Community Connect
Welcome to the seventh edition of Family and Community Services' e-newsletter.
ISSUE 7 • JULY 2009
E-news from Family and Community Services
Manuwera Grassroots Parenting Programmes Makes a Difference
"Hi Mrs Biggs
I had sausage, peas and noodles for dinner. Since Thursday night
I have had kumara, pumpkin, potato, corned beef, carrot and peas. From Rebecca"
What this email doesn't tell you, is this is an eight year old young girl who hadn't willingly eaten fruit and vegetables since she was a toddler and until that week her parents were at their wits end. Tired of the ongoing battles at dinnertime and the strain it was putting on the family.
Linda Biggs, Manager of the Manurewa Parent's Support Group says, "we were running a "healthy school lunch ideas" night, and her stressed parents came up to me and told me how they couldn't get Rebecca to eat vegetables, they just didn't know what else to do."
"Yet with some positive reinforcement, fun and support from others at the workshop, Rebecca ate some carrot and celery. The smiles on her parents' faces said it all. Little wins like this make the world of difference to parents and children's lives. Through fun workshops, we are helping parents overcome the daily frustrations of parenting and building their confidence, which in turn benefits the children."
Last term, 70 parents regularly attended workshops on "stretching the family budget, understanding maths, Work & Income services, reading strategies, pastoral care at your school and celebrating mums. The grassroots programme is designed for families living in low decile or vulnerable communities.
Mrs. Biggs says, "We are attracting parents who don't normally attend programmes like this, because we have the schools involvement. More importantly, we have Lead Parents who became the link between the parents and the schools. They are the cornerstone of the programme, they decide what their community and parents need to learn about next."
The Manurewa Parent's Support Group is a new programme funded by Family & Community Services, and is run in five Manurewa schools.
- For more information on Manuwera Parent's Support Group contact Linda Biggs on 0274 864-150.
