Parents / Caregivers

Pregancy

What’s available for parents-to-be in the area? 

Under 1s/ 0-12 months

Do you have a baby 0-12months?

We have groups and 1:1 supports available to you and your family.

Under 4s/ 1-3 years

If you care for a toddler or preschooler under 4 and are looking for groups or 1:1 support click here for more information

Children 4 and up

Find out what supports are available for parents and caregivers of children age 4 and up

Pregnancy

In the pre-birth period, home visiting is available to support you on your journey to parenthood and to help you prepare for your relationship with your baby.

This is available for all Mams, Dads and caregivers including – birth parents, adoptive parents, foster parents, step parents . . . 

The aims of the Peep Antenatal Programme are to:

  • increase parents’ ability to think about and tune in to their baby and their baby’s feelings and behaviour, and to respond sensitively (reflective functioning)
  • develop and support loving, consistent and secure attachment parent-child attachment relationships, through reflective functioning
  • increase parents’ capacity to see their baby as an independent and unique individual, with their own mind and feelings
  • help parents understand the links and interplay between their baby’s feelings and behaviour
  • share helpful information with parents about their baby’s development
  • develop a greater understanding and awareness of the social and emotional aspects of the transition to parenthood, including the importance and impact of appropriate, sensitive parenting
  • help parents deal with the sometimes difficult feelings and emotions that come with being a new parent
  • develop supportive, non-judgemental relationships with parents and between parents attending sessions, encouraging the involvement of fathers and partners
  • help the new families to make links into their local community, including early involvement with local services, to reduce risks to the early parent–infant relationship (through helping to prevent isolation, anxiety and low-level depression etc).

Let’s Grow Together are offering a six-week course  and it’s open to all expectant moms

from three months of pregnancy.

 

Take time to Breathe, Move & Relax and prepare yourself for childbirth.

Help build a strong relationship with your baby from the start

Improve your mood, sleep, and overall wellbeing.

Meet other mums- to- be and share experiences.

0-12 Months/Under 1s

The goal of home visiting is to make sure parents are supported to help their children grow and develop in a safe and stimulating environment.

Home visiting is free and voluntary

Home visitors can give you information on many topics based on what your family needs. Some of these topics include:

  • Parenting practices
  • Children’s health and development
  • Community resources and services available in your area

Developed by J.Kevin Nugent et al 2007
(Based on the Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale by Dr Berry Brazelton and Dr Kevin Nugent, 1973)

What is the NBO?
It is a way to observe babies and all their wonderful behaviours.

It takes 20-30 minutes to do in a quiet, warm room with the mother/ father/ family. We look at how your baby responds to sound when asleep (habituation) and faces and objects (orientation). We can also look at your baby’s physical activity /reflexes and how your baby is able to manage sleeping and crying.

Why do we do it?
To share with parents the wonderful abilities of newborn babies up to the age of 3 months especially your baby in particular. To look at what your baby likes and dislikes and how we understand his/her signals. To understand your baby’s style and temperament in order to develop ways to nurture/sooth and look after your baby.

Who does it?
The NBO can be done by a practitioner or researcher who has extensive experience with new-borns and has been trained in the NBO. Parents can join in the NBO with their own baby. Parents generally find this interesting and fun!

When will it be done?
A trained member of the Young Knocknaheeny team will contact you and arrange a time to visit you and your baby for an NBO session. This can be arranged at home or in a community setting.

 

Is your baby 0-6 months?

Enjoy spending special time with your baby in a calm, relaxing space at a 5 week group

Why come to a baby massage group?

  • Learn new skills to massage your baby
  • Learn how to read your baby’s cues
  • Massage can help your baby’s sleep and digestion
  • Massage can help if your baby suffers from colic or wind
  • Have a cup of tea and a chat!

Come along – you and your baby can relax, learn massage and make friends.

Is your baby 3-12 months old?

Enjoy communicating with your baby through a fun and practical 8 week group for you and your baby. Each session is approximately 1 hour long.

Each week we have a different theme:

  • Let’s Look
  • Let’s Watch
  • Let’s Feel
  • Let’s Make a Noise
  • Let’s Splash
  • Let’s take turns
  • Let’s Move
  • Let’s chill
  • Every week we have a cup of tea and a chat!

Find out more about how your baby communicates with you.

Come along – you and your baby can make friends, share ideas and have fun through singing, stories and activities.

(9-11 months)

Meet with an Oral Language Officer (OLO) to talk about how your baby’s relationship with you helps grow their communication. This takes place alongside your baby’s developmental check up with their Public Health Nurse.

At times all parents feel lost or without a clue about what our child might need from us. Imagine what it might feel like if you were able to make sense of what your child was really asking from you. The Circle of Security Parenting™ program is based on decades of research about how secure parent-child relationships can be supported and strengthened.

 

Learning Objectives of the Program:

• Understand your child’s emotional world by learning to read the emotional needs

• Support your child’s ability to successfully manage emotions

• Enhance the development of your child’s self esteem

• Honour your innate wisdom and desire for your child to be secure

Any families with children aged from birth to the age of five living in our catchment area can register and a book will be delivered to their home every month, personally addressed to each eligible child, so the child can start building their own home library. It is completely free to families as local fundraising pays for the cost price of the books and An Post  is sponsoring the delivery of the books this year. 

