Men’s Group: When Your Kids Don’t Do What You Want

A night on parenting, frustration, control, expectations, and what our children bring up in us.

Most fathers know what it is like to feel frustrated with their kids. You ask them to do something and they ignore you. You tell them the same thing again and again, and nothing changes. They talk back, leave things lying around, spend too much time on their phone, make choices you do not agree with, or seem to waste opportunities you wish they would take seriously.

Sometimes it is the little things. Sometimes it is the bigger stuff. Either way, it can bring up a lot.

It might bring up anger, disappointment, worry, frustration, helplessness, or the feeling that you are not being listened to, not being respected, or somehow failing as a father. And when those feelings are there, it can be easy to react from them. You might raise your voice, lecture too much, shut down, get sarcastic, try to control harder, or end up sounding like the very parent you said you would never become.

This Men’s Group is not about sitting around complaining about our kids, and it is not about learning how to control them better. It is about looking at what gets triggered in us when our children do not do what we think they should do.

Because a lot of the time, the reaction is not just about the messy room, the phone, the attitude, the dishes, the laziness, or the choice they are making. It is about what we make it mean.

Maybe it starts to feel like, “They don’t respect me.” Or, “They’re wasting their life.” Or, “They should know better.” Or, “I’m losing control.” Or, “I’ve failed somewhere.” Or even, “I didn’t raise them to be like this.”

Once that meaning kicks in, it can be hard to stay steady, because now you are not only dealing with what happened. You are dealing with what it has stirred up in you.

This night is about slowing that down and having an honest look at what is actually happening underneath the parenting moment. We will look at what gets triggered when your kids do not listen, what you make their behaviour mean about you, where you might try to control because you feel powerless, and what it could look like to respond from something steadier.

This topic is not only for men with young kids. It may also be relevant if you have teenagers, adult children, stepchildren, or if you are still noticing how your own father shaped the way you parent today.

There is no pressure to share. You are welcome to come along, listen, and take what lands.

This is a grounded men’s group for honest conversation, practical reflection, and understanding yourself better.

Event Details

Thursday 10 September 2026
7pm
The Healing Barn
1659 Cambridge Road, Cambridge

Donation welcome.

About the Men’s Group

The Healing Barn Men’s Group is a relaxed and grounded space for men to have honest conversations about life, pressure, parenting, relationships, emotions, purpose, direction, and the things we often keep to ourselves.

It is not therapy, and there is no pressure to share. Each night has a topic, practical reflection, and space for conversation. You are welcome to come along, listen, and take what lands.

If you are unsure what the group is like, or what kinds of things might come up, you can read some of the past Men’s Group reflections. They give a better feel for the way the nights unfold, the kinds of conversations we have, and what men often notice when they have space to slow down and look at what is really going on underneath.

Read the Men’s Group Reflections

Join Us

This group may be for you if you have been feeling frustrated with your kids, unsure how to handle the same situations repeating, worried about the choices they are making, or aware that parenting brings up more in you than you expected.

You do not need to have it all figured out before you come.