The Bernard L. Pacella, MD Parent Child Center

Resources: Information for Professionals

What are Parent Child Groups?

Parent Child Groups are in-depth parenting discussions that take place in the same room where children interact with early childhood specialists. The Parent Child Groups are not Group Therapy; they are not didactic Parent Education; they are not Parent Child Activity Groups; they are not Mommy and Me leaderless groups. The Parent Child Groups have elements from all of the above types of groups. The Group Leader utilizes a variety of approaches with the parents:

Therapeutic techniques such as universalizing or labeling affects
Feedback of an educative nature about parenting, child rearing, or development
Observation of the children's activity with the early childhood specialists and/or parents
Listening and being supportive and empathic while the mothers take the lead in the discussion

At times one technical element will predominate and at other times another. The Parent Child Groups are unique in the sense that they utilize a mixture of technical elements by the group leader, including keeping an awareness that the children are in the same room and within earshot of the parent discussions. In the groups parents will talk about issues that are relevant to the adults; issues about the children; as well as issues about the observations of the children (their developmental level as well as their behavior, affects, and language).

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