Is it too late to regain control of our kids?
Lola Borg went to parenting classes and found that some techniques worked on her husband too…

There wasn’t one single event that made me realise things had to change in my house. Rather, it was the accumulation of too many little scenarios that felt horribly wrong.

I knew that underneath the surly, moody exteriors, my children – Frankie, 16 and Mary, 12 – were quite nice, but it was getting harder to feel any rush of affection for two lumps who were always hunkered down in front of The Simpsons and did nothing to help. They argued constantly and I was exasperated at having to referee. “Will you two stop shouting!” I frequently screeched. And yes, the irony did pass me by....

Click here to read the rest of the article, which was published in the January 2009 issue of Woman and Home.

Mum's on a learning curve
Yearning for peace and quiet at home? Ever considered signing up for a parenting course?

"Why would you go on a parenting course?" my friends chorused when I told them I was signing up for a three-month stint. "Aren’t they just for people who are about to have their kids taken into care?" Not any more. Parenting courses are a boom industry. Across the country on any weekday night you will find groups of professional, middle-class parents taking notes in the hope of discovering the keys to everlasting family happiness.

Click here to read the rest of the article, which was published by The Times on 2 December, 2006

Mention Parenting Courses around a dinner table and you'l elicit a fairly dismissive response. "Why would you go on a parenting course?" asked one friend. "Surely it's all common sense?" "Aren't they just for people who aren't coping?" queries another. Not any more.

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Published by Junior Magazine

School's out!
Do parenting classes really work? and can you graduate with honours?

Two months ago, I embarked on a weekly parenting course. It's not something I ever imagined I'd do - I hate group things and the thought of spending mye evenings looking at flip charts rather than collapsing on the sofa with a glass of wine seemed incongruous to me. But I was curious...

Read the rest: page 1 (no text), page 2, page 3, and page 4. You will need Acrobat Reader to view these pdfs.

Published by Junior Magazine.

Nanny helps parents take charge
Two hard-to-control Tustin children give Noël Janis-Norton their best, but she knows sweet talk is irresistible.

TUSTIN - It starts so calmly, as a tornado must start.

Barely a ripple of wind as she enters the house.

"Hello, Zachary," she says to the curly-haired 6-year-old.

Zachary clutches his father.

"Hello, Zachary," she says again. "It would be very nice if you could look at me and say, 'Hello, Noël.'"

Zachary's father, Steve, begins to intervene, but Noël signals for him to stop. A few feet away, Zachary's mother, Susan, stays silent. Across the room, Zachary's twin, Jason, gleefully watches his brother under pressure.

Read the rest of the article here at ocregister.com.

It’s the half way mark in their first term for the Year 7s in secondary school and, as any form tutor will tell you, now is the period when it’s most likely some will start to play up about going to school.

Click here to read the rest of the article, which was published by the Daily Mail on 7 March 2006.

Most child experts are anti-smackers but they hold widely differing views on the best way to instil discipline in children. Some advise parents to respond to bad behaviour by reasoning with their children; others suggest parents should pretend to ignore their children while they are playing up or deprive them of things they enjoy. All agree that it must be combined with giving youngsters copious praise and sometimes rewards when they do behave well.

Click here to read the rest of the article, which was published by the Daily Telegraph on 6 July 2004.

How do you cope with a child who has everything - except manners? As a BBC series finds out, Lisa Sewards meets the mothers who confess they have spoilt their children rotten.

Click here to read the rest of the article by Lisa Sewards, which was published by the Daily Mail on Saturday 15 May 2004.

There's help at hand when the kids are driving you up the wall and Armageddon is just another day chez vous. A new book about good parenting shows frazzled mums how to turn your children into the little darlings you know they can be - by being positive, firm and consistent.

Click here to read the rest of the articleby Amanda Blinkhorn, which was published by Ham&High on October 31 2003

The BBC1's programme about transforming family life, featuring Noel Janis-Norton and The New Learning Centre was broadcast on Monday, 17th May 2004.

We will be showing a video of the program in our Introductory Talks. You are welcome to come even if you do not intend to stay for the rest of the talk. Please contact us to ask for times.

Cassandra Jardine from The Daily Telegraph participated in our parenting classes and workshops and has been writing about us regularily. Here are two of her articles:

When she enrolled in parenting classes, Cassandra Jardine was told that, within two weeks, her family life would be calmer and happier, and after three months, it would be completely turned around. So what happened?

To see the rest of the article, please click here (you may need to register with the Daily Telegraph website to access it - this is free, but requires you to fill in a survey and provide an email address).

Sibling Squabbles (15th June 2002)

It doesn't surprise me that one of the main reasons why parents flock to parenting classes is to deal with sibling rivalry. Among my own children, there are some deep and upsetting rifts, usually between an elder child and the one immediately below in the birth order.

To see the rest of the article, please click here

The mess in our playroom is so depressing that most of the time, I shut the door and sigh. Then, suddenly, I snap. Last week's trigger was the arrival of a new piano teacher. He picked his way to the piano over old crisp packets, headless dolls and bits of jigsaw, while I did my aren't-children-awful act, then, with the cheeriest smile, he announced that the room amounted to a "health hazard".

To see the rest of the article, please click here.

More articles can be found here at the Daily Telegraph website. This will require you to register if you have not already