Parenting for resilience
The magic of warm listening
An online course for parents and carers with Jo McAndrews
Join me for a robust and compassionate journey into the heart of parenting
The roots of true resilience are in childhood, in the everyday interactions that create lifelong patterns of thriving. We are born ready for the most important relationships of our lives. Yet, in modern mainstream cultures, parenting is deeply unsupported and can be desperately hard work. Most of us were not brought up with the sort of care and connection that we needed and now we are trying to work out how to do better for our own children.
This course will provide you with the information, practical skills and support to grow the essential communication skills you need to foster warm and positive relationship with your child and become their very best ally in the challenging times we face.
I would love you to feel supported and nourished as you look after your children. This course is designed to hold you as you learn new ways of listening for connection.
Warm listening for relationship and resilience
Resilience develops in childhood
Our children are going to need strength and flexibility to live in a changing world; to contribute, to collaborate, to be resourceful and emotionally and mentally stable. The roots of all this are in childhood, and parents play a huge part in supporting their child to grow the foundations they need throughout their whole lives.
Welcome, I am really looking forward to working with you
Watch this 5 minute video to give you more of a sense of the course
Through videos and guided practices, I hope that you will feel my hand at your back as you join the adventure of a more radical approach to parenting.
We could all do with more support to show up as our children's best allies
I want to share with you the most up to date research on what children need to grow up healthy and resilient – and the practical strategies that will help you to relate to your child in ways that grow a warm and beautiful relationship.
A practical knowledge of how trauma and attachment theory impact how we relate to each other is essential, as well as recognition that knowledge alone isn’t enough – and this course has been designed to give you both.
The research is clear, but being informed isn't enough when most of us have grown up without our basic needs being met. This is not the fault of our own parents but because we are part of a culture that has forgotten what children need most: warm responsive kindness.
We need support from each other in practicing new and old ways of holding our children in care and connection. There is a huge amount of research and experience that shows the way deeper and more rewarding relationships and I would love to share it with you.
Climate and social crises are making it urgent and important that we support our children's capacity to thrive now and for the future. We want to support them to be creative, cooperative and courageous in the face of unpredictability.
This course is a journey into both deep understanding and a warmer more compassionate relationship for yourself and your child, which is what lies at the heart of true resilience.
It is deliberately delivered in the most human, compassionate and relatable way possible and my heart-felt intention is that you feel well accompanied as you learn.
How long will this course take?
‘The magic of warm listening’ is an online course that allows you to go at your own pace. When you register, you immediately get access to the whole course so that you can choose how to engage with it.
However long you spend on it initially, you will find if you work through the course more than once, that you will learn new things and find new ways of listening to your child, especially as they grow older and you meet new challenges. The practices are ongoing and will last a lifetime.
I suggest that you allow a week for each module, allowing 10 to 20 minutes practice time each day, and 1-2 hours learning and reflection time per week. This will immerse you in the learning, keeping it interesting, and allowing you to integrate each stage of the course.
Alternatively, you could watch all the ‘awareness’ sections of each module together (about an hour) to give you an overview of the whole subject then come back to the learning and practice lessons a module at a time.
Whatever works for you, I hope you enjoy it.
Course Contents
Welcome, introduction and how the course works
In this introductory module we will prepare ourselves for the learning ahead, think about the age and developmental stage of our child, who might support us in this process and reflecting on what we want to learn.
Module One
‘I am here with you’: Becoming available to listen
In this module we will start with learning about our own capacity to be present with our child, understanding why that can be so difficult, and developing practices to help us settle ourselves when we want to be more available
Module Two
‘I see you’: Giving attention to your child
In this module we will learn some current research about how children develop and thrive. We will explore the function of the nervous system and how our ability to give attention to our child offers them the ideal environment to grow resilience. We will learn practical tools to grow our skills and capacity.
Module Three
‘I hear you’: Listening for connection
Here we will explore what it means to listen to our child in different ways so that they feel deeply heard. Whatever age they are and however they communicate, we will learn to tune into their world in order to build trust and invite more understanding. We will develop our practices to grow deeper skills.
Module Four
‘I get you’: Understanding your child’s perspective
Now we will build on previous practices to learn the power of a truly resonant way of responding that allows your child to know that you understand them and that they are not alone. We will practice compassion for ourselves for how difficult this can be and consider what support we need from others.
Module Five
‘I care about you’: Believing and valuing your child’s experience
In this module we will learn about the importance of attending to the whole conversation and following up when needed in order to show our child that they matter and that we care. We will practise ways to communicate care to our child and revisit the importance of our own ability to stay present.
Module Six
Bringing it all together
We will reflect on our learning, revisit elements that need more attention, and celebrate reaching the end of the course. We will think about next steps and how to maintain the new skills and practices we have learned in order to deepen our ability to offer our child the magic of warm listening.
