A short online course, including
a one hour bespoke 1-1 coaching session with Elaine Halligan.
Arranged at your convenience.
Start today.
Is this you?
The breakdown of a relationship is a time of heightened emotion and on top of your own distress you may be very concerned about how to support your children's needs.
You may be doubting if you're doing enough to bolster your children emotionally.
You may worry about how to explain that you are no longer together and how to answer their questions.
You may be feeling that moving forward with your life seems a distant dream and that life will never be the same.
You or your ex may be forming new relationships and it may be difficult for your children to adapt.
You may be feeling exhausted and frustrated with the lack of effective communication between you and your ex.
The Reality?
" It's not divorce that harms children, but conflict."
Every year in Britain around 280,000 children experience parental separation ( What about me report : FSG 2020)
Family separation is always a stressful experience for children and teens in the short term, but the long term impact on them is determined by the level of conflict they witness before, during and after parental separation.
It's normal for it to take about 2 years for children and teens to adjust to family separation. The higher the levels of conflict, the harder it is for children to adjust, and the longer the ripple effects continue for poor outcomes e.g. anxiety, depression, academic failure, substance abuse, peer problems and adversely impacts brain development.
Patterns of conflict by be passed on to the next generation.
If you can reduce inter-parental conflict, there are many positive long term outcomes. (Interparental Conflict and Family separation Prof Gordon Harold, Cambridge University)
One of the primary reason for children being referred to counselling is due to the effects of family separation. ( Fegans 2020).
Is this how you're feeling?
You may feel guilty that you have created a situation where your child may be hurt
You may worry about how your child will cope with the great changes and loss
You may feel overwhelmed and exhausted, worried that you don’t have energy for the children and don’t know what to do to change things
You may feel that the arguments and the lack of consistency between you and your ex is damaging and confusing for the children
You may worry you’re failing as a parent and that your children will suffer.
You’ve tried to tackle all of this and make things better, but parenting apart is soo complicated, and you’re not doing it in a bubble. Life is busy. You have a lot on your plate and a lot of demands on your time.
So, what's the answer?
- Stay as you are, having good days and bad days, struggling along through the stress of bringing up children, trying to co-parent.
- Or is it time to find another way to work together in partnership with your ex to ensure your children not just survive but thrive in this new world.
- How would things be different if you knew how to collaborate with your ex to help your children flourish?
Imagine a calmer and happier home life as ....
- You help your children make sense of what is happening in their world and in the process they become emotionally aware and they learn that they can cope with challenges
- You provide the security and certainty they need to weather the current storm and to flourish in the future
- Your stress levels subside and you can focus on the needs of both yourself and the children
- Your communication with your ex improves so that you can effectively co-parent
- Both parents and extended families remain a positive force in the children’s lives.
Introducing the Parenting after Parting course
A three module online e-learning course with a sixty minute bespoke coaching session with Elaine Halligan.
The course notes and videos are accessible from the time you sign up, so you don't have to wait.
The Parenting After Parting online course has the advantage of being easily accessible, very flexible and avoids the necessity of travelling or booking childcare.
The course is designed for parents to draw specific attention to the impact of divorce and separation on their children.
Together with the bespoke coaching session, it's an ideal way to prepare yourselves and the children for the various changes ahead.
Here's the course content
Week 1 - Where you are now
· Understanding where you are now: The emotional process of divorce
· How to help kids deal with their experiences
Result: Understanding of the grieving process, compassion for yourself and your children and clearer insights about how to help
Week 2 – What kids need from the adults:
· At different ages and developmental stages
· How to listen to children and help them express their emotions.
Result: Practical strategies for helping children transition through a difficult time
Week 3 – Rules, Descriptive Praise and Moving Forward
· How to talk to children and set boundaries
- Understanding the legal processes
· How to be successful with new relationships, dating and stepfamilies.
Result: Hope for the future.
Course Content
- Module 1 : Part 1 -The emotional process of divorce Video (33:33)
- Module 1 Part 1 Powerpoint slides
- Module 1 : Part 2 -How to help kids deal with their experiences video (24:11)
- Module 1 Part 2 Powerpoint slides
- Module 1 worksheet -Looking after yourself
- "What about me" video of children's voices (2:59)
- Q and A -ask here
Course Resources
- A short e-learning course, made up of 3 modules and six videos, you can access at any time.
