Banbury area secondary school runs parenting course to provide help over tricky teenage years

The Warriner School has teamed up with parents to deliver the innovating course to help parents to feel connected and supported through the tricky teenage years.

“After moving from primary to secondary school it’s hard to build those connections and support networks and share tips that were once common place in the playground at pickup and that’s where ‘Parentalk the Teenage Years’ comes in, bringing those opportunities to once more feel connected,” said Rachel Buller.

Parentalk was first run at the Warriner school in 2022 -2023 and was such a success it was brought back this year.

The innovative sessions were facilitated by parents of teens in conjunction with the school and included six video-based sessions, peer discussions and tip-sharing throughout each session.

Each session had a different, thought-provoking theme such as staying connected with your teen and letting go.

"There were often themes that raised laughter in the room as parents resonated with the situation under discussion - and also nervousness of the ‘letting go’ theme,” said Ms Buller.

“All parents after the initial nervousness were happy sharing things they may have struggled with, from challenging behaviours to the new distance between them and their teenagers, and some felt relief that it was not exclusively their family.

"Everyone shared tips on how to tackle tricky situations and break down barriers. Some came back to the group with strategies that had worked.”

The group acknowledged that with social media, this is a very different world to the one in which many parents grew up.

"It’s important for us to try to understand what impact this could have and find ways to support them and to find ways to enjoy our teens throughout these precious years before they fly the nest. I am learning new strategies for my second teen and I can share with those having a tricky time right now that it is short lived. We get to share amazing new experiences and fun times our mature young person.”