Assn of Teen Parent Educators of NZ (APTENZ)

Thursday 30 August

I am delighted to welcome all the delegates to the Teen Parent Educators conference.

My congratulations to Nan Caldwell and her team at the Kimihia Learning Centre. I've seen first hand what a great programme they have developed to make sure that teen parents and their children get a good start.

Being a father has been the greatest job of my life and I'm pleased to say that my daughter Anna is about to come up trumps and produce our first grand child. Pam and I are really looking forward to having another baby in the house.

I know first hand that staying home and looking after the children is very rewarding. I was the first care giver for our children for a while.

Being a mum or dad for the first time is not an easy task. I must have done something right because my son, Johnny, resigned from kindergarten because he preferred being home helping me in the garage.

As the Jesuits always say, “Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man”, and I better add to that, “give you the woman”.

There is a lot of truth in this saying, as young children, soak up everything they hear unquestioningly, and it shapes who they are later in life.

Teen parents are in special need of nurturing. We either bring them with us or leave them behind. It's not a choice, there are two lives at sake, we must bring them with us.

Teen parents have varied challenges and need an individual response to their needs. They all have unique abilities and talents and by helping them with special learning programmes they can be given the confidence to allow them to develop into the type of people and parents they have the potential to be and to provide a safe and cherished home for their child.

Imparting knowledge and confidence to these young people is a very special responsibility. I hope that you have the opportunity to take a look around the city while you are here. It's only a couple of days until spring when the city always looks its best, and being at the Chateau on the Park you have Hagley Park and the Botanic Gardens just across the road.

My best wishes for your conference.

ENDS