How Parent-Led Support Helps Families Thrive
Do you ever feel like you’re fire-fighting your child’s new worries, fears, or big emotions?
Every parent wants to feel that they’re doing their best, yet we all have moments where we question our responses. Parenting doesn’t come with a manual, and those quiet thoughts of “Am I doing enough?” or “Am I getting it right?” are more common than we realise.
As our child’s social world grows from the moment they start school, their friendships and self-awareness develop, and their thoughts and social understanding deepen. It’s no surprise that childhood is full of age-appropriate fears and worries.
While many of these worries are a normal part of growing up, for some children, they can spiral especially in a world that feels faster, busier, and more stimulating than ever before. Research supports this shift, showing that today’s children face greater pressures than previous generations.
Multiple national reports have found that children today experience greater exposure to stressors, including digital stimulation, social pressures, and a heightened sense of performance. These factors can contribute to anxiety or exacerbate normal developmental worries.
According to NHS Digital (2023), one in five children aged 7–16 now presents with a probable mental health disorder, with social and environmental pressures identified as contributing factors. Despite this, knowing how best to help our child with difficult feelings isn’t always easy, especially when worries begin to affect things they once enjoyed or prevent them from trying new opportunities.
Sometimes it can feel like no matter what you try, another challenge pops up, leaving you searching for the best way to respond.
What Helps
Just when we think we’ve got parenting figured out, a new phase appears. Who remembers the Wonder Weeks app, many of us used when we had newborns? Looking for a reason as to why they weren’t sleeping, why they were eating more (or less), or simply searching for answers as to why what worked last week didn’t work the next?
As children grow, each new stage brings fresh emotions and challenges. It’s natural to respond in a logical, adult way, but what if we paused to reflect on how we felt at our child’s age? Do we remember having some of the same worries they do? What did we need then?
In a world that feels busier and more stimulating for our children, it’s worth recognising that it can feel equally overwhelming for us as parents. How can we slow down and give ourselves the opportunity to see things differently? To take a moment to look at the world through our child’s eyes.
When parents understand how their child is developing socially and emotionally, it becomes easier to respond in ways that meet their needs.
Evidence-based parenting programmes such as The Incredible Years® Parenting Programme highlight the importance of consistent routines, positive attention, and calm, connected communication. These approaches help parents understand and respond to their child’s emotional needs, strengthening relationships and reducing stress at home.
The Research
Parent-led interventions are an effective way to support a child’s emotional well-being through their most trusted relationship —their parent or caregiver.
Research led by Professor Cathy Creswell and Dr Lucy Willetts at the University of Oxford has shown that guided parent-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms in children aged 7–12. Instead of working directly with the child, a trained practitioner works alongside parents, helping them understand what’s happening for their child and teaching practical, evidence-based strategies to use at home.
This approach has been shown to help children experiencing mild to moderate anxiety, worry, emotional outbursts, and avoidance behaviours, while also strengthening family relationships and improving parent confidence.
Why It Works
When parents are supported to understand their child’s emotional world, the learning doesn’t stay in the therapy room — it becomes part of everyday family life. Parents can respond thoughtfully during difficult moments, help their child recognise and manage emotions, and create an environment where worries and outbursts are met with understanding.
Children thrive when they feel seen, heard, and supported. Parent-led interventions make that possible. By embedding these strategies at home, families strengthen relationships, build confidence, and create a foundation of emotional security that lasts long after sessions end.
The Brave Beginnings Approach
At Brave Beginnings, we’ve seen firsthand the difference this approach can make. With experience in delivering Parenting an Anxious Child (PAC) programmes for children with mild anxiety and working with parenting frameworks that help normalise childhood emotions and behaviours, we’ve created a three-month parent support programme.
Our Connected Parents Programme blends evidence-based approaches to help parents:
Understand what is developmentally expected for their child
Recognise and respond when emotions and worries may need extra support
Learn practical, research-backed tools to build emotional literacy
Feel more confident and empowered in supporting wellbeing at home
We believe that when parents feel supported, children flourish.
