The Parent Space

boys aged 7 and 2

I’m so pleased we did this course. I knew when challenging situations were arising at home there must be a better way to deal with them for all concerned but did not know how! We both now feel we have a ‘tool kit’ to use and a result we are parenting in a more consistent, confident, patient and aligned way. The house is a calmer place. Thank you Natalie & Annika.

Father of 2 boys

Such valuable time, thank you so much Annika and Natalie. What could be more important than becoming better parents? It made me so happy, every technique you taught us, tools that we’ll have for life. You can’t put a value on it. Much more useful than renovating a house! I can’t thank you both enough. It was also lovely to do this together as a couple so we can both be more effective and united.

Parents of 3 daughters

Natalie and Annika were brilliant and we were given all the help that we needed. What we liked the most was the dedicated time that we had every week to focus on the job of parenting.

Parents of two boys and a girl

What an amazing course, it has changed everything in our family. It felt like a gift to be honest. We live now in a much happier household, we are able to communicate with our children the way we wanted to but couldn't seem to find the skills. There is much less shouting and much more laughing. Fantastic, thank you.

Mother of two

I would highly recommend the parenting course at the Parent Space. Both Annika and Natalie were amazing in delivering this course, it's very positive, interactive and fully comprehensive in looking at all areas to build your confidence and having a better relationship with your children.

Parents to three boys (aged 6, 4 and 1.5)

Where do we start? This was a wonderful course and we learnt so much from it. We saw a difference with the children immediately and as the course progressed. The household is a calmer place these days. As one of the other testimonials says, it really was like learning a new language to communicate with our children. The combination of small group meetings and the personal touch of a separate pre-group meeting and personal letter after session three is excellent. We have come away with a fantastic set of tools to help us with all issues. Every detail of the course has been well thought through and we can’t praise it highly enough. Thank you both so much.

Mother of two

I honestly feel revitalised from the parenting course. It is important to me to be the best possible parent I can but it can be so difficult to find the time to stop and take stock of what is working and what is not. Doing this with the expert guidance of Natalie and Annika was an absolute joy. The combination of their patient listening each week, the pre-group meeting and the personal letter after session three made me feel utterly understood – a rare pleasure.

It has been several weeks now since the course ended and there are many principles which have really stuck in my mind and I have been putting successfully into practice.

It has been such a nice feeling to handle those challenging situations that come up more calmly and confidently, and when Great Gran Betty (aged 91) thought our children displayed ‘model behaviour’ on a recent visit, little does she know the amount of planning and preparing that went on in the car on the way there!

Parents of two boys, 7 and 4

This was a fantastic, educational and often inspirational course which has done wonders to help us deal with the daily challenges we face in bringing up our two boys. We'd heard a bit about positive parenting techniques, but having the chance to work through them with Annika and Natalie week after week gave us a wonderful opportunity to really learn how to put them into practice.

Within the first week, we'd already started to notice dramatic changes in both our boys and in our own confidence in dealing with the more challenging aspects of their behaviour. The pace of the course meant we really got to grips in-depth with some of the key concepts that were being discussed, while Annika and Natalie were so skillful at helping us work with the practical examples we brought them. We cannot recommend this course enough.

Mother of two boys (aged 6 and 4)

From the first week of doing this course, we actually saw tangible results in terms of our children’s behaviour. As we learned how to praise them effectively, rather than with vague gushing phrases, they began to respond positively, wanting to earn more. Another key aspect of the course was learning to listen better to our children and my husband and I found ourselves much calmer when we took these lessons on board. While the course doesn’t in any way advocate a lax approach to discipline, it offers excellent models for setting limits and reducing reliance on material rewards and punishments.

We had been at our wits’ end having found our children increasingly impervious to the naughty step, removal of toys and threats of consequences. Yet by the end of the course we found these measures less necessary. It was like learning a new language to communicate with our children.
 
Natalie and Annika have pooled their enormous experience and expertise to create a course that is an excellent balance between teaching and discussion, covering a lot of useful ground while allowing participants time to raise their specific concerns. I think this course is a game changer in helping parents drastically reduce a lot of the angst of parenting and learn to enjoy being with their children again. Thanks so much to you both!

Father of 3 boys (ages 8, 6 and 3)

Learning new tips as parents is nothing to be afraid of - as parents, we don't know it all and there is something here for everyone. Signing up doesn't mean you're a "bad parent". It's just a recognition that investing time to build and maintain family harmony is worth doing. I cannot recommend Natalie and Annika highly enough - the perfect duo for the job.

Mother to Samuel (7) and Ollie (4)

“I really enjoyed the classes and have since used many of the strategies that we were taught to great effect.  I've seen a fantastic difference in many aspects of both my boys' behaviour.  My main concern was getting Ollie to sleep through the night and now he does!  It has changed our lives, my interactions with the boys are calmer and we're all much happier. Thank you for all your help. I couldn't recommend the classes enough.”

Mother of two

“Everyone could benefit from this group, it made me realise a lot of things I wasn’t expecting. It’s not just for people who have problems with their children, it’s a set of tools for all parents to use for big or small issues – more of a holisitic way of parenting. I don’t feel so overwhelmed by it all now and have a clear plan for how to move forward."

Mother of three

“The course has opened my eyes to more positive and helpful ways of managing and enjoying my children. I hadn’t realised that there was another way of parenting – that you don’t have to do things the way your parents did. The content and delivery of the course was great, I’d definitely recommend it.”

Mum of two

"I feel more equipped to manage situations without resorting to shouting and nagging - things are certainly calmer in our household. I’d recommend the course whether you’ve got particular issues that you’d like to address or whether you’d simply like some alternative ideas to assist your day-to-day parenting. I’ve definitely learnt to stop and think about how my behaviour and emotions affect my children and now have far more confidence in my parenting."

Mother of Layla and Arlo

"There was a warmth in the group that made talking much easier than I expected. I was a bit wary of being judged, but Natalie and Annika put me at ease and normalised my issues in a helpful way. I was hesitant about spending money on a parenting group but came away feeling it had been a really worthwhile investment. I'm so glad I did it and would definitely recommend it."

Mother of one

"Natalie and Annika created a very safe atmosphere in which to share issues about bringing up children. The techniques learned were very useful and they were able to relate them to individual circumstances. I particularly found it useful to understand how to allow my child some authority during play without it seeping into her wanting to be in charge all the time.  I also learned some great tools for diffusing potentially distressing situations which have been really useful.  Listening to other people's experiences also helped make me feel I wasn't alone in certain situations and hearing about their successes was really uplifting. By the same token though I now feel reassured to trust in my own instincts rather than feeling that it must be a fluke when things go well! I think everyone would benefit from this experience as parenting doesn't always come naturally and we could all use a little help."

Mother of two boys (6 and 4)

"Natalie and Annika’s professionalism, expertise and the fact that they are mothers themselves made me feel comfortable straight away. Everything we talked about in the group made so much sense and when I went home and put it into practice I was amazed at how quickly the boys responded and how much better I felt as a parent. Learning new parenting skills has been great but having a space to understand the cycles of behaviour I had got into and how I could make changes has been invaluable. The handouts are really useful too and a good resource for years to come. Thank you again."

Mother of two girls (8 and 3)

"I just wanted to say thank you. I really appreciate you taking time to put together and send over the extra advice re the biting. I will definitely be using it! I found the sessions really useful and I wish you both lots of success with the Parent Space."