Parents get together to focus on needs of kids and parenting skills

Friday,  September 30, 2005

Parents and specialists have been working hard this month to focus on Building self-esteem and discipline, for parents and children alike — the focus of the National Parenting Programme (NPP) for the current education drive.

District teams have been developed, and NPP members who were formally trained in recent facilitating workshops are now active in the community.

Throughout September they have facilitated meetings and presentations with PTAs and Parent-Support Groups throughout the districts.

Referring to neglect and victimization in the home, members have noted that common problems involved meeting children’s basic needs – from breakfast before school, to supervised activities on evenings and weekends, as well as verbal abuse.

 “We can no longer tolerate negative actions against children.  We have to build family relationships, including effective discipline techniques,” said NPP Coordinator Deborah Webb.

The abuse of the social welfare system being and the need to return families and neighbourhoods to being accountable for meeting the needs of each child as well as the importance of these new attitudes being instilled into parents, rather than being legislated have also been raised.

“We’re here to help, but also to encourage parents to adopt new and improved ways of parenting,” said West Bay group member Jenny Manderson.

Other matters being dealt with by parent groups include basic manners, patriotism and respect for others.

MLA Eugene Ebanks spoke of educating parents and bringing certain positive values back to society.

Participants also suggested that there needs to be more control of the mass media by government over what is broadcast, as well as closer monitoring by parents.

Also the need for more churches to offer after-school programmes, as well as the need for the business community to make long-term commitments to such efforts has been raised.

On the issue of correcting the mistakes of the current generation of parents, the group acknowledged the difficulty of expecting some parents to ‘teach children what they were not taught.’

West Bay Social Worker Geneveive Tomlinson encouraged the team’s approach of, “Assisting parents first, then challenging them to do better, before holding them accountable for negative actions.”

To become involved in the National Parenting Programme, call 949-0290 or 925-5350.

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