Every new year in first term, we will run an event for our new Year 7 cohort, next one February 2023! This will involve all Year 7 students and their fathers, father figures and significant male role models to join us for a fun night of activity. 2023 will see us try our engineering skills in making paper planes while enjoying a slice of pizza (I hear the pizza grease can help). There will be a small talk from a guest speaker and then crowning glory for the longest flight of a paper plane.

We also want to continue this connection with our Year 8 and Year 9 students through a possible camp activity. We are still working on this, but keep your eyes and ears open for upcoming information on that.

We look forward to 2023 and the new endeavours that will ensue.

Until next time, here is some great information that will continue to help us grow and be better carers of the children we love:

An excerpt from an article by:

Graeme Stuart – Lecturer (Family Action Centre, Newcastle Uni), blogger (Sustaining Community), Alternatives to Violence Project facilitator, environmentalist, father. