About the Families Course
What is the Families Course?
The Families Course has grown out of more than 30 years of hands-on experience with families from all walks of life. The course is practical, fun and gives parents tools that work.
This short 12 hour course is flexible and can be run in a variety of formats and time frames.
The course covers eight topics, which together, form a framework to build warm, strong and healthy family relationships.
Topics include Understanding Ages and Stages, Being Positive, Dealing with Conflict, Effective Discipline, Building Values and Culture, Connecting through Nurturing Skills, Honesty in Relationships and the Journey to Independence.
Parents are encouraged to reflect on their own parenting style and to build on the strengths they bring to their family life each day. The Families Course provides a wonderful opportunity for parents, grandparents or carers to stop and consider their own values, hopes and dreams for their family and families around them.
“
Raising your children is the most important role you will ever have. You are literally giving them strong foundations for life.
”
Jo Frost (Supernanny)
Course outline
Session 1: Foundations for Families
Who was significant to you when you were growing up? Often it was someone who listened and cared but also had clear boundaries. Every family needs a firm foundation, values that last and reasons for the rules.
Session 2: Building Nurturing Skills
Research shows that children who have a warm loving relationship with the adults in their lives will be more resilient and better equipped for hard times. This session presents practical ways to help children feel loved, heard, valued and reach their potential.
Session 3: Understanding Ages and Stages
When we know what is “normal” at a particular age and stage, it can lower our stress levels. This understanding enables us to better care for children and draw appropriate boundaries.
Session 4: Being Positive
When we notice the good things children do, it powerfully affects their behaviour! We all love genuine encouragement and specific praise. Our children will blossom when we expect the best and catch them doing good!
Session 5: Building Honest Relationships
Honesty can really improve our family life! When it is safe to be real with each other, relationships grow. We want home to be a place where kids love to be, with people they can trust.
Session 6: Independence
Every child is on a journey to independence and it’s not always smooth! We can help by watching and listening carefully. Is their behaviour a testing of boundaries or a cry for help and support?
Session 7: Dealing with Conflict
Unfortunately, quarrels and fights are a normal part of family life. There are ways to deal with conflict that will lessen the hurt and stress and give kids tools for life.
Session 8: Discipline
Can we maintain clear consistent boundaries? Is it possible to carry out consequences yet still communicate our love and support? It may take some work but the benefits to family life are worth the effort!
Families for Schools and Community
The Families Course is a valuable resource for any school or community organisation. Completing this course is a wonderful investment, whether parents are vulnerable and in need of extra support, or competent and just looking for a few good tips to boost the health of their family life.
Families Course trainers can be booked to run the course at your school, pre-school or organisation.
Families for Prisons and Rehab
One rehabilitation centre just outside Sydney now runs the Families Course four times a year as part of the personal development program for their residents.
Participants have the opportunity to reflect on their family relationships and learn ways to connect with children and partners “from a distance”. One week, a young man came back to the group after calling home and trying some new listening skills he’d learnt in the course. He shared how excited he was and how really listening had transformed his communication with his partner.
Families for Churches
The Families Course provides a very effective way for churches to engage with their local communities. The course focusses on building a culture that is warm and welcoming and demonstrates Christian values. As people share more about their lives and families, safe trusting relationships build. Ongoing connections with people can be maintained and strengthened long after the course is finished.
Families in the Workplace
For seminars and workshops, the course material is condensed into four workshop topics, each topic is one hour in length. These workshops provide a safe place where colleagues can receive helpful input to take home to their families. Click here for more information
Families for Teenagers
Experienced youth workers have collaborated with Families Course Trainers to produce a version of the course that is interactive, fun and engaging for teenagers. Every key point in the course is communicated through games and activities and is especially suitable for young people who may have limited literacy or concentration span. This is a great program for young people who are (or are soon to be) parents, or who may be helping to raise their siblings Whether or not they are parents, these teens are encouraged to reflect on their family relationships and the family life they’d one day like to establish.
About Fusion
Fusion is a not for profit Christian Youth and Community development organisation. Since it began in the 1960’s, Fusion has worked towards building resilient young people, stronger families and safer communities.
Expressions of Fusion’s work are many and varied. We run community festivals, programs for the elderly, mentoring and work experience for young people at risk, playgroups for young families, and a range of programs in high schools, just to name a few.
There are expressions of Fusion’s work in every Australian state and in many countries overseas, including the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Germany, Jamaica, India and Indonesia.
Fusion is proud to be working with schools, churches, local, state and federal governments, community groups, welfare agencies, businesses and anyone who wants to contribute to society in a positive and healthy way.
Training, equipping and helping people grow is at the heart of the Fusion movement. The Families Course is part of Fusion Australia’s suite of training courses.
Expressions of Fusion’s work are many and varied. We run community festivals, programs for the elderly, mentoring and work experience for young people at risk, playgroups for young families, and a range of programs in high schools, just to name a few.
There are expressions of Fusion’s work in every Australian state and in many countries overseas, including the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Germany, Jamaica, India and Indonesia.
Fusion is proud to be working with schools, churches, local, state and federal governments, community groups, welfare agencies, businesses and anyone who wants to contribute to society in a positive and healthy way.
Training, equipping and helping people grow is at the heart of the Fusion movement. The Families Course is part of Fusion Australia’s suite of training courses.
“The positive, practical ideas in this course continue to give me the courage and tools to build our family life.”
