PARENT'S SURVIVAL GUIDE

Press, 22 May 1986, Page 8

PARENT'S SURVIVAL GUIDE

By

MAVIS AIREY

centre, F.L.E.C. has also started regular Wednes-day-lunchtime forums on various aspects of parenting. Children are welcome to come, and simple play materials made available. At a recent session on discipline, 35 parents were treated to an impromptu case in point, as two toddlers vied for the attention of their mother. This provoked lively reminiscences around the group of similar situations illustrating how adept children can be at embarrassing their parents in public. In the relaxed and supportive atmosphere some souls were bared, and various suggestions made. As one parent said afterwards, “I didn’t learn anything I didn’t know before, but it was good to hear how others coped.”

F.L.E.C.’s next series of forums starts on Wednesday, June 18, from 12.30 to 1.30 p.m. Subjects will include crying babies, setting limits, conflict resolution, healthy eating for pre-schoolers, toddler tantrums, sibling rivalry, providing for play, and sexrole stereotyping.

Another of F.L.E.C.’s activities is making submissions to the Government on issues to do with children and families. Although the Wellington branch is most active on this, the Canterbury group made submissions to have Child and Family Studies included in the Core Curriculum in 1981.

The group was disappointed that the new health syllabus does not contain a specific module on parent education and exploring childhood.

The latest submission is on the status of parenthood and parent payment. “The idea has been growing for a number of years, and it is interesting to see how the community’s perceptions are changing,” says Shirley Croll.

“At first the idea of paying parents to stay at home was seen as quite outrageous: of course mothers should do everything for love. “But it is an important job, and should be a matter of real choice: we know some people would like to stay at home, but can’t afford to. “The status of motherhood has to be raised, and in our society we recognise status by monetary reward,” she concludes. Depending as it does on grants and donations, F.L.E.C. lives very much from hand to mouth.

Telethon money will continue to pay for a parttime co-ordinator for a while, but fundraising to keep a roof over their heads is getting increasingly difficult. Its supporters are tom between wanting greater recognition and monetary support from the Department of Education, and wanting to preserve F.L.E.C.’s autonomy. They will be doing some soul-searching over the next few months about the direction in which the organisation should be moving. Several of the projects it started have been taken on by other groups. As Shirley Croll admits, in an ideal world F.L.E.C. would be out of a job. But the ideal still looks a long way off.