Module Seven
Deep learning, carefully structured
Every module begins with awareness. This is not just about knowledge, this course will support you in building deeper awareness of why each element that you are learning contributes to resilience and warmer relationship. There are reflective practices throughout to support you to integrate your learning and put it into practice.
Awareness
When we learn a new skill, it often feels clumsy or painful. We deserve a lot of kindness for putting time and effort into giving our children something that we didn’t have ourselves. Every module has guidance on creating an environment of warm compassion for yourself as you journey through the course.
Compassion
I want this learning to come alive for you and make a difference to your everyday relationships, so thoughtful practical exercises, designed in a way that are both accessible and creatively nourishing are included to support you. I warmly encourage you to engage with them in whatever way feels most enriching for you.
Practical Tools
This course offers the best of what I know
I want you to feel full of confidence and clarity that you know how to stay rooted in warm relationship with your child. That whatever happens, you are there for them, standing by their side so that they are not alone.
Videos (with subtitles), audios and transcripts to make it as accessible as possible for your preferred learning style
Practical tools to develop advanced communication skills and build emotional intelligence that will last a lifetime
The latest research to give you confidence about what your child really needs to thrive and build lifelong resilience
Creative activities to involve the whole brain and body so that what you learn is fully integrated
Compassionate and warm guidance for each step of the way
Self-paced to learn in your own space and time
Trauma informed practices to develop stress regulation for everyone in the family
"My learning journey with Jo has been profound. The way she delivers her courses with such warmth and human kindness has been just the support I need to navigate challenging times with my daughter. I have learnt so much about what it truly means to be connected to my children and feel like I have grown in deeper connection with my self too. Thank you Jo for your incredible work!"
Elizabeth Cairns
FAQs
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The beauty of this course is that it is entirely self paced so you can engage with the lessons in a way that works for your life and needs. And you have lifetime access (for as long as the course is public) so you can begin when you're ready. I suggest working through one module per week to maintain momentum and to give yourself time to practise. Each module will likely take 1-2 hours to work through with further time for practice at home.
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Yes absolutely. In module one I offer some suggestions as to how this might work. Whilst you are welcome to work through this with a partner or co-parent, please respect the spirit in which this is offered and do not share your login details widely with others. If there is someone else you feel would benefit please invite them to enrol.
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That's ok, I have designed the course to hold you as gently and compassionately as I can and you are in control of how deeply you wish to engage with whats here for you. The course has a strong focus on emotional support and practices for you. This work is deep and transformative. It may bring up painful feelings that deserve support. Please consider who you can go to for some good listening for yourself.
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You may wish to find a listening partner or supportive friend to accompany you as you work through the course. I also have some availability for parenting coaching sessions and am happy to talk to you about this. Please get in touch if this is something you would like.
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If you feel pulled to do this course but the cost is making it inaccessible, please contact me to let me know what would work for you. I am committed to this work being accessible whilst also needing to earn my living. Always a tricky balance! Let's make it work together.
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Each lesson is offered as a video with subtitles, along with a downloadable transcript and an audio only mp3. You can watch, read, listen at home or on the go. We all have diffrerent learning needs and I encourage you to find what works best for you. I invite you to adapt any of the practices to suit the needs of you and your family.
Free live community practice gathering
Wednesday 5th March 2025 19.00 to 20.30 UK time, on Zoom
This is an invitation for all those who join the course during February 2025. It is a chance to share your experience with each other, ask questions, make connections with others on the same path and deepen your learning.
Pricing
In our capitalist culture pricing fairly is a tricky thing! I want everyone who needs it to have access to this course. At the same time I am working hard to make a living and have put so many hours into this course that I can’t count them! So, I am offering it at several price levels and asking you to tune into your circumstances in order to choose a contribution that feels right for you.
If you are able to contribute the standard price, then £75 is the recommended option.
However, if you are in a position to support others to access this much needed learning, you can do that with the supporter level option of £95.
If you are in a more vulnerable financial position and need a bit of support then choose the supported price of £50. I trust you to choose the right level for you, in integrity with our gift to each other.
If this is still more than you can afford at the moment, please do get in touch and let me know what you are able to donate for this course and I will be happy to help.
Supporter
£95
Join the course and give a bit extra to support others who need to learn this but are struggling at the moment.
3 hours of video content
38 lessons
unlimited access
Standard
£75
Join the course for the standard price to support my work and to enjoy learning the art of warm listening.
3 hours of video content
38 lessons
unlimited access
Supported
£50
If you need some financial support with this, then please take up the lower price. You’ll still get full access to everything.
3 hours of video content
38 lessons
unlimited access