Triple P parenting course

[tanfastic]

Hi there
Has anybody completed this course?
We were having some problems with DS 4 at the beginning of the year with violent tantrums and our HV suggested the Triple P course as we'd tried all other techniques, read a million books etc. etc.

To be perfectly honest we were sceptical about it all. My sister who is a teaching assistant with boys DS age said it wasn't for us in her opinion. She thinks DS is maybe somewhere on the autistic spectrum for something quite mild. He also suffers terribly with a stammer. We think it's all connected with his behaviour. As it happens he's been fantastic since we saw the HV, hardly any problems and we've also cut him a bit of slack. His behaviour is worse when his stammer is bad so there is also a link there.

Anyway as it happens we can't go on it as it is every Wednesday afternoon for the next God knows how many weeks. For some reason they don't do it on a weekend or an evening. The bloke that runs it said it's because most people that attend don't work. It's just impossible with us both working. My boss wouldn't be that accommodating and DH is in the police and works shifts so we've had to cancel it.

I just wondered whether anybody has done this course and if so did they think it was beneficial and did they learn anything?

I used to deliver the course.

My honest opinion?

The techniques do work. But the course itself is very time consuming and prescriptive. It's based on a lot of research though.

The basis is good - focus on the positives of your child, be prepared for danger situtions, ie if there is a trigger like supermarket shopping have a plan and offer a reward for good behavious, try to focus on rewarding good behaviour and not punishing bad.

I have however delivered several parenting programmes and there is benefit in each of them. Sometimes just getting together with other parents and the support from that helps a lot - a bit like MN in a room