"> Effective Parenting Course for Parents and Carers of Teens - Ways
Free · Four-week course

Parenting teens is hard. You don’t have to figure it out alone.

A free four-week evening course for parents and carers of 12–24 year olds, run by the WAYS Wellness Centre. Understand what is driving the behaviour, communicate so they actually hear you, and set boundaries that hold.

  • Wednesdays, 18 Nov – 9 Dec
  • 6.00 – 8.00pm
  • WAYS Youth Training Centre, Bondi Junction
  • Free
Reserve your place

Places are limited. The course runs as a small group so everyone gets airtime.

A parent and teenager in the kitchen in the evening, not talking

Sound familiar?

The same argument, the fourth time this week.

Most parents of teenagers are not short on love or effort. They are short on a strategy, and ninety minutes of tips only goes so far. This course gives you four weeks to learn the strategies, try them at home, and come back and talk about what happened.

  • Every conversation turns into a negotiation, and you are losing.
  • You swore you would stay calm this time. You didn’t.
  • The boundaries you set on Monday are gone by Thursday.
  • You can see something is wrong, and they will not tell you what.
  • You are parenting the way you were parented, and it isn’t landing.

What the course covers

Seven topics across four weeks.

For parents and carers of young people aged 12–24. Each session mixes practical teaching with guided conversation between parents, because the other adults in the room have been where you are.

1

Adolescent development

The key changes of adolescence, including brain development, and how they make sense of teenage behaviour.

2

Parenting styles

The common styles parents fall into, and the outcomes each one tends to produce for young people.

3

Effective communication

How to talk with a teenager so the conversation stays open instead of shutting down.

4

Internal regulation

What it is, how to help your young person build it, and the part your own regulation plays in effective parenting.

5

Building resilience

How resilience actually develops in young people, and what parents can do to support it.

6

Boundaries and limit setting

Why boundaries matter, how to set them so they hold, and how to use consequences that work.

7

Conflict resolution

How to manage conflict between you and your young person without losing the relationship.

+

Chosen by the group

Time permitting, an extra topic such as social media, or a deeper run at whichever topic the group most wants.

Reserve your place

Who’s running it

Luke Cox and the Wellness Centre team

Luke Cox, Adolescent and Family Psychologist and Manager of the WAYS Wellness Centre
Luke CoxAdolescent & Family Psychologist
Manager, WAYS Wellness Centre

Luke Cox is an Adolescent and Family Psychologist and Manager of the WAYS Wellness Centre, working with young people aged 12 to 24 and their families across Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. He has run the WAYS Effective Parenting Course for years, and the material is shaped by what parents in this community ask for.

Who it’s for

  • Parents and carers of young people aged 12 to 24
  • Grandparents and kinship carers
  • Parents who came to the September seminar and want to go deeper
  • You do not need a referral, a diagnosis, or a crisis to come

Come without your teenager. The course is for the adults.

The details

Four Wednesday evenings, November to December

  • Week 1Wed 18 November
  • Week 2Wed 25 November
  • Week 3Wed 2 December
  • Week 4Wed 9 December

When

Wednesdays
6.00 – 8.00pm

Where

WAYS Youth Training Centre
Tiffany Plaza, 422 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction

Cost

Free
All four weeks, no catch

Presented by

WAYS Wellness Centre
WAYS Youth & Family

Questions

Questions people ask us.

Is it really free?

Yes. The course is a funded WAYS Wellness Centre program. There is no cost and no upsell.

Do I bring my teenager?

No. The course is for the adults. Parents speak more freely when their young person isn’t in the room.

Do I have to come to all four weeks?

The weeks build on each other, so we ask you to plan for all four. If you have to miss one, tell us and we will help you catch up before the next session.

My child is 11. Or 25. Can I still come?

The course is designed for parents and carers of young people aged 12 to 24. If your young person sits just outside that range you are still welcome.

Do I need a referral?

No. No referral, no diagnosis, no paperwork.

What’s the format?

A small group, once a week for four weeks. Each session mixes practical teaching from Luke with guided conversation between parents. You will leave each week with something specific to try at home.

Is this therapy?

No. It is an educational and skills-building course. If you want individual support for your family, the WAYS Wellness Centre offers counselling and case management for young people aged 12–24 and their families.

Can I bring my co-parent?

Yes, and it helps when both adults hear the same material. Register each person separately so we can plan seats.

Register

Reserve your place.

The course is free and runs as a small group, so places are limited. Register below and we will email you to confirm your place.

Your details are used to organise this course and contact you about upcoming WAYS parenting workshops. We will not pass them to anyone else.

Four Wednesdays. That’s the ask.

Six weeks from now the course is done and the summer holidays are starting. You can go into them with the same patterns, or with a plan. Places are limited and the course is free.

Reserve your place

Free · Bondi Junction · For parents and carers of young people

The Effective Parenting Course is presented by the WAYS Wellness Centre, part of WAYS Youth & Family.

This is a skills-building and educational course, not therapy or clinical treatment. If you or someone you know needs support now, contact Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800, the Mental Health Line 1800 011 511, or Lifeline 13 11 14. If your life is in danger, call 000.

Effective Parenting CourseWednesdays 18 Nov – 9 Dec, 6.00–8.00pm · Bondi Junction · Free
Reserve a place