Mellow Toddlers (formerly Mellow Parenting) is a group-based intervention for families where there are concerns about the safety and wellbeing of a child between 0 and 5 years old. It is delivered by two family support workers to groups of up to six parents through 14 weekly sessions lasting five hours each. Prior to these sessions, parents are videotaped interacting with their child in their homes. The videotapes then inform the basis of the content of future sessions.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
1 to 3 years old
Group
Mellow Toddlers (formerly Mellow parenting) is a group-based intervention for families where there are concerns about the safety and wellbeing of a child between 0 and 5 years old.
It is delivered by two family support workers to groups of up to six parents through 14 weekly sessions lasting five hours each. The intervention can be delivered to mothers and fathers, although they attend ‘mothers only’ and ‘fathers only’ groups separately.
Parents are visited in their home twice before the start of the intervention. During the first visit, the Mellow Toddler’s goals are explained and discussed within the context of the parents’ circumstances.
During the second visit, the practitioner videotapes the parent and child interacting in situations that may be difficult for them – such as mealtimes and bedtimes. The practitioner and parent then choose two positive and two negative examples of the parent and child’s interaction to share with the group throughout the course of the intervention.
The group sessions include the following components:
The sessions provide opportunities for therapeutic work with parents (individually and through group work); direct work on interaction between parents and children; methods to address antecedent and concurrent family risk factors; and direct techniques to change dysfunctional patterns of parent–child interaction. Parent learning is supported through the feedback provided to the videotapes and the ‘have a go!’ homework assignments
2 to 5 years old
Families with a child under 5 years facing multiple challenges, including parenting difficulties or relationship problems, child protection issues, family violence, or at least two of the following: child behaviour problems, maternal mental health problems, and difficulties with current or past family relationships.
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Attachment security lays the foundation for children to develop positive expectations of themselves and others
Attachment security is thought to reduce the risk of mental health problems as children develop.
Science-based assumption
Sensitive parent–child interactions increase the likelihood of children developing secure attachment relationships
Sensitive parenting is supported by their ability to form positive representations of their child.
Science-based assumption
A parent’s attachment history can negatively impact their representations of their child
Negative representations of the child increase the risk of child maltreatment.
Intervention
Parents receive intensive therapeutic support for their attachment history
Parents are supported to form positive representation of themselves and their child
Parents are coached to respond sensitively to their child’s needs.
Short-term
Parents develop positive representations of their child
Parents are less likely to have negative representations of their child
Parent become more sensitive to their child’s needs.
Medium-term
Improved parent–infant interaction
Reduced risk of the child developing an insecure attachment.
Long-term
Children develop positive expectations of themselves and others
Children are at less risk of future mental health problems
Children are at less risk of child maltreatment.
Families where there are identified parenting difficulties or relationship problems, including child protection issues, family violence, or at least two of the following: child behaviour problems, maternal mental health problems, and difficulties with current or past family relationships.
Mellow Toddlers is delivered in 14 weekly sessions of five hours’ duration each by two practitioners, to groups of six families.
In the morning session, mothers participate in group discussions where they explore how their personal histories with their own parents are impacting their current relationship with their children.
During the lunch session, mothers receive coaching on how to interact with their children and engage in joint activities and singing games.
In the afternoon session, the practitioners lead a group discussion of videotapes of the mothers interacting with their children.
At the end of the session, ‘have a go’ activities are given to encourage parents to apply what they have learned at home; these are followed up in the next week’s session.
The practitioner who delivers this intervention is a family support worker, early years practitioner or health visitor.
The practitioners have 21 hours of intervention training. Booster training of practitioners is recommended.
It is recommended that practitioners are supervised by two host-agency supervisors.
Intervention fidelity is maintained by:
Organisation: Mellow Parenting
Email address: enquiries@mellowparenting.org
Website: www.mellowparenting.org
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
Mellow Toddler’s most rigorous evidence comes from a comparison group study conducted in the UK consistent with Foundations’ Level 2 evidence strength criteria.
The study observed statistically significant improvements in Mellow Toddler mothers’ reports of their child’s behaviour one year following the intervention in comparison to mothers not participating in the intervention. Researchers also observed Mellow Toddler mothers to behave more sensitively and co-operatively towards their child one year following the intervention in comparison to mothers not participating in the intervention. Additionally, Mellow Toddler mothers were significantly more likely to report an improved mental state post-intervention in comparison to mothers in the comparison group.
Mellow Toddlers has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome, but we cannot be confident that the intervention caused the improvement.
| Identified in search | 3 |
| Studies reviewed | 2 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 1 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 0 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 1 |
| Study design | QED |
| Country | UK |
| Sample characteristics | 98 families accessing seven family or community centres in Scotland, with a child 0 to 5 years old, where there are identified parenting difficulties or relationship problems, including child protection issues, family violence, or at least two of the following: child behaviour problems, maternal mental health problems, and difficulties with current or past family relationships. |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities | Not reported |
| Population risk factors | N/A |
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes | Improved behaviour |
| Other outcomes |
|
| Study rating | 2 |
| Citations | Study 1a: Puckering, C., Mills, M., Cox, A. D., Maddox, H. & Evans, J. (1999) Improving the quality of family support; Mellow Parenting: An intensive intervention. Final report. Department of Health. Study 1b: Allely, C. S., Puckering, C., Mills, M., Cox, A. D., Evans, J. & Maddox, H. (2014) The impact of the Mellow parenting programme on later measures of childhood verbal IQ. Educational and Child Psychology. 31, 28–37. |
The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
Macbeth, A., Law, J., McGowan, I., Norrie, J., Thompsons, L. & Wilson, P. (2015) Mellow Parenting: Systematic review and meta-analysis of an intervention to promote sensitive parenting. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 57 (12), 1119–28.
Puckering, C., Rogers, J., Mills, M., Cox, A. D. & Mattsson-Graff, M. (1994) Process and evaluation of a group intervention for mothers with parenting difficulties. Child Abuse Review. 3, 299–310.
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing risky sexual behaviour & teen pregnancy: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
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Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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