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| 7 February 2006 |
| Parenting Tips |
| Parents sometimes complain that children these days aren't as well behaved as they used to be. Meet a Perth teacher who's helping parents to solve that problem by giving them some parenting tips. |
SANDI DUCKWORTH (TEACHER): I think society is changing. One of the biggest things is we don't have the time. We're rushing here; rushing there. JAN FLETCHER (CHILD PSYCHIATRIST): We're living in a very rapidly changing world, and people aren't as sure about a lot of things as they used to be. DIANNE BAIN: Sandi Duckworth is St Hilda's answer to parenting bliss. She's been teaching for 20 years and over that time has seen a gradual yet profound change in the behaviour of children. SANDI DUCKWORTH: Are you being prescriptive though in your praise? MELLANIE LYNN: Yes. DIANNE BAIN: After pleas of help from bewildered parents, she implemented a positive parenting program. SANDI DUCKWORTH: Basically the program is enabling the parents to learn strategies to deal with situations, but the biggest thing is how to communicate with the children in a positive way. I love the way that Chloe is really concentrating there. DIANNE BAIN: Child psychologist Jan Fletcher has worked with children for more than 30 years. She believes they are behaving differently, but that's because the nature of parenting is very different to that of years gone by. JAN FLETCHER: We have more parents working. We have less extended family around. The world's changing very rapidly. DIANNE BAIN: Mrs Duckworth believes the key to rearing the perfect child lies in our day-to-day speech. SANDI DUCKWORTH: Things to remember are to state the child's name, get down to the child's level, touch the child and, remember, when they do it, respond positively. DIANNE BAIN: For Richard and Mellanie Lynn, Mrs Duckworth's techniques have changed their lives. MELLANIE LYNN: Really it's taught me, I feel, to be more consistent and to slow down - you know, to not expect too much of a four-year-old child. DIANNE BAIN: Mr and Mrs Lynn have both strived to be successful in their careers, but now, with three children under four, parenthood has become the most important job of their lives. MELLANIE LYNN: I've seen a change in my own behaviour, to be honest; and yes, as a result of that I've seen an improvement in her behaviour. RICHARD LYNN: Are you dressed, sweetie? Abbsy? Good job. DIANNE BAIN: Mellanie and Richard Lynn will no doubt come across bigger parenting hurdles in the future, but, for now, they've found their very own super nanny in Sandi Duckworth. MELLANIE LYNN: Some people would perhaps have no need for a course like this, but, in terms of my experience, I can only recommend it to people. SANDI DUCKWORTH: Parents want to be good. They're doing the best they can, but often they're wanting some little extra strategies or they might want some fine-tuning. |
story notes |
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pleas A plea is a cry for help. bewildered confused implemented To implement means to put into action, to start. enabling Enabling means giving the power or ability to do something. To enable is literally to make someone able to do something. strategies plans of action key Here, the key is the most important piece of information. rearing Rearing means caring for and raising a child to adulthood. lies is found day-to-day speech Day-to-day means happening everyday, as part of normal life. Speech refers to the activity of talking and the way a person talks. state say positively Positively means in a good way. consistent Consistent means always behaving in the same way. improvement positive change
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