Power to Parent I : The Vital Connection
Sessions: 8
Lecture: 7h 54m
Certificate: 16+ hrs
200 CAD
In this flagship course of our Power to Parent series, Neufeld reveals that the keys to ease and effectiveness in parenting lies in the nature of the child's attachment to the parent, regardless of the age of the child. The course explores how this relationship is meant to develop, what can go wrong, why parents must matter more than peers, how to cultivate a context of connection, how to win back one's child if need be, and much more.
As is the case with all our courses, this course features lectures by Dr. Neufeld, carefully curated support for enriched study, study aides, the opportunity to ask questions of trained faculty or course facilitators, a year's access to the campus to enable study at one's own pace, and a certificate of attendance upon completion. For more information, consult the 'about our courses' page.
COURSE SUMMARY
The key to making sense of a child is to view them first and foremost through the lens of attachment. The secret to being naturally empowered as a parent lies in children, including adolescents, being in right relationship to their parents. The more difficult the child or the problems, the more this is true. It is this very relationship that is being eroded by cultural chaos, by competing attachments to peers, and by parenting practices that interfere with the development of attachment. To compensate for the loss of cultural wisdom we must become conscious of attachment and then parent with attachment in mind. This is the objective of this course. The only salvation for parenting today, that is truly natural and intuitive, is to know how best to work at attachment and let attachment do its best work for us.
SUITABILITY/APPLICABILITY
This course is suitable for both parents and professionals alike although it is addressed primarily to parents, with a focus on parenting. The material and principles discussed are applicable to children of all ages. The focus of this course is on everyday parenting and everyday problems but the material applies even more so to the more challenging scenarios and problems.
SAMPLE TOPICS
- why parents need the kind of natural power that only a child's attachment can provide
- a working model of attachment that is both intuitive and easy to implement
- what typically happens to our parenting when we feel powerless
- how to differentiate between inherent personality of a child and the attributes of attachment
- why today's popular separation-based discipline strategies are harmful to relationship and development
- how to recognize whether a child is well-attached and in right relationship with a parent
- common parenting practices that are neither attachment-safe nor developmentally friendly
- how to deal with resistance and oppositionality in children
- how to cultivate relationships that are deep and fulfilling and fruitful developmentally
- how to effectively handle tantrums and aggression in ways that do not strain the relationship or sabotage healthy development
COURSE OUTLINE
The course is structured into 8 sessions with each session including approximately an hour of instructional video from Dr. Neufeld.
- Session 1 - Why children need to be in right relationship to the adults responsible for them
In this session we reveal how attachments empower and the pitfalls of parenting without sufficient natural power. We also differentiate between power that is natural and contrived. - Session 2 - How a child`s relationship to a parent is meant to develop
Attachment takes time and conducive conditions to develop to full capacity. Discussed is what keeps a child from developing a deep attachment to the parent and what causes a child to back out of attachment. Some harmful parenting practices are exposed and better options presented. - Session 3 - How to harness the power of attachment
The focus of this session is how to cultivate a context of connection and how to best foster right relationship. Included are discussions on why we need to connect before we direct, how not to trip over incidents, and how to get an alpha child to relinquish control. - Session 4 - How to keep from losing a child to competing attachments
We as adults have unwittingly courted our competition when it comes to attachment, resulting in many children revolving around their peers instead of the adults responsible for them. In this session we also uncover the true meaning of shyness and how to create a viable working village of attachment. - Session 5 - How to preserve (or restore) the ties that empower
There could be nothing more important than knowing how to cultivate the kind of relationships that both empower the parent to fulfill their responsibility while at the same time providing the conditions that support healthy development. - Session 6 - How to deal with aggression without disrupting the connection
Aggression tends to be hard on relationships and so knowing how to deal with a child's attacking impulses without doing harm should be an essential part of any parent's repertoire. - Session 7 - How to deal with resistance without sabotaging the relationship
We typically don't do well with being resisted and opposed, despite how common this experience tends to be in parenting. Knowing how to handle it without crushing the child's will or harming their relationship with us, is one of the great challenges of parenting with attachment in mind. - Session 8 - How to use discipline that is attachment-safe and developmentally friendly
Imposing order is more challenging when disciplining oneself not to exploit a child's fears, or use what they care about against them, or crush the child's developing will. Seven effective strategies are presented which meet this challenge as well as preserve the dignity of all involved.
Inquiries
If you have questions or require additional information that you cannot find on our website or FAQ page, you may contact our office on our Inquiries page.
Charity & Non-Profit Status
The Neufeld Institute is a registered Canadian charitable organization under the name Neufeld Institute Foundation and is also registered as a NPO in British Columbia. If you would like to make a contribution to us, please go to our donation page.
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