Brighton Methodist School addressing parenting issues

The management of the Brighton Methodist School is prepared to work with parents and guardians of that institution, assisting them to better foster relationships with their children and wards.{{more}}

This was the main objective coming out of a series of parenting workshops held over the last three months, with the last one being convened on Tuesday, May 22.

The workshops, staged at the school’s compound, sought to provide parents and guardians with valuable tips on parenting, whilst interacting with them and hearing their views on the various topics.

Covering a wide spectrum of issues, during the first workshop on February 14, the main focus was on “Parenting Skills”, which was facilitated by Lou Ann Boyde, with assistance from Camille Mc Intosh and Karen Nero-Joseph.

The second saw topics such as “Types of Discipline” and “Why Children Misbehave”, with the resource person for this segment being Cammie Matthews.

ASP Jonathan Nicholls of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force was the resource person last Tuesday, when the participants looked at “Child Abuse”, “The Rights of the Child” and “The Role of the Police”.

And, there are visible signs that the sessions have been effective.

At the closing of the final workshop last Tuesday, two parents shared their views.

Margo Bradshaw, in reflecting on her participation, said: “This was a transformation for me, as it helped me to move away from the old way of discipline and to the new ways of disciplining my children.

Also it helped me to deal with conflict and as a result, I now have a better relationship with my children,” Bradshaw added.

Another parent, Juliet Bowens, in evaluating the workshops, stated that she learnt a lot, especially in the area of disciplining of her children.

“I have learnt that discipline is not all about blows and I am able to discipline my children in a less aggressive manner,” Bowens admitted.

The twenty-one participants were all presented with certificates of participation.

Plans are in place to have follow-up sessions, targeting other parents and guardians. The series of workshops was the brainchild of the headteacher Anita John.