Social workers equip women on effective parenting
PROVIDING skills training for parents and guardians to deal with frequently encountered challenges with their children, Richards Bay Family Care hosted a systematic training for effective parenting programme with a group of community members in Brackenham on Thursday.
The session provided a platform for mothers to participate in an information sharing session facilitated by social workers, who encouraged parents to engage in roleplaying, exercises, discussions of hypothetical parenting situations, and sharing of personal experiences.
It also aimed to address dysfunctional and destructive relationships with children and abusive and ineffective methods of discipline and control.
The programme helps parents learn effective ways to relate to their children from birth to adolescence by identifying the reasons behind children’s behaviour.
Touching on the use of cellphones by young children, the social workers advised parents to monitor cellphone usage, especially relating to the internet and having access to pornography and interacting with strangers on social media.
Parents also shared their concerns and learned that their problems were not unique. They gained an understanding of how they can discover ways to build children’s self-esteem through the process of encouragement.
Parents were encouraged to develop an effective discipline system based on both firmness and kindness, how to deal with emotional problems and promote positive emotional growth.
Community members who would like to host similar group training sessions can contact Richards Bay Family Care on 035 7892640 and enquire about the STEP programme.