Most people have their own ideas about what makes a ‘good’ or effective parent, and in a society as diverse as Australia, clearly many different parenting styles and approaches do work. However, when they encounter problems in their parenting, or as their children begin to develop into young adults, many parents find they need to adjust their approaches to suit their family’s changing needs.
This fact sheet provides some background information on parent education and its effectiveness, as well as information and contact details for some well-known programs.
What is parent education?
Parent education provides information and skills to support healthy family development. Some parent education programs have general aims, such as teaching parents to develop skills to ensure healthy child development. Others aim to address specific concerns such as dealing with problem behaviours, or alcohol or other drug use.
Research shows that well-structured parent education programs can make an important difference by helping to prevent problematic drug use among young people. Some family factors can have a negative influence on children’s involvement in drug use, including:
On the other hand, family effectiveness can help to increase young people’s ability to withstand the early risks caused by factors such as behavioural problems in childhood, lack of school readiness, poor school attend-ance and attainment (success), participation in drug use with peers, delinquency and access to drugs.
The goals of specific parent education programs differ depending on the developmental stage of the child, and family circumstances, but all aim to assist parents in building the capacity of their families and the resilience of their children. For example, some parent education programs are designed for parents of newborn babies or children with special needs, while others look at the adolescent years or dealing with adolescent drug use. Following are brief summaries of some parent education programs in Victoria . For information about other programs, contact your local council or community health centre.
Positive Parenting Program
This program aims to make parenting a little easier by ensuring that information, advice and support are available when parents need it.
It promotes children’s development and helps parents manage their behaviour in constructive and non-hurtful ways. The program offers Tip Sheets for parents of infants and children up to school age, and a Positive Parenting Booklet and video. Information about the program is available through local services, such as maternal and child health centres, child care centres, schools, doctors and community health centres. For information, general parenting queries and research, contact the Parenting Research Centre on tel. 03 8660 3500 or email info@parentingrc.org.au.
ABCD programs
A four-week program for parents of young people aged 10–13 years, the ABCD Parenting Young Adolescents programaims to improve communication, understanding and positive interaction between parents and their children. ABCD Plus follows on from the basic program to help parents deal with conflict and repair damaged relationships. The programs are offered in English, Arabic, Macedonian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese. All programs are offered free to parents, including free child care, and are run during business hours or after hours, depending on the requirements of the parent group and the availability of facilitators. For more information, or to register for a program in your local area, contact ParentLine on tel. 13 22 89.
Parenting Adolescents: A Creative Experience (PACE)
PACE is a seven-week program for parents of adolescents in high school. The program, delivered through schools, provides parents with a supportive forum and an opportunity to reflect on their approach to parenting. It focuses on communication, conflict resolution and adolescent development. The program has been shown to be successful in reaching vulnerable families from a range of culturally diverse communities including Aboriginal and non-English speaking backgrounds. For information, contact Parenting Australia on tel. 03 9427 9899 or email parents@jss.org.au .
Behaviour Exchange Systems Training (BEST)
BEST is a nine-session program designed for parents stressed by adolescent substance abuse. Parents are challenged to acknowledge young people’s choices to use drugs and to question the assumption that parents are to blame, while developing an awareness of the unique needs children have when they reach adolescence. The program also includes drug education. For information about the program, or to register, contact Family Drug Help on tel. 1300 660 068, or see their website at www.familydrughelp.sharc.org.au.