Recently, we asked Emma Bennett, one of our Kids Matter Facilitators, a couple of questions (as part of a series of interviews for the National Parenting Initiative) to find out a bit more about the impact of our parenting programme in the lives of children and families facing disadvantages.
Here ‘s what Emma said:
- What made you decide to run a parenting programme in your church?
I noticed the impact lockdown had on children and families – children were at home continually and the absence of a well-balanced home environment (in some cases) took a toll on the children’s wellbeing. The Kids Matter programme equips parents and carers to manage their children’s behaviour, with practical advice on how to make their homes a better place. I was encouraged by this as many parents (even my husband) come from an unhappy family environment, so I could see the impact the Kids Matter programme could make.
- Why Kids Matter?
I was contacted during lockdown about running a Taster* for Kids Matter in my community, and I liked the sound of it.
*A Kids Matter ‘Taster’ is an event that introduces the programme to guests who might be interested in attending a group.
- What were the costs involved?
Apart from the training costs and the church partnership fee, I spent about £150 to set up my crèche.
- How did it go? What were the highlights?
The programme went well! Both parent teams were encouraged and were very open, and shared a lot about how they were parented and how they would like to parent their own children differently. The main highlights were: seeing the improvement in the parents’ approach to parenting and how they were willing to say they would try some of the new techniques and honest enough to say “no” if they weren’t!
- What would you say to anyone looking at this programme and wondering whether it might work in their community?
It will work but you just need to get people sign up. The main challenge is getting parents to attend. No matter how many times you tell people about the programme, they have to really want to do it. Now that I have run my first group, I am going to get testimonies from the attending parents that I will use to encourage others to come.