Being a parent is hard, and it’s even harder when your child doesn’t conform to what everyone else expects. Perhaps their behaviour is very different to others their age, or perhaps they really struggle to learn the things that other children are learning. You are always on high alert, waiting for things to go wrong. It’s easy to feel that as their parent, you aren’t getting it right.
It’s one of the ironies of parenting that we tend to judge a parent by their child’s behaviour. It means that those parents who have the easiest-to-manage children tend to think of themselves as the most competent parents, whilst those who are doing the hardest job tend to think of themselves as inadequate. It means that a lot of the parenting advice out there can miss the mark, because it’s clear that those giving it just don’t know how tough things can be.
Our parenting courses and webinars are down-to-earth, realistic but also hopeful. We acknowledge how hard things can be, and what a difficult and unappreciated job you are doing – and hopefully give you some ideas to find a new way forward.
This book will help you to understand what burnout is, how you got there and what you can do to get back to a life you enjoy.
Some children just haven't read the parenting books. The harder you try, the worse it gets. There's a hidden contract at the heart of parenting. It's the idea that if parents just get it right, their children can be made to do what they want.
If you are a parent worrying whether self-directed education will work for your child, because you have been told that they have special needs which can only be met in the school system - think again. Neurodivergent children experience and interact with the world differently to many of their peers.
Children are born full of curiosity, eager to participate in the world. They learn as they live, with enthusiasm and joy. Then we send them to school. We stop them from playing and actively exploring their interests, telling them it's more important to sit still and listen.
Dr Naomi Fisher will explain how PTSD affects autistic children and what parents can do to help.
Come and find out about Education Other Than At School from an educational psychologist
Dr Naomi Fisher discusses the psychology of demand avoidant anxiety in teenagers and explains how parents can help.
Dr Naomi Fisher will explain how OCD and how it interacts with autism. She'll show you ways to help your child escape the OCD trap.