BB4K support for children aged 3-5
This is a programme specifically for children aged 3-5 and their parents who have survived or witnessed domestic abuse. It consists of a 12-week course for parents and children. Each session begins separately for children and parents, who then come back together for combined activities.
The programme aims to enrich the relationship between parent and child through playful interaction and empower the parent to address the needs of their child. The children’s group and combined group work is delivered by an experienced play therapist with early years experience. The parents’ group is delivered by an experienced domestic abuse facilitator.
Children’s course
Living with domestic abuse can have a serious impact on a child’s behaviour, development and wellbeing. For children aged 3-5 the impact can be greater due to their age and inability to communicate their feelings.
The aim of the BB4K 3-5s course is to raise children’s self-esteem and give them an opportunity to explore and express their feelings through fun, child-focused activities and child-directed play, in a safe therapeutic way, promoting resilience and emotional well-being.
Each week will focus on a different topic designed to empower and facilitate the healing process of children.
The aims of the children’s course are:
- To improve self-esteem.
- To improve the ability to identify and express feelings in appropriate ways.
- To improve resilience and emotional well-being.
- To understand about safe touch through nurturing, sharing and turn-taking activities.
- To improve empathy and problem-solving skills.
- To improve self-esteem.
- To improve the ability to identify and express feelings in appropriate ways.
- To improve resilience and emotional well-being.
- To understand about safe touch through nurturing, sharing and turn-taking activities.
- To improve empathy and problem-solving skills.
Parents’ course
The parents’ course runs simultaneously with the children’s course and focuses on empowering parents, validating their parental role in a non-judgemental environment and enabling them to see domestic abuse through the eyes of a child.
Parents will be given the opportunity to reflect on the impact of domestic abuse on their child’s behaviour and their own. They will learn practical support techniques, which they can continue to practise after the course has finished for long–term benefits to the child.
The course will create an environment for parents to feel less isolated and will emphasise that they are not alone. If parents are given the opportunity to be heard, believed and to express their feelings, then they are more able to support their children in the same way.
The aims of the parents’ course are:
- To give parents the opportunity to look at domestic abuse ‘through the eyes of children’.
- To empower parents/carers to support their child’s emotional needs and recognise behaviours that children who have lived with domestic abuse often display.
- To support parents to develop strategies to deal with certain behaviours.
- To develop a support group for parents.
- To build parents’ self-esteem and self-confidence.
- To offer strategies to enrich relationships between parent and child.
- To understand the importance of play in building relationships, improving problem-solving skills, increasing resilience and improving emotional well-being.
- To give parents the opportunity to look at domestic abuse ‘through the eyes of children’.
- To empower parents/carers to support their child’s emotional needs and recognise behaviours that children who have lived with domestic abuse often display.
- To support parents to develop strategies to deal with certain behaviours.
- To develop a support group for parents.
- To build parents’ self-esteem and self-confidence.
- To offer strategies to enrich relationships between parent and child.
- To understand the importance of play in building relationships, improving problem-solving skills, increasing resilience and improving emotional well-being.
Combined activities
Often adults who have been in abusive relationships have had their parenting undermined and their confidence and self-worth diminished. Therefore enriching the bond between parent and child is a key goal in moving forward with the healing process for both of them, and the combined activities at the end of each session will enhance these positive attachments.
The aims of the combined activities are:
- To enhance a positive relationship between parent and child.
- To help parents and children accept that they are worthy of nurture and positive social interaction.
If you would like to know more about the support BB4K can offer, please get in touch with a member of the team at BB4K@pactcharity.org.
The BB4K 3-5’s programme is a closed group, and participation is by referral only (we do accept self-referrals). Please see our referrals page for further details.
Make a referral
- To enhance a positive relationship between parent and child.
- To help parents and children accept that they are worthy of nurture and positive social interaction.
If you would like to know more about the support BB4K can offer, please get in touch with a member of the team at BB4K@pactcharity.org.
The BB4K 3-5’s programme is a closed group, and participation is by referral only (we do accept self-referrals). Please see our referrals page for further details.
