General News
20 December, 2024
Parents graduate from course
Seven parents from Dunolly and its surrounds have graduated from the Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities — Being a Parent course.
The free eight week course is designed for parents and carers of children aged between two and 11, and is part of the Every Child, Every Chance initiative, run by Go Goldfields.
The sessions took place throughout term four, exploring skills to help families build confidence, connections and strategies to manage everyday parenting challenges.
Course facilitator Caroline Thoroughgood said societal pressure and fears of judgement can misiform what parenting can look like.
“We are not there to tell them how to parent, we are there to open conversations and have lots of discussions,” she said.
Ms Thoroughgood said that while there can be many moments of perfect parenting, it’s not the aim of the program.
“We want to be a good enough parents where our children are safe, happy and well,” she said.
“We have lots of discussions about why we parent the way we do, and how we can improve the relationships with our children, so it leads to an easier parenting journey.”
Topics explored in the course included understanding behaviour, discipline strategies and coping with stress.
“We talk a lot about being able to see things from our children’s perspective,” Ms Thoroughgood said.
After graduating, the parents are encouraged to share these skills with other families in the community.
One of the graduates, Nathan, said the strategies he learnt not only helped him, but also impacted his own young children.
“It’s been a fantastic opportunity to learn how to interact with our kids, and to encourage them in being stronger and more independent themselves, especially since they are both under the age of three,” he said.
Ms Thoroughgood said that parents and carers who wish to join the program can do so through The Nest.
Central Goldfields Shire councillor Jake Meyer attended the ceremony and handed out the certificates.
He congratulated the graduates and the Being a Parent team.
“Parents can find the time to join in and pick up these really useful skills, it would be great if a few from this group keep going and train up as facilitators,” he said.
Go Goldfields provides a range of award winning support services for young families including Great Start to School and The Nest, providing a welcoming space for parents and carers in Maryborough and surrounding communities facing socio-economic challenges.