Parenting is not just for parents
If you have children in your care, every day or occasionally, whether you’re a parent, an older brother or sister, an aunty or uncle, friend or grandparent, Christchurch City Council’s annual Parenting Week has something for you.
Now in its sixth year, the 12-18 September week offers more than 60 events, workshops and activities for the whole community. With a focus on the importance of quality parenting, it’s for anyone in the whanau who plays a part in a child’s upbringing. There are activities to share with the kids, such as pyjama storytimes or the Butterfly Ball, as well as lots of useful sessions for adults, whether parents or extended family.
Parenthood can be a huge learning curve, and it can take the dedication, skill, and time of family, friends and neighbours to give our children the best start in life. While parents have the main responsibility for making sure children grow up in a loving, nurturing environment, the whole community has an important role in giving support and encouragement.
Parenting Week 2005 is about the whole community’s role in parenting. It’s a role which the Council is committed to supporting, and a vision shared by Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore.
“I’d like Christchurch to be a city where every child is loved,” he says. “Children are our taonga — our treasure, and the quality of living in the future is dependent upon the investment we make in families today. Take part in some or all of the events. Take advantage of the support on offer; have fun too.”
If you’re planning a family, need help communicating more effectively with your children, want advice about choosing the right school or about teaching your children to read, help is at hand. Whether your whanau has one or two straight or gay parents, one or several children, is vegetarian or meat-eating, Parenting Week has something for you.
|