- A bespoke 60 minute coaching session with Elaine Halligan from The Parent Practice.
- Parenting After Parting Handout.
- Share the Care Parenting Plan.
- Additional Parenting resources on a variety of topics from how to help children be more confident, to developing emotional intelligence, to navigating anxiety, to making rules and boundaries that work ......and much more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should both parents do the course together?
If communication is good, and there is no high conflict, you are welcome to do the course and the coaching session together.
However most separating couples find the process so very stressful, and it may be better to do the course and coaching separately, so each of you has your own safe space to learn.
How do I arrange my bespoke coaching session?
Click on the link below to see Elaine's Diary availability then email [email protected] to book your session.
How long do I have access for?
The content of the course is available to you for 12 months from the date of purchase.
If I have a specific question to ask, can I contact you?
You can ask questions in the comments section under each module of the course. Your question is posted openly, so everyone who does the course benefits from my response. If you need a confidential response, you will need to book a bespoke parent session.
I am unable to answer questions via email.
How much are your coaching sessions if I feel I want more support?
The coaching sessions are £240 for 60 minutes, but you have an initial one included in this Parenting After Parting course.
Are You Ready to fill up your parenting toolkit and .......
- For your children to feel heard and understood
- To help your children develop resilience, as they learn, that with support, they can cope with challenges and life's knocks
- For you to make the most of the changes in your family, to create stable routines and structures and develop new positive parenting practices
- To help reduce any conflict and learn tips for more effective communication with your ex.
Dad, Javid K, says
The course has helped me to better understand the effects of separation and divorce on my children. I learned a lot from the discussion within our group that followed. I also saw that there are many people going through similar issues to me. The session where we talked about age specific problems for children was insightful. Thank you for making something positive for all of us ‘parted parents’.
PAP Graduate Spring 2020
Read Mary F's story,
mum of 2 boys,
4 years post divorce
I am so pleased that I did the Parenting after Parting course. I separated from my now ex-husband over four years ago and at that time, looked at various books and online resources to do with co-parenting and supporting children with divorce. They were helpful in addressing issues at that point but it would have been even better to have Elaine there to teach, guide and advise in a more personal way.
There is so much going on when you are newly separated - getting used to being a single parent, dealing with the divorce process and all the emotions and stress that come with it. Having a safe pair of hands to help navigate the choppy waters at that time would have saved me a lot of time and worry about learning how to co-parent effectively and crucially, how to best support my children through such a difficult time.
However, doing the the Parenting after Parting course a few years into divorce has also been incredibly useful. I have had more time and emotional capacity to reflect on what the course covers, take it on board and start applying it in practice. It has given me new tools to help my children as they continue to process emotions to do with divorce and have different questions and challenges around it now some time has passed and they are a bit older. It was also great meeting other parents in the same boat and feeling that you and your children are not alone in dealing with some of the harder aspects of being a separated family.
Elaine is clearly excellent at what she does - no co-parenting challenge phases her and she offers sensible, practical solutions that take account of the needs of everyone in the family. Elaine is extremely kind, understanding, non-judgemental and reassuring and creates a course environment that feels very safe and supportive.
They say it can take a village to raise a child but I have found it can also take the same to get through a divorce. I am incredibly pleased and thankful that I found Elaine to join the “village" around my family. This course has taken away so much of my stress and worry about how divorce might impact my children and made my day to day life easier with co-parenting - both are worth their weight in gold!
Mum, Isobel, with 18 year old son
I feel like I really got what I needed in this short three module course. I am at the start of my separation process and the course gave me invaluable practical advice.It was useful to put my own story in perspective by listening to others, and good to be encouraged to put myself in the shoes of my son, as well as be reminded of impactful parenting techniques. Thank you”
PAP Graduate Spring 2022
Looking for more support?
It's really important to me to make parenting support available to everybody, whether you are parenting together or apart.
If you're keen to explore more, why not start with the 30 day to Positive Parenting Course?
And if you want more bespoke support, book a parent support session with me here https://go.oncehub.com/ElaineHalligan