Parents’ Education Groups is an institution founded in 1962 by the psychologist Maria Hourdakis for the prevention of child mental health and parents’ preparation for their difficult task. (Prevention is understood in relation to forming a strengthened personality and defense for the young person).

Parents’ Education Groups are called upon to substantially help parents feel more adequate in exercising their parental role, through the provision of knowledge, information and the necessary psychological support.

They aim to support the parental role, to prevent problems, to promote healthy child development, to provide a space for exchanging experiences and knowledge regarding the upbringing of children, a space for information on the views of science and a space where the foundations are laid for effective parent-child communication.

The main objectives of Parents’ Education Groups are:

To inform parents about children's developmental issues.
To encourage parents adopt more effective communication methods with their children.
To help parents look for more functional ways of solving problems.
To strengthen parents in utilizing their skills so that they respond more effectively to their parental role.
To help diversify and modernize the parental role.
To support the family institution as an irreplaceable provider of child education.
To preserve the mental health of the future adult person.

Parents’ Education Groups operate in groups of parents formed according to the age of their children. So we have:

A. Infant-toddler group (for parents of children aged 0-6 years).

B. School age group (for parents with children aged 6-12).

C. Pre-adolescent and adolescent group (for parents of children and adolescents aged 12-18).

The groups are coordinated by a qualified psychologist and meet twice a month at a fixed day and time. Each meeting lasts an hour and a half and has a specific topic to discuss. Topics are chosen according to the parents’ interests, their questions and needs and in relation to their children’s age group.

With the coordinator’s assistance, there is a dialogue among the parents, discussion and exchange of views. The coordinator provides the scientific knowledge around the topic of the meeting, according to the modern views of developmental and family psychology. Reference is made to the data of evolutionary psychology regarding the needs of each phase of life, from infancy to adulthood.

The group offers parents a sense of 'belonging' and that they can get and give support, experience and knowledge. Over time, a warm atmosphere is created that achieves the desired effect: the gradual differentiation of the parent's behavior, psyche and relationship with their children.

Through effective work, Parents’ Education Groups prove their worth as quality providers, significantly improving parents' relationships with their children. Many families have experienced real support and guidance. Parents’ appreciation has been noteworthy, because with the help of science they moved forward with their children and overcame communication and adaptation challenges.

Parents’ Education Groups

Privacy & Cookies Policy - Terms of Use