PARENTS with children at six schools across the Island are to be offered a free parenting course.

The Department of Education and Children is running the course to assist parents and carers in their understanding of child development and behaviour management in the home.

There will be 10 sessions lasting 90 minutes which will take place over a 10 week period.

Education and Children Minister Eddie Teare MHK said: "Being a parent is the most important job of all and yet the only one we receive no training for. 

"It throws up all sorts of challenges and this course is designed to help parents understand how their child is developing and how to respond to these challenges."

The course is based on the Solihull Approach – devised by health visitors and psychotherapists in the West Midlands who worked with children that showed feeding, sleeping, toileting and behaviour difficulties.

The course will incorporate the concepts of containment, reciprocity and behaviour management.

He continued: "The Solihull Approach is well supported by evidence and is used by health visitors on the Isle of Man and also by The Children's Centre, but its delivery in schools is an exciting initiative.

"In a pilot at Ballaquayle Infants School, where parents attended a training course led by the nurture group team, the positive impact was felt across the school."

Parenting courses will be run at Auldyn Infants School, Victoria Road Primary School, Willaston Primary School, Murray's Road Junior School, Ramsey Grammar School and Ballakermeen High School.

Each course will start in September and more details will be made available to parents during the summer term. There will be a maximum of eight places on each course. 

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