LEARNING
“ Learning at the Parent House works because of the way that learning in a group can offer a space for self-awareness, for building confidence and developing skills that then allow for a different perspective and often improved life chances. This process starts with parents realising that they are not alone; they hear other parents share similar issues and go on to plan their own individual route out of isolation.”
Linda, former tutor
When people have children at a young age they may feel that they have missed out on education. Some never liked school and did not achieve as they could have, while others seeing their children learning another language, computing or basic skills, believe that it is too late for them. They feel they have missed their chance.
Parents come to the Parent House looking for learning for a variety of reasons: some want to learn how to help their children at school, others have ambitions for their futures or just want to learn something new for themselves.
The story below is fictional but based on various conversations we have had with parents. It is used to illustrate how we work. This parent, who we called Tosin, took up a course which allowed him to discover his abilities and to learn new skills. He saw an opportunity for a new career. His success with the learning he was involved in led to improvement in his wellbeing and opened up a new opportunity.
Tosin
Tosin came in because his wife told him about the group she was involved in at the Parent House. He was frustrated in his job in a local supermarket. The hours were bad and the pay was poor. In addition he felt that he could be doing something more worthwhile. We talked to Tosin about his skills and aptitudes. It was clear from the conversation that he really enjoyed spending time with his children, so we suggested he could think about developing his skills with a possible future as a classroom assistant in a local school. He successfully completed the ‘Preparing to Work with Children in Schools’ course and followed this with some volunteering in a local school. He found he was particularly good with children with Special Needs and this inspired him to look for a post in a Special school. Tosin had never thought he could use his natural ability to engage with children to develop a career for himself. He is excited about the future. The Parent House is now working with him on compiling his CV and supporting his job applications.