Purpose:

1. To teach specialized parenting skills to parents of oppositional, high-energy, and challenging children, to reduce problem behaviors and improve family relationships.

Objectives:

Participants will:

1. Learn characteristics of oppositional children, and recognize behavioral patterns that lead to conflict and difficult management.
2. Identify ways to access support from a parenting partner, and build a cooperative parenting relationship.
3. Recognize triggers that lead to power struggles, and learn to prevent conflicts.
4. Learn strategies for timing interventions and tagging behaviors to maintain authority.
5. Learn to design, establish and enforce appropriate consequences for misbehavior.
6. Understand behavioral change and methods for shaping and reinforcing positive behaviors.

Evaluation:

1. Participants will complete pre- and post- YOQ's for one identified child in their family.
2. They will also complete subjective evaluation forms during the final session of the course.

Methods:

1. The group will meet weekly for 1 to 1 1/2 hours for six weeks.
2. The group is designed for referral for specific, open clients, but may be open to the public if need warrants. Child care may be offered in specific circumstances.
3. The group will be run as a Prevention Activity at no charge.

Group Outline:

Week 1: Understanding the Oppositional Child; Our Goals for this Course

Week 2: Building the Parent Front: Improving Your Parenting Relationship

Week 3: Getting Unhooked: Seeing Triggers and Preventing Power Struggles

Week 4: On Your Turf: Timing and Tagging

Week 5: Designing and Delivering Appropriate Consequences

Week 6: Understanding Behavior Change