We have now run nine Parent Gym programmes. The impact of the course can be seen with improved behaviour of the children in school. We hope to continue to work with Parent Gym for a very long time.
It changed some of my parents' lives for the better and they also reconnected with their children. Definitely, 100% run the courses. Parent Gym is vital and all parents should be doing it! You learn so much and better yourself as well as your family!
Parents reported they felt confident in parenting their children when it came to implementing strategies for behaviour. One parent said "I've learnt how to love and respect my child. This I never had as a child myself which made it difficult for me to show love and affection. I now love and cherish every moment I have and feel empowered." Parents are telling other parents within the school community about the programme and the impact it has had. Teachers have reported children whose parents attend the course are presenting calm and increased sustained concentration. Parents are also eager to become involved with their child's education.
I loved the sessions, the impact and reaction from parents as they shared their experiences - and there were some real breakthrough moments when parents supported each other, displayed deep levels of empathy and made each other believe that their parenting challenges and struggles were shared and appreciated. During ‘mission feedback’, I was amazed at the effort put in by our parents and the impact on their family life in either small or huge ways. This gave me such pleasure and satisfaction to know that Parent Gym had actually touched someone's home and family life week on week... Parent Gym is a fantastic programme which we will continue to deliver here as part of our commitment to supporting families.
We have been running Parent Gym at Kensington for a number of years now. The programme has transformed the lives of countless families. The approach is clear and well-structured. Training for my staff has been excellent. We have found it to have greater impact than ... other programmes aimed at supporting parents. If you are looking to target hard-to-reach parents and want to make a difference for them and their children, this approach is definitely worth investigating further.
Click here to read a Teach Primary article which mentions the impact of Parent Gym on the school
The Parent Gym programme is presented in an accessible, positive way that is quite unlike most school-based interventions. As a result, we have a stronger parent community, in which families are confident and able to support their children’s learning and wellbeing.
I love Parent Gym and it’s the highlight of my week when I am delivering it.
I love delivering this programme. The feedback from parents who have taken part has been very positive and encouraging to other parents. 100% of them have felt that they and their children have benefited from taking part.
Parent Gym has been a great success in our school. All of the parents who joined on the first week, completed the full programme, it was wonderful that there were no drop outs part way through. Vicky, the coach, was great - very organised and approachable. She clearly built up a good rapport with the parents. The parents who attended reported to have learned a lot, and made good friends along the way. They will be meeting monthly to keep in touch and talk about what they learned through Parent Gym. We would recommend the programme to other schools, it's a great way to bring parents together and support them in parenting their children.
