NSPCC Northern Ireland, in partnership with Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI), is launching it’s ‘Take 5 Seconds’ campaign to help parents remain calm in challenging moments when parenting feels tough.
It comes as the charity’s research of over 1000 people in Northern Ireland found that only 14% of adults and 8% of parents considered physical punishment an acceptable form of discipline. Yet only 33% of parents and carers in Northern Ireland have received any advice on positive parenting.
The campaign is being launched today in Shankill Shared Women’s Centre and aims to support parents and carers to stay calm and connected when their children test boundaries. It helps parents to recognise that their children are still learning how to regulate big emotions, and how to respond calmly when their behaviour is challenging to leave a lasting, positive impact.
Through resources including a booklet, trifold leaflet, pocket z-card and ‘Take 5 Seconds’ parent/carer workshops, the campaign offers practical tips, reassurances and self-care reminders to support calmer parenting and emotionally secure children.
The workshops will be delivered in each of the five health and social care trusts by NSPCC Northern Ireland, alongside CiNI’s Parentline service.
The campaign encourages parents to find their calm with simple advice including:
· Your calm helps children feel safe. Take a breath before you respond – it helps you stay steady and show them how to cope.
· Children do best with simple, calm guidance. Stick to a few clear rules and stay calm when reminding them – they’re still learning.
· Connection builds trust and confidence. Small moments – a smile, a cuddle, a kind word – help your child feel loved and understood.
· Support helps them grow. When things get tough, help them name their feelings and work through it together.
· Remember you’re not alone. Every parent and carer finds it tough sometimes. Talk to someone you can confide in like a partner, friend, family member or a professional like a health visitor or family support worker. Information is also available at www.nspcc.org.uk
Gavin Campbell, Local Campaigns Manager for NSPCC Northern Ireland, said:n“Parenting is amazing, but it also can be exhausting, unpredictable and sometimes overwhelming – and that’s completely normal. The Take 5 seconds campaign is about supporting parents and carers to pause, breathe and find their calm when things feel tough. Children are still learning how to manage big feelings and need support from adults to regulate those emotions.
“How adults respond is important, and parents and carers in Northern Ireland have told us that they don’t want or think it’s acceptable to physically punish their children. They also want support to look at more positive ways to parent. We hope this campaign will do that with simple and easy to follow advice that will help them to keep calm and react in the most positive way possible during those difficult moments of parenthood.”
Natalie Whelehan, Children in Northern Ireland Chief Executive commented: “At Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI) we believe that supporting parents and carers is key to improving outcomes for children. We are delighted to partner with NSPCC Northern Ireland on the Take 5 Seconds campaign, which offers practical tools and gentle reminders that help parents stay calm and build stronger, more positive relationships with their children.
“Every parent has moments when things feel overwhelming, and it’s okay to ask for help. Through our Parentline service, we see every day how taking a few seconds to pause can make a big difference, helping parents stay calm, strengthening family connections and modelling positive coping for children.”
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said, “Parenting can be challenging. So it’s important that parents and carers get the support they need as well as learning how to respond to children and stay calm and connected when things get tough. The NSPCC’s ‘Take 5 Seconds’ campaign aims to do just that, by offering parents and carers practical tips and advice to help them navigate difficult situations, and I’m really pleased to show my support here today at the Shankill Shared Women’s Centre.”
The ‘Take 5 Seconds’ campaign can be accessed via the NSPCC website at www.nspcc.org.uk/advice-for-
Find out more or book into a local workshop by contacting northernirelandcampaigns@
Parents can also contact the NSPCC helpline for advice on 0808 800 5000 or at help@nspcc.org.uk or CiNI’s Parentline NI on 0808 8020 400.
