Kids learn about parenting 'hands-on'

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 623, 13 February 1996, Page 16

Kids learn about parenting 'hands-on'

A survey of the Plunket Society' s popular "Tots andToddlers" high school parenting education programme has shown it is extremely effective in teaching basic child care skills to teenagers. Tots and Toddlers is a course designed for senior secondary students, involving six hours of practical, "hands-on" learning of parenting skills. Students learn what' s involved in looking after a baby, including bathing, feeding, play and sleep needs. Local mothers and babies assist with the courses. In a recent nationwide study nearly 200 secondary students who had taken the course two years ago were surveyed, and the survey showed most had retained key elements of the course. Between 94 and 98 per cent of the students recalled developmental and baby safety facts correctly, and 77 per cent recalled the importance of breastfeeding. Almost all the students knew that children needed to be watched all the time, that children learn by playing, that children have different sleeping patterns, that children cry because they need help, and that cigarette smoke is bad for babies. The programme was seenby the students as providing valuable experience and changed the attitudes towards parenting for almost two-thirds of the students. In particular it made them aware that being a parent of young children is a difficult task and a big responsibility. The programme made some pupils think

positively about delaying parenthood. Students commented that they felt more confident about caring for children, that they understand babies' needs better, that child care was more difficult than they thought. Most of the students found the course to have practical value for them, and believed it had increased their general knowledge about many aspects of caring for infants. At least one-third of the students said they had used what they learnt in a babysitting role. Teachers and parents involved in the courses were also very positive about its results. Plunket runs Tots and Toddlers courses in nearly 100 high schools nationwide.