The Parenting Course
No one is ever fully prepared for the arrival of their first child. We are ushered into this new world called parenting and soon realise that children don’t arrive with instruction manuals. We learn on the job and are reminded frequently (by those who have gone before us) that there is no job more important than parenting.
However, at the same time we are faced with endless lists of choices about how to effectively raise our children. The pressure is real. Discovering that we are not alone in the challenges we face and hearing from other parents' experiences can be reassuring and freeing.
So for that reason, I decided to host The Parenting Children’s Course as part of Redcross Church. I am a parent of four primary school aged children and was keen to support other parents in the same stage of life. It was a wonderfully positive experience for me as a host but also the feedback from participants was so encouraging. We met each Friday morning for five weeks in my home after school drop off and enjoyed some great coffee and cake together. Children were our common ground, and the atmosphere was relaxed and open right from the get go. What I love about the TPCC is that it brings people into a faith environment and while based on Christian principles is designed for both Christian and non- families. Nicky and Sila talk about their Christian faith in the most natural way and I found almost immediately it opened up conversations about faith , family and God.
The course is a combination of video presentation, advice from professional experts in the field of parenting and interviews with other parents and children. We had plenty of time in small group discussion between video presentations to share our own ideas and experiences.
It really was an incredibly easy course to host, probably because all the work has been done for you. Most importantly it enabled me to talk gently about my faith and the importance of God being at the centre of our parenting and sharing that God really does “keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in him”
Ultimately to know the God who loves our children and has a purpose for them is life changing. We move from parenting in fear to parenting in faith; trusting God with our children in all circumstances and developing a confidence that with His help we can raise happy healthy children. This is the most effective parenting skill of all.
Written by Emily Morrissey.
Emily is Alpha Ireland’s Church & Digital Administrator. You can discuss all of these ideas for building a team with her by booking a free one-on-one coaching call.