Parenting packages for families
No matter which way you look at it, parenting is a tough job.
All children sometimes behave in ways that can test our patience, but there are some children who can feel like they are more challenging than others.
At Morrinsville Community House we don’t like to label children as being difficult or naughty, we lovingly refer to them as ‘‘spirited’’.
Spirited children can present as being more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent and energetic than their peers.
While this can create challenging parenting situations, these are not negative traits.
Spirited children often grow up to be creative, artistic, good problem solvers, focussed, driven, hard-working and highlysuccessful.
However getting them to adulthood can sometimes feel like a long walk up a steep hill!
Mary Grant from The Parenting Place (www.theparentingplace.com) has some good advice around how to positively deal with challenging behaviours.
She suggests avoiding blaming and shaming your child’s bad behaviour.
Blaming and shaming may make children feel bad but it will not necessarily help them to take responsibility for their actions.
This sort of controlling behaviour can give a child a sense of shame, embarrassment, and poor self-esteem.
Mary suggests a better way is to empathise with your child against the problem – give them ownership of the problem and the tools to solve it, and do so in a way that leaves their dignity intact.
It is important to separate your child from their behaviour.
If you can communicate that you approve of your children as people, even though you may disapprove of certain behaviours, then you are really on the right track.
At Morrinsville Community House we have free information packs on parenting including specific packs on ‘‘parenting spirited children’’.
Simply pop in to reception and ask for one.
If you would like more in-depth parenting support we can provide one-to-one parenting sessions.
We have some funded sessions available to families who meet certain government-determined criteria.
For a confidential chat please phone us on 889 5355 and ask for Julie, the Community House manager.