BGCT session: Parenting education bootcamp_111703

Posted: 11/14/03

BGCT session: Parenting education bootcamp

By Teresa Young

Wayland Baptist University

LUBBOCK--Successful parenting experiences hinge primarily on several key principles, according to leaders of a "Parenting Education Bootcamp" held in conjunction with the Baptist General Convention of Texas' annual session in Lubbock.

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Posted: 11/14/03

BGCT session: Parenting education bootcamp

By Teresa Young

Wayland Baptist University

LUBBOCK–Successful parenting experiences hinge primarily on several key principles, according to leaders of a “Parenting Education Bootcamp” held in conjunction with the Baptist General Convention of Texas' annual session in Lubbock.

Lane Powell, assistant chairwoman of the human development and family studies department at Texas Tech University, and her husband, Bob Powell, supervisor of the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock, presented practical tips for successful parenting using five key principles.

Parent education in churches should be an ongoing effort rather than simply an occasional weekend retreat, she said, arguing that most parenting principles can be incorporated into the church's regular programs with ease.

The first principle is to emphasize strong marital relationships. Mrs. Powell encouraged churches to make marriage enrichment activities a regular part of their scheduling to build a solid foundation for healthy parenting.

The church should help couples spend time in dialogue about issues affecting their marriage, including their own past experiences with family dynamics and their strengths and weaknesses, specifically in child rearing, she said.

“Different parents have different skills with different ages of children,” her husband added. “For many people, the only school they've received on parenting is their family of origin. That's all they know.”

Second, the Powells urged parents to focus more on affirmation and encouragement in relational interaction. “If we turn our attitude around to one that's more positive, we'll come out ahead in parenting,” Mrs. Powell said. “We often push children away from us by being too rigid in our expectations.”

Their third principle for successful parenting is to understand the developmental stages of children when responding to or guiding their behaviors. Realize the child's limitations and react accordingly, with sensitivity to the child's individual needs, they counseled.

Fourth, the Powells encouraged parents to move away from the trend in today's society to do everything for children, instead providing opportunities for everyone to take responsibility for significant tasks.

The final principle is to establish appropriate and flexible structure and boundaries in relation to the child's development stage. Although boundaries commonly manifest in punishment, the couple urged workshop participants to think of boundaries more as healthy structures in which to grow and mature into healthy adults.

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