Opinion

‘The three things parents have told us about parenting classes’

How can parenting programmes be made appealing and accessible to all parents as part of the Government's Family Hubs drive? Matt Buttery explores the challenges and solutions.
'Parents view parenting as the most important job they will ever do.'
'Parents view parenting as the most important job they will ever do.'

In October last year, the early years sector was handed an exciting opportunity to transform the lives of millions of families. Announcing £500 million to boost support for babies, children and families, the Government will fund 75 areas to develop Family Hubs offering a range of services, including parenting classes.

At Triple P, we offer independent parenting advice and support – including practitioner delivered interventions in-person and parent self-directed programmes online.

In various local areas across the country, Triple P is offered free to parents. But that doesn't automatically mean, of course, that every parent will take it up. There are many reasons parents feel apprehensive, and hesitate to ask for help when they need it. And, with almost one in two parents saying their child's mental health has been impacted by the pandemic, it is more important than ever to make evidence-based parenting guidance and support the norm. With this huge opportunity on the horizon, we’ve spent the last few months speaking directly to parents to find out how we can make Family Hubs an invaluable resource - and we hope the insights will be of benefit to all early years practitioners and providers.

Capture new parents straight after antenatal classes
Parents spoke positively of their experiences of antenatal classes and the tips and guidance they received during that crucial period. More than that, they formed a bond with other parents and found they had somewhere to turn after the baby was born. However, as one parent put it to us, ‘after that, you’re on your own.’ That’s despite the other programmes available as a natural next step to antenatal classes - but a number of parents said they would ‘feel judged if they had to access external services’. The more parenting classes are promoted as the ‘the thing you do’ after antenatal classes, the more we can destigmatize valuable sources of help.

Fit around busy lifestyles
Committing to a long-term, in-person programme was another concern for parents. The one thing the pandemic taught us was that programmes could be delivered online – both remotely and as a parent self-directed offer, leading us to adapt our services to make them readily available and easy to access. We know that the early years funding will look to support programmes that are not just in-person but digitally accessible too, and parents told us that a trusted online source would be really valuable. They cited the digital world as being useful, but not always trustworthy, particularly unsubstantiated sources. As one parent put it, they would look to use ‘a resource with some validity’. Family Hub practitioners will be crucial in pointing parents to effective digital solutions offered by trusted and credible sources.

A mix of evidence and experience
A majority of parents really responded to services like ours that are backed by decades of research and evidence. But what really made that evidence and research sing was the endorsement of real-life experience. One mum of three told us, ‘I am always about the evidence, but I want to know that it has worked for other parents - it's important to know it works before you give your time to it.’ It’s a difficult balance to strike - but knowing that a service designed by parents is also strongly evidence-based was something parents really welcomed. In a Family Hub setting, the guidance and empathy of experienced practitioners coupled with the support of other parents, will no doubt boost parents confidence.

Time and again we heard parents tell us that being a mum or dad was the most important job they would ever do. They didn’t want to feel like a failure, and the way a support service communicated itself to them was crucial to overcoming that. For most parents the concept of a parenting programme wasn’t the daunting part - it was how others might judge them that was the real concern. If the Government wants to see Family Hubs thrive, and more parents take up the services offered, they need to make destigmatizing parenting services a delivery requirement.

Lighter-touch services that address common parenting challenges help to instigate a relationship with parents, building trust.  We know that the more a parent trusts a service, the more likely they are to engage and even to return if they encounter more challenging problems as their child grows.  Targeting parents of new-borns, with both universal and more intensive support, is the perfect way to kickstart a relationship that will stay with parents every step of the way.

The early years funding has been excellent and encouraging news - but it will only realise its full value if parents are confident to step through the door. Our research has taught us so much about the language and outreach that would make a difference to uptake - and we hope we can share more of these insights with successful Family Hub areas as they are announced. Triple P can be a major partner both online and in-person through the new Hubs. Our system of over 28 evidence-based programmes has something to offer every parent, and we are excited to play a major part in the wider cultural shift towards destigmatising and normalising access to evidence-based parenting programmes.

Find out more about Tripe P here