Course emphasizes role of parenting

Experts have long contended that many of the country’s social problems, especially the rise in violent crime, are the direct result of the breakdown of the traditional family. With that in mind, since Monday of this week, twenty social workers, recommended through the Human Services Department, have been participating in courses stressing the importance of the family, particularly, child health and development issues. According to training coordinator Donna O’Brien, parents need to realize the profound impact they can have on their children’s development.

Donna O?Brien, Parents as Teachers Natl. Centre
?Our philosophy is basically that parents are their child?s first and most important teacher. And so working with them can help their kids get ready for school, deal with life and develop in the best way possible.?

?What we are finding is that kids enter school much better to learn. They have better English skills, better language skills in their primary language, they have better social skills, their math and science skills higher, and we are finding long-term results are that they are staying out of trouble, that there?s lower child abuse in families, there are a lot of pieces that come around. And as parents become more confident in their role, then they also interact in the schools systems better and are able to talk with teachers and check backpacks and all the things that help their kids be successful.?

This week’s sessions were sponsored by the Liberty Children’s Foundation based in the United Kingdom. The Parents as Teachers National Centre is based in the United States.