It Starts With Me: a FREE, positive training for parents and caregivers in The Hague

CLICK HERE to register for this free course.

Parenting doesn’t come with a manual. And when daily life is busy, it’s easy to fall back on habits from how we were raised. The free training It Starts With Me invites parents and caregivers to pause, reflect, and grow in a supportive group setting. The focus is practical and positive: understanding your influence as a role model and strengthening your relationship with your child.

Why this training matters

Children learn by observing. What we say matters, but so does what we do: how we respond under stress, how we listen, how we set boundaries, and how we show care. In this training, you explore how your own behaviour shapes your child’s world and what you personally want to pass on.

One participant shared a powerful insight:

“I discovered that I can be quite authoritarian, just like my father. The training makes me look and listen better to what my child needs. Our bond has improved as a result.”

Another participant described the deeper reflection the programme can unlock:

“It starts with me goes back to your roots. I realize now that everyone has his own history, his own present and his own future.”

What you can expect

The training consists of six meetings of 2.5 hours. Sessions include sharing, reflection, discussion, and learning together with other parents and caregivers. The programme pays special attention to parenting in a multicultural context, making space for different backgrounds, languages, and family experiences.

You won’t just talk during the sessions. The goal is to take insights home and start working immediately on changes you want in your daily family life.

Trainer

The sessions are led by Sophie Looijestijn, 42, mother of two. She describes the training as having a big and positive impact on her own parenting. Having grown up as a Dutch expat, she is familiar with raising children in a multicultural and multilingual environment and looks forward to meeting participants.

Dates, time, and location

Time: 19:00 to 21:30 for every session

Dates (Tuesdays):

• 24 February: Kick-off meeting
• 3 March: Day 2
• 10 March: Day 3
• 17 March: Day 4
• 24 March: Day 5
• 31 March: Closing session with certificate

Where:

Weimar Wijkpaleis

Weimarstraat 300, Den Haag

Participation and registration

Participation is free. Because the sessions build on each other, joining means committing to attend all six meetings (except in unforeseen circumstances).

About the programme

It Starts With Me (Het Begint Bij Mij) was developed by Peer3 and is carried out in The Hague by various organisations, made possible by the Municipality of The Hague.