Positive parenting with ChildFund Kiribati
ChildFund Kiribati has finished its review on “A Parent Facilitation manual 2022-23" and is now making plans to share this helpful information with families in Betio.
The manual is a collection of researched and useful information about positive parenting and is designed to provide parents in Kiribati with helpful facts, tips and ideas about parenting. Including strategies that encourage better cooperation, play and problem solving with children.
Local consultant Losa Tauaa, who has many years of experience in helping families with positive parenting, worked with the ChildFund Kiribati team on the manual.
“While parents are the best experts in their own way of parenting, we all know that parenting is a challenge at times and ChildFund's positive parenting manual provides helpful and factual information that can help them on their parenting journey” Losa says.
With current restrictions to community events and household visits caused by COVID, the team is busy planning strategic ways to deliver this useful parenting information to families.
Positive parenting principals
· Love and warmth. Children feel love when you talk to them, smile at them, hug them and encourage them.
· Talking and listening. The more you talk to a child (even as a baby) the easier it is for them to develop language.
· Teaching and learning. From a young age children will watch that you are keeping them safe, you should show them what they need to do.
· Limits and boundaries. Children develop well when rules are consistent (although not rigid), firm, fair and age appropriate. Try to focus more on what children should do rather than what they shouldn't do.
· Be consistent. While having the same rules all the time can be hard as a parent when you're tired, it makes parenting easier in the long run.
· Structure and safety. Ensure safe playing areas for children and that they are not at risk from anything they are playing with. Parents should not fight or be violent in front of children, it causes them distress.
The video is part of wider ChildFund project in Kiribati around child protection.
Read more about ChildFund's work in Kiribati here.