P.E.T., or Parent Effectiveness Training, is an eight-week course that’s appropriate for anyone who wants to improve their relationship with the children in their lives, experience greater ease, and fewer power struggles.
P.E.T. facilitates clear communication and problem-solving with children of any age and ability, including infants, toddlers, and teens.
Parents-to-be, grandparents, alloparents, childcare workers, and all interested community members are welcome in this course.
P.E.T. began over 62 years ago and it’s been taught in over 53 countries! Dr. Thomas Gordon, the author of P.E.T., was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times.
Each session is active, and focuses on applying these skills to real-life problems right from the get-go. We learn as a group through short presentations, demonstration of the skills, workbook exercises, coaching, group discussions, and role-playing activities.
There’s a lot of room for you in this space because P.E.T. empowers you to connect more deeply in your relationship with your child and to find your own best solutions to your challenges as a parent. The textbook and workbook support our practice and the group gives you a support system as we learn and practice the skills.
Although P.E.T. was the first of its kind, it gave rise to over 50,000 different parenting programs. You can view a map of the entire course here, and read a comparison of P.E.T. with some alternative programs here.