Session I
Session I of the program is called Taking Care of the Parent. The session starts with parents sharing their parenting histories and how these experiences affect how we deal with our children today. This Session also looks at ways to heal ourselves, live effectively in two cultures, maintain a balance in our lives, express feelings and treat others with self-assured respect.
Topics:
- Our History As Parents
- Healing Ourselves
- Living in Two Cultures
- Maintaining A Balance
- Understanding Emotions And Expressing Feelings
- Respect And Differentiation
Session II
Session II is called Passing on the Values. It looks at the positive aspects of the Traditional Native family and family tasks in raising children. The focus centres on the responsibilities of parents, then moves to the specific topics of determining values and role modelling.
Topics:
- The Traditional Native Family
- Traditional Native Family Tasks In Raising Children
- Responsibilities Of Parents
- Determining Our Values
- Role Modelling
Session III
Understanding the Child, examines the child's role in the family and the various stages of child development. Attention is given to developing an understanding of children's behaviour, with particular notice of the effects on behaviour of birth order and sibling rivalry.
Topics:
- The Child's Role In The Family
- Stages Of Child Development
- Understanding Children's Behaviour
- Birth Order
- Sibling Rivalry
Session IV
Skills and Practice, helps us develop specific skills in raising children, including: encouraging, listening, "I" messages, negative habits and positive skills in talking, problem solving, gaining cooperation and expectations/consequences. We are assisted throughout this session by illustrations which graphically display the skills, including aids to reading facial expressions and body language.
Topics:
- The Skill Of Encouraging
- The Skill Of Listening
- The Skill Of "I" Messages
- The Skill Of Talking (Negative Habits And Positive Skills)
- The Skills Of Problem Solving And Decision Making
- Using Skills For Gaining Cooperation
- From Expectations To Consequences
Session V
Challenges to Parents emphasizes the ability to identify ownership of problems and methods of solving them. It also helps us identify helpful resources within the community and develop useful networks outside the community.
Topics:
- The Key Word Is "Balance"
- Identifying Resources
- Building Networks
- Evaluation
