teachers,

I am delighted to announced the second day-long workshop for Parents on How to Support your Child Navigate Big Over-whelming Emotions to take place in the beautiful and tranquil space of the Margaret Aylward Centre, on the grounds of the Holy Faith Secondary School, Glasnevin, Dublin 11.

Following from previous workshops I have run with parents on how to best support their children navigate Anxiety, much of the feedback has primarily focused on a request to explore more strategies for how best to support their children when their emotional experiences become over-whelming.

In a response to this feedback, in this workshop we will spend time looking at practical strategies in terms of approaching the here and now of Big emotions, as well as more subtle relationship-building approaches, through a mix of discussion, interactive exercises and mindful practices.

Additional Information: 

So much of the time, us humans tend to struggle with big emotions, such as anger, sadness, confusion, anxiety, frustration, disappointment and even excitement. Or a mix of these big feelings. A lot of the time we don’t know what emotions we are feeling, we just know that they are big, over-whelming and very, very difficult to be OK with.

At times our emotions seem so big that they tend to take over, and we struggle to know how to express them, or what to do with them in a way that doesn’t create more difficulties.  This is can be true for both children and their parents, and often a complex dynamic can be created between parent and child, which often can lead to even more difficult emotions.  In my experience, parents often feel both responsible for trying to know what to do when their children experience big and difficult emotions, AND powerless in knowing what to do with their own big and difficult emotions. These difficulties often result in parents (and their children) feeling stuck and disempowered, not knowing how to proceed or where to seek support.

This workshop offers parents a mix of practical and mindful ways to explore how they can best support their children when big overwhelming emotions take over and colour so much of their experiences. We will explore evidence-based approaches that have been shown to be effective in empowering parents to better understand emotions in children and how best to support and be present with their children when they are experiencing big emotions.

Themes and evidence-based approaches we will explore (in a non-judgemental and supportive way) will include:

• A framework for how we can better understand big emotions in our children and ourselves and how thoughts, emotions and behaviours all interact
• Developing a language for emotions that promotes more effective understanding and expression of our big feelings
• Practical tips for parents to learn more about the build-up and stages of big emotions, and strategies for how best to work with these stages with our children
• Strengthening our relationships with our children: repairing difficult situations and creating more space, understanding and growth in our relating
• How we can support our children to approach common difficulties from a fresh, empowered place
• How we can care for ourselves more as parents, and be OK with our own big emotions
• Time to reflect on our strengths as parents, and (if we can) celebrate all the ways in which we are already supporting our children’s emotional development and well-being

We will weave a mindfulness approach into each theme we explore, including mindfulness-based practises that parents can adapt and introduce their children to.

Fee includes light refreshments and hand-outs.
Who is it for?

Parents of primary school-aged children (4 to 13 years)*

It is for parents who are seeking a fresh and effective way to tap into their wisdom about how to support their children with the very human experience of navigating Big and Difficult emotions. It is for those who would like to take some time to stop, pause and draw a breath – away from the busy-ness of everyday life – so that they can feel more empowered in being a parent, for themselves and for their children.

*The content of the group is designed for parents of children who are considered to be ‘typically developing’. If your child has a diagnosis of an intellectual disability or Autistic Spectrum Disorder please note that while much of the content may be applicable to you and your child’s situation, there may be aspects to what we explore that may need to be adapted to best suit you and your child’s way of being.

When:

Saturday September 28th, 10 am to 5 pm

Where:

The Margaret Aylward Centre for Faith and Dialogue, Old Finglas Rd, Glasnevin Dublin 11,  D11 TC21, https://www.margaretaylwardcentre.ie/

It will take place in the beautiful and restful environment of the Margaret Aylward Centre on the grounds of  the Holy Faith Secondary School on the Old Finglas Rd, Glasnevin. The centre is surrounded by expansive grounds, where there is a Mindful Walking trail for anyone who would like to spend time in the peaceful surrounds.

There is free parking on site.

Cost:

Early Bird rate, book by 10/9/19: 93 euro plus booking fee

After 10/9/19: 100 euro plus booking Fee

Includes light refreshments, hand-outs; free parking on-site

Online booking on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/how-to-supoprt-your-child-to-navigate-big-over-whelming-emotions-tickets-62046194839

or : http://juliemeehan.com/workshops

All queries welcome via email or call 087 2035423