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Family Life and Being a Parent

Parenting styles and good parenting give our children the best chance in life, helping children to become resilient and cope with stresses and challenges in life in a positive way.  Through good parenting we can help our children build their capabilities, but how?  You will find lots of information on this page, from information to on-line course and community activities, and opportunities to volunteer and help other parents.

Useful Websites

Parenting. Give it time.

Parenting. Give it time. is a Welsh Government initiative providing free practical tips and expert advice for all your parenting challenges.

Parenting. Give it time.

parenting give it time

Every Child Wales

‘Every child in Wales has the right to the very best start in life and to help them along the way, Public Health Wales has launched Every Child Wales.

This website is full of ideas to help you give your child a healthy and happy future.’

Every Child Wales

Talk with me

The Welsh Government's latest campaign 'Talk with me' is designed to support parents with helpful tips, advice, and resources to get their children (between 0-5 years old) talking.

Talk with me

Talk with me

Best Start Hub - Preconception, Pregnancy, Early Years and Family

The Best Start Hub provides useful information, advice and support for you and your family - from the stages of planning your pregnancy through to your baby’s early years and beyond.

Best Start Hub

Courses and groups for parents

Below is a list of courses and groups offered by the Flintshire Early Years and Childcare Team

Courses and groups offered by the Flintshire Early Years and Childcare Team

Solihull Antental

Journey to Parenthood. Understanding pregnancy, labour, birth and your baby.

Sessions will cover:

  • helping you and your baby through pregnancy and birth including relaxation;
  • getting to know your baby in the womb;
  • you, your baby and the stages of labour;
  • helping you and your baby through the pregnancy; and
  • feeding your baby.

Solihull Antenatal is covered over 5 weeks for mothers to be, their partners, other family members and those who will be present at birth.

Baby Massage

Learn basic massage strokes and enjoy some special time to communicate with your baby, so they feel loved, valued and respected.

Benefits can include:

  • helps to make your baby relaxed and sleep longer;
  • reduce crying and emotional distress;
  • relief from wind, colic, constipation and teething discomfort;
  • supports bonding and attachment; and
  • gain an understanding of your baby’s behaviour, crying and body language.

Baby massage is covered over 5 sessions.

Come and Cook

Learn about nutrition and develop your cooking skills in a fun and hands on way.

Sessions will cover:

  • food hygiene and safety;
  • a guide to eating well;
  • understanding fats, sugar, salt & fibre;
  • understanding food labels;
  • adapting recipes and planning a menu; and
  • eating healthily on a budget.

Come and Cook is covered in 6 sessions.

Family Links Nurturing Programme

Children are rewarding, stimulating and fun, but looking after them can sometimes be challenging.

Sessions will cover:

  • understand your child’s behaviour;
  • recognise the feelings behind behaviour;
  • explore different approaches to positive family relationships;
  • develop your child’s co-operation; and
  • the importance of looking after yourselves.

Family Links Nurturing is covered over 10 sessions.

GroBrain Baby

Learn how your baby’s brain develops and how you can help your baby’s brain ‘wire up’ and make new connections to build a solid foundation Children with solid foundations will have a head start in life

Sessions will cover:

  • brain development;
  • bonding and attachment;
  • tuning into your babies signals and cries;
  • managing cries and distress;
  • baby talk, reading and play; and
  • emotional wellbeing for parents.

Pre-birth – 12 months

GroBrain Baby is covered over 4 sessions.

GroBrain Toddler

Learn how your child’s brain develops and how you can help your child’s brain‘wire up’ and make new connections to build a solid foundation. Learn how you can help your child understand their feelings and manage their behaviours in an emotionally healthy way.

Sessions will cover:

  • the importance of the early years;
  • toddler brain development;
  • attachment and emotional development;
  • helping toddlers manage their behaviours;
  • communication, play and school readiness; and
  • emotional well-being for parents.

1 – 3 years

GroBrain Toddler is covered over 6 sessions.

Let’s Talk with Under 5s

Fun, interactive sessions to learn how to help your child develop their ability to understand, listen and talk.

Sessions will cover:

  • what is communication, and the skills that are needed?;
  • learn how to help your child develop his/her talking;
  • understand how to interact with your child at the appropriate level; and
  • understand the link between play and language.

Let’s Talk with Under 5s is covered over 7 sessions.

Let’s Talk with Your Baby

From ages 3 – 12 months.

Sessions will cover:

  • looking, eye contact and shared attention;
  • feeling and exploring textures;
  • making a noise, singing and enjoying music;
  • water play;
  • turn taking; and
  • exploring and moving.

Let’s Talk with Your Baby is covered over 7 sessions.

Playful Parenting

Fun sessions to highlight the importance of play and of building attachment through play.

Sessions will cover:

  • understanding child development;
  • understanding Brain development and attachment; and
  • understanding how play supports healthy development.

Playful Parenting is covered over 2 sessions.

STEPS

Unlocking your potential and building confidence.

Sessions will cover:

  • taking a fresh look at life;
  • showing how much you’re capable of achieving;
  • giving you the tools to make it happen; and
  • helping you realise life is full of opportunities and how you can pursue themwith confidence.

STEPS is covered over 12 sessions.

You can express interest in these courses below. Availability is limited, so your place is not guaranteed.

Register your interest

Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities (EPEC)

Empowering Parents Empowering Communities (EPEC) is a community-based project providing parenting groups that are led by local parents, called Parent Group Leaders (PGLs). The parents who lead the groups have previously taken part in an EPEC group or another parenting group and have undertaken the ten-week EPEC Parent Group Leader training.

EPEC groups include research and practical skills to help families and their children. Through our groups, parents learn a range of positive parenting skills, support with understanding children’s feelings, effective parent-child communication and build better, more resilient family relationships.

Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities

Empowering Parents Empowering Communities

Solihull Approach Programmes

  • Online courses for parents & parents-to-be
  • Free for North Wales parents, grandparents and carers - apply access code NWSOL for a 100% discount!
  • From bump to 19 years, lifetime access
  • Go to the inourplace website
  • Fill in some details to create an account.

Solihull Approach

Solihull Programmes

OnePlusOne

OnePlusOne programmes help you with advice and support in strengthening your relationships and to manage conflict better.

OnePlusOne

Toilet Training