Parental skills training in groups: reflective practice of social workers

Abstract

The role of parents in children“™s life is essential. Constantly changing world, fast life rhythm dictates new needs for parents raising children: what was suitable ffy, thirty or even ten years ago now cannot be suitable for contemporary parents. Parenting skills training becomes more and more popular for parents to learn new skills and to get support while bringing up their children. This article reveals rei¬‚ective practice of social workers while implementing parenting skills training program “Ei¬€ective Parenting Skills“ using groups format during the period of seven years. The program teaching parental skills ““ “Ei¬€ective Parenting Skills“ is based upon elements of the Dutch programs “Opvoeden Zo“ from the Netherlands Youth Institute (Nederlands Jeugdinstituut, NJI) in Utrecht and “3 x Groei“ from PI Research in Amsterdam/Duivendrecht. The elements are adapted for performing parental skill training in Lithuania. The program was developed as part of the project “Positive Parenting“ funded by the Dutch Government. Positive parenting is a way of raising your children ei¬€ectively and respectfully influencing their behavior. Positive parenting helps to respect children“™s rights: parents raise their children in a more democratic (positive, supportive, protective) way. This leads to more competent and healthy children and more self-confdent parents. Parenting skills training was organized in closed groups of parents, the duration of which was from 12 to 14 hours. “Ei¬€ective Parenting Skills“ program was led by two social workers for parents with dii¬€erent parenting experience and needs. Rei¬‚ective practice reveals positive outcome for parents who atended “Ei¬€ective Parenting Skills“ program. Positive ini¬‚uence for parents was connected not only with training material of the program, but also with such processes in groups as sharing one“™s experience, mutual aid between each other, learning from their peers The practical rei¬‚ection also shows that the role of the trainer in the group is very important: ability to create safe and emotionally positive environment in the group, skills to develop mutual aid between group members, knowledge and skills leading the group and ability to work with not motivated parents, makes the program ei¬€ective.