For more information and to register click here

1-3 years/Under 4s

The goal of home visiting is to make sure parents are supported to help their children grow and develop in a safe and stimulating environment.

Home visiting is free and voluntary

Home visitors can give you information on many topics based on what your family needs. Some of these topics include:

  • Parenting practices
  • Children’s health and development
  • Community resources and services available in your area

Is your toddler aged 1-3 years?

Enjoy spending time with your toddler through an 8 week fun, practical group. Each session is approximately 90 minutes long.

What we do:

  • Songs and Rhymes
  • Storytime
  • Fun activity for parent and toddler to do together
  • Snack time (and a cuppa!)
  • Fun activity for the whole group

Come along – you and your toddler can make friends, share ideas and have fun through singing, stories and activities.

At times all parents feel lost or without a clue about what our child might need from us. Imagine what it might feel like if you were able to make sense of what your child was really asking from you. The Circle of Security Parenting™ program is based on decades of research about how secure parent-child relationships can be supported and strengthened.

 

Learning Objectives of the Program:

• Understand your child’s emotional world by learning to read the emotional needs

• Support your child’s ability to successfully manage emotions

• Enhance the development of your child’s self esteem

• Honour your innate wisdom and desire for your child to be secure

Any families with children aged from birth to the age of five living in our catchment area can register and a book will be delivered to their home every month, personally addressed to each eligible child, so the child can start building their own home library. It is completely free to families as local fundraising pays for the cost price of the books and An Post  is sponsoring the delivery of the books this year. 

For more information and to register click here

Parents Plus Early Years programme is practical and draws on parents’ strengths. It is suitable for parents and caregivers of children aged 1 to 6 years, including young children with additional needs. It runs over 8 weeks and aims to support parents/caregivers in helping children develop positive relationships, build their language and development, increase their children’s self-esteem, establish positive daily routines as well as reducing their own stress as parents.

Studies in preschool, mental health and early intervention settings have shown that families who complete the Parents Plus Early Years programme report: 

  • Increased child positive behaviour
  • Increased school readiness
  • Less parental stress
  • Increased parental confidence

 

For further information contact: Clíona on 086-0786557 or by email at cliona@letsgrowtogether.ie 

 

These 2-hour workshops aim to empower parents to create healthy, connected families and improve well-being for everyone. Our workshops run throughout the year and are aimed at parents and caregivers of children ages 1 – 12 years old. Topics include:

  • Empowering Parents
  • Family Connection
  • Healthy Food Routines
  • Healthy Mealtimes
  • Active Play
  • Managing Technology
  • Restful Sleep
  • Healthy mind, happy mind

For further information contact: Clíona on 086-0786557 or by email at cliona@letsgrowtogether.ie 

Children age 4 and Up

At times all parents feel lost or without a clue about what our child might need from us. Imagine what it might feel like if you were able to make sense of what your child was really asking from you. The Circle of Security Parenting™ program is based on decades of research about how secure parent-child relationships can be supported and strengthened.

 

Learning Objectives of the Program:

• Understand your child’s emotional world by learning to read the emotional needs

• Support your child’s ability to successfully manage emotions

• Enhance the development of your child’s self esteem

• Honour your innate wisdom and desire for your child to be secure

Any families with children aged from birth to the age of five living in our catchment area can register and a book will be delivered to their home every month, personally addressed to each eligible child, so the child can start building their own home library. It is completely free to families as local fundraising pays for the cost price of the books and An Post  is sponsoring the delivery of the books this year. 

For more information and to register click here

Parents Plus Early Years programme is practical and draws on parents’ strengths. It is suitable for parents and caregivers of children aged 1 to 6 years, including young children with additional needs. It runs over 8 weeks and aims to support parents/caregivers in helping children develop positive relationships, build their language and development, increase their children’s self-esteem, establish positive daily routines as well as reducing their own stress as parents.

Studies in preschool, mental health and early intervention settings have shown that families who complete the Parents Plus Early Years programme report: 

  • Increased child positive behaviour
  • Increased school readiness
  • Less parental stress
  • Increased parental confidence

For further information contact: Clíona on 086-0786557 or by email at cliona@letsgrowtogether.ie 

Parents Plus Children’s programme is practical and draws on parents’ strengths. It is suitable for parents and caregivers of children aged 6 to 11 years, including children with additional needs. It runs over 8 weeks and aims to support parents/caregivers in supporting children’s behaviours and emotions, building children’s confidence and self-esteem, problem solving with their children, establishing positive daily routines as well as reducing their own stress as parents.

Studies in primary schools, mental health and disability settings have shown that families who complete the Parents Plus Children’s programme report: 

  •  Increased child positive behaviour
  •  Helps children to manage their emotions
  •  Less parental stress
  •  Increased parental confidence

For further information contact: Clíona on 086-0786557 or by email at cliona@letsgrowtogether.ie 

These 2-hour workshops aim to empower parents to create healthy, connected families and improve well-being for everyone. Our workshops run throughout the year and are aimed at parents and caregivers of children ages 1 – 12 years old. Topics include:

  • Empowering Parents
  • Family Connection
  • Healthy Food Routines
  • Healthy Mealtimes
  • Active Play
  • Managing Technology
  • Restful Sleep
  • Healthy mind, happy mind

For further information contact: Clíona on 086-0786557 or by email at cliona@letsgrowtogether.ie