Children better behaved after parenting course

EIGHTY percent of children whose parents had attended a community parenting programme displayed a “substantial improvement” in their behaviour and schooling six months on.

The research on Dublin parents found parental stress levels and mental health problems dropped significantly – with a reduced need to access medical and mental health services.

Archways Ltd which run the ‘Incredible Years’ programmes in Dublin, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Louth, Cork and Dundalk is calling on the Government to consider making such a preventative programme freely available to all parents, just as antenatal classes are offered to pregnant women and their partners.