Connection Before Correction
Children are more likely to cooperate and learn from a boundary when they feel connected to the adult setting it. This workshop introduces the idea of leading with connection before addressing behaviour, without abandoning boundaries or structure. You will leave with a practical, everyday approach to balancing warmth and limits, plus a take-home booklet.
Led by Amy Byrne — BA (Hons) Level 8 in Early Childhood Education and Care, currently studying a Level 9 postgraduate in play therapy, Children First trained and a Mandated Person. One hour, with a take-home booklet and a dated certificate of attendance.
Who this is for
Suitable for parents wanting a calmer approach to discipline at home, and for early years educators building strong relationships alongside consistent boundaries in their setting.
What we cover in the hour
- What connection before correction means in practice.
- Why children resist correction more when they feel disconnected.
- Simple ways to reconnect with a child quickly during a busy day.
- Holding a boundary firmly while still staying warm.
- Repairing the relationship after a difficult moment.
- Building daily habits of connection that make correction easier.
What you'll leave with
- A practical framework for leading with connection before correction.
- Quick ways to reconnect with a child during a busy day.
- Confidence holding boundaries without losing warmth.
- A simple approach to repairing a relationship after conflict.
- A take-home booklet with daily connection ideas.
Inside the booklet
The booklet includes quick connection rituals, a boundary-with-warmth script, and ideas for repairing a relationship after a difficult moment.
This workshop is anchored in Aistear's Identity and Belonging theme and Síolta's Standard on relationships between adults and children.
How it can be delivered
| Format | Price |
|---|---|
| Public ticket — live onlineOne hour, small group, booklet emailed | €20 per person |
| Public ticket — in personOne hour in a venue near you, booklet in hand | €35 per person |
| Private 1:1 with Amy30 minutes €25 · full hour €50 (3 for €135) | from €25 |
| Private group — onlineParent evening or staff session, minimum 5 | €35 per person |
| Private group — in personYour setting or venue, minimum 6 | €45 per person |
No VAT and no booking fees. An itemised receipt is emailed instantly, and invoices are available before you book. Running this across a whole setting? Setting packages start at €399.
Common questions
- Does connection before correction mean no boundaries?
- No, boundaries remain central to this approach. The session explains how connection makes boundaries more effective, not how it replaces them, and includes practical examples of holding a limit warmly.
- Won't this take too much time during a busy day?
- The connection strategies covered are designed to be quick, often just moments, and fit into everyday routines rather than requiring extra time set aside.
- Is this suitable for a group setting with many children?
- Yes, the session includes ideas for building brief moments of connection across a group, which is especially useful for educators managing several children at once.
- What if I have already had a difficult moment with a child today?
- The session covers practical ways to repair a relationship after conflict, which can be used at any point, including after a difficult moment has already happened.
- Is this a specific parenting method or brand?
- No, this workshop presents a practical approach grounded in early years frameworks rather than a branded parenting programme.
Related workshops
- Play as a Child's LanguageHow children communicate emotions, experiences and inner conflicts through play — observing without directing or interrogating.
- Positive Boundaries Without ShoutingClear, age-appropriate limits while protecting connection, modelling regulation and reducing power struggles.
- Sibling Conflict and Problem-SolvingSupport children through sharing, turn-taking, frustration and repair without expecting them to resolve every conflict alone.
- TopicBehaviour is communicationWorkshops on behaviour is communicationExplore
- WorkshopPlay as a Child's LanguageHow children communicate emotions, experiences and inner conflicts through play — observing without directing or interrogating.Explore
- WorkshopPositive Boundaries Without ShoutingClear, age-appropriate limits while protecting connection, modelling regulation and reducing power struggles.Explore
- WorkshopSibling Conflict and Problem-SolvingSupport children through sharing, turn-taking, frustration and repair without expecting them to resolve every conflict alone.Explore
- CourseBig Feelings: Calm Responses to Toddler TantrumsA short, practical course on why tantrums happen, what a child's brain can and cannot do mid-meltdown, and a repeatable way to respond that protects both the limit and the relationship.Explore
- BlogHow to handle toddler tantrums calmly (without giving in)When tantrums start, why they happen, what to do in the middle of one, and what actually reduces them over time — for 2, 3, 4 and 5 year olds.Explore
More in this theme: Behaviour is communication · All workshop themes · Upcoming dates
Available live online across Ireland, and in person in Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Louth, Cork and other counties.
Trusted early years resources
Every workshop is grounded in Irish early years frameworks and national guidance.
- Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (NCCA)
- Síolta: the National Quality Framework
- Children First national guidance (Tusla)
- First 5: Ireland's strategy for babies & young children
- Early Childhood Ireland
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