Gentle Guidance: How to Understand,
Inspire and Empower Your Kids
Marie Gentles, OBE
Marie was a behavioural expert on BBC's Don't Exclude Me and Helping Our Teens.
Right now, it is undeniably a tough time to be a parent. With so many pressures on your time, your energy and your resources, it can be difficult to give your child everything they need emotionally, and even more so when you're faced with defiance, disruption or challenging behaviour. However, in this new book, Marie Gentles draws on decades of expertise supporting families to give you the toolkit you need to be the best parent you can be – and the best bit? The change starts with you.
Just as when you're on a plane and are advised to get your own oxygen mask on in an emergency before helping your child, the same applies when it comes to behaviour. So first in Marie's toolbox is the need to take time for yourself: give yourself headspace, allow yourself time to adopt a healthy mindset and be the change you want to see.
From establishing positive relationships that bring out the best in your child, to applying the tools you learn as a framework for your wider relationships, whether it be with friends, colleagues, your boss or even your inner child, this book will help you put Marie's FIVE CS into practise when faced with any challenging moment:
- Communication: behaviour is communicating a need for emotional connection.
- Calm: this moment is a teaching and learning opportunity.
- Curious: what feeling is the other person seeking?
- Connect: how can I meet their emotional needs?
- Convey: what does my behaviour look like in this moment from the other person's perspective?
You don't need to fit into a box with your parenting style, but using Marie's gentle guidance, you'll be equipped to raise a resilient child who in turn has the tools they need to deal with anything life throws at them – whether they are fifteen months or fifteen years, it's never too late to start.
Gentle Guidance: How to Understand, Inspire and Empower Your Kids is available to buy from your local bookseller and online internationally from Amazon.
 |
 |
 |
 |
About The Author
Marie Gentles, OBE has a longstanding successful career in education and has significant experience in her field in both Alternative Provision and in the mainstream sector. Marie is a Behaviour Advisor for the Government and was previously a Headteacher of an Outstanding Primary Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) and Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) provision. Marie’s work has sparked media interest and she has partaken in two 2 part BBC TV documentaries to document her work.
Marie has gone on to make her mark in changing the way we see and manage behaviour in our schools and homes. Marie was also the Borough lead in setting up a London Borough Nurture Group, the first of its kind nationally, which saw a 100% sustained reintegration success rate year on year for children and young people following the Nurture Group intervention.
Marie’s influence and partnerships with many schools, the Department for Education (DfE) and families has had immense success in transforming pupil’s behaviour and significantly reducing the rate of permanent exclusions.
In October 2020, Marie was recognised for her services to education and after being sited in the Queens Birthday Honours list, received an OBE.
Marie is a mother of two and comes from an extended family, inclusive of a number of adopted and fostered children.
You can learn more about Marie by visiting her website www.gentlesguidance.com and you can connect with her online via Instagram and LinkedIn.
