Many parents find that in addition to support and services they receive from qualified mental wellness professionals, they wish that they could talk to another parent who has had similar experiences. When asked who is best able to support them emotionally, parents often identify other parents who can share their experiences.

1. Acceptance – For many parents, there has been at least one occasion where the parent has felt blamed or responsible because of the emotional and behavioral challenges their child is experiencing. It is often only other parents who are living with the same challenges that can truly make another parent feel accepted despite the difficulties they are experiencing.
2. Sense of belonging – For many parents, once they begin to share their experiences with other parents of children with mental health problems, they see that others ‘get it’ and they develop a sense of belonging that they may not have experienced before with other parents.
3. Understanding – Many parents may not get the kind of support and understanding from family and friends that they have gotten in the past for other challenges they have faced. This can sometimes come from other people’s lack of understanding of the situation, or their fear of what they are seeing happening to your child and your family. Parents in peer support often get a sense of relief because they don’t have to explain why their child is behaving the way they are or why, as parents of this child, you are tired all the time. The other parents just ‘get it.’
4. Marital support – For many parents, keeping their marriage strong is a real challenge given the strain and stress that comes with having children with social, emotional, mental wellness and academic problems. Parents often have no place to talk about these issues or to hear that others are experiencing the same challenges. Peer support groups can provide a space to share these experiences.
5. Time for self – For many parents, facing challenges with kids at home often means that there is very little time or resources available for themselves. Over a long period of time, it can become hard to pull back and allow some time for self. This can lead to burnout. A peer support group can help parents gain perspective and provide them with help and support.

1. Once a month a group of 8-10 parents gather either in a comfortable physical location or online, giving a sense of sabbatical with time to recharge, reflect, and sharpen ones focus on parenting
2. The peer advisory group begins with – Setting the stage for the day with a focus topic or parenting issue
3. Facilitated discussions for discovering positive parenting practices (may also include a guest speakers who are noted experts on the subject)
4. Delving into one member’s issue – this is at the core of the time together as we take a key parenting issue of one of the members is facing and building a framework for a path to resolution. It could also be that there could be more than one member needing urgent support, in such cases the group may take up more than one issue to be discussed.
5. Discernment for one another – each member sharing an issue to be taken up for offline and group meeting
6. Buddying to encourage and support each other in the implementation of solutions discussed in meeting

A Parenting PAGE member is a parent or family leader who has formally joined and is now taking advantage of some of our facilitation services and peer learning methods and resources.

Answer these questions

1. Are you a parent (single or otherwise/foster), caretaker, elder, teacher, or anyone who is responsible for supporting, guiding or caring for children?
2. Do you sometimes feel lonely in the process of fulfilling your parenting or caretaker role and its challenges, and wished that you could well use someone as a sounding board?
3. Do you have a confidential place to learn and share your parenting, family, relationship, personal and wellness challenges and successes with other like-minded parents?
4. Would a regular exchange of positive parenting practices bring value to you, your children and your family relationships?
5. Do you have a peer advisory group (or like-minded leaders) committed to journey with you for the long run as you serve your family, your children and community?
6. Do you have strategies to handle tough issues with children, their educators, and other family members, including your marital relationships?

If the answer is yes to many of these questions, you are likely a good fit.

• Do you feel alone sometimes as you make important decisions about your children, marital relationships, and family by not having a close confidante to support you?
• Do you desire to get connected to other parents you could count on for reliable counsel for business decisions?
• Do you recognize the value of making yourself vulnerable to the accountability of others as you act upon your long term positive parenting goals?
• Do you do an effective job of sharing your thoughts and ideas within the sphere of influence you operate within?
• Do you regularly focus and work on the daily needs and challenges that come with your role as a parent?
• Do you see the value of having a confidential place to turn for open dialogue around challenges you face as a parent?

• It’s a unique environment where 8-10 parents, care takers meet monthly to share and learn about positive parenting, without neglecting their primary responsibilities towards their, family and more importantly personal growth.
• It’s led by a seasoned facilitator who has vast experience in facilitating group meetings.
• The long term objective is to help parents and family leaders grow and become positive parents
• It creates an environment of confidentiality, trust, friendship, mutual support and long term accountability….like having your own personal board of advisors.