Parents’ Centre widening its scope

Press, 10 July 1979, Page 16

Parents’ Centre widening its scope

Parents’ Centre is getting out into the community with the appointment of Mrs Sylvia Pearson as its programme co-ordina-tor. Among Christchurch parents she is rapidly becoming known as a motherly figure in whom they can confide. As well as her administrative duties aimed at keeping the centre’s expanding courses for parents running smoothly, Mrs Pearson keeps busy with home visits. She is making a practice of going to the homes of mothers who have been through the centre’s antenatal courses. This is a

By

LEONE STEWART

crucial time for young mothers, particularly'those who are not near their own mothers. “So many say to me: ‘Oh, if only 1 could ring Mum and ask what I do now’,” says Mrs Pearson. Her part-time job is funded by a one-yea r grant from the Mental Health Foundation. The centre hopes the grant will be extended. Mrs Pearson’s main worry is that her efforts are just “a drop in the ocean.” “I could spend all my time doing home visits, and apart from the time, money is a worry with petrol going up all the time.”

The Christchurch Parents’ Centre now runs its courses from Hagley House, the premises used by Hagley High School’s adult pupils during the day.

The greatest demand is still for ante-natal classes, now ‘also enthusiastically attended by expectant fathers. But the centre feels there is a great need for more support services for parents of growing children. Its courses for adoptive parents are being well attended.

Although the courses try to prepare prospective parents for the demands of bringing up children, tutors find it hard to get beyond the birth process. “Of course, it’s hard for them to see the reality of bringing up children until they are home with the

baby,” says Mrs Pearson. She is surprised to find that forms of post-natal depression are quite common. “The more intellectual mothers who have had a career often feel a sense of conflict. They are tied to the home and • their former life is completely disrupted.” One of the first things Mrs. Pearson does in home visiting is to arrange for mothers of new-born babies to meet each other. Many feel lonely and isolated in the suburbs. “Having children can be very rewarding and enjoyable, but it’s not a bed of roses. We have no prepa-

ration for parenthood in New Zealand. We need more education in child development in schools so that young parents will understand the different stages of their children’s growth.”

The centre is disappointed that its efforts to have such courses in schools have not met with much success in Christchurch. Mrs Margaret Sheard, president of the centre, quotes schools in the Kapiti area as a good example of childhood classes being run with the help of Parents’ Centre for both boys and girls.

As well as the course for parents about to adopt children the centre is now running three courses for parents of growing children. The next course for parents of the young baby begins on July 24. In September there will be a course for parents of toddlers, followed the next month by a course for parents of five to 12-year-olds.

Soon the centre hopes to resume the successful courses run for boys on detention at Rolleston.

Bath night is thd 1 highlight. A family group, usually including small children, will take along a baby and give a practical demonstration of bathing and caring for the baby. If the parents agree, and they almost always do, the' boys are allowed to bath and feed the baby.

boys are very I,” ' says Mrs

“The interestei

Pearson. “They ask all sorts of observant questions. The majoritv have been taught that children should be seen and not heard, so it’s also a new experience for them to see children playing around happily and freely.” Although the centre does have some solo mothers attending courses, it would like to see more. It would also like more fathers of children to attend. Mrs Pearson believes that the only satisfactory way to reach more solo parents is to go to them. “But that could be a full-time job in itself.” “A stable happy background is the basic for a successful satisfactory life. If we have to make cuts in community work now it will mean more expense for the Government later.”

In hostessing courses Mrs Pearson finds the major fear of parents, particularly fathers, is that their children will be spoilt. “They are so worried that their child will ‘put it over them.’ I don’t know how we can get past that repressiveness. It seems to be part of the national character.” Parents’ Centre has come a long way since it was founded more than 25 years ago. Or is it that public attitudes have caught up with the centre’s philosophies? Described in its jubilee bulletin as an early liberation group, the centre was accused of being unsound by sonte hostile professionals. Now its radical ideas — husbands at birth, making the birth process as natural as possible, rooming in, and even facilities for mothers to stay with their sick children in hospital — are now accepted and put into practice. “We find the younger doctors very much with us now,” says Mrs Pearson. “Some of the older men are still very sceptical.”

“Maternity care procedures in hospital have improved very much over the last few. years, but from the questionnaire we are doing it does seem to vary somewhat. We are still working to get the baby placed at the breast as early as possible after birth for proper motherchild bonding. “It was pressure of public opinion that finally got fathers admitted to births,” says Mrs Pearson.

“Mothers just have to keep asking for what they want. And Parents’ Centre is right behind them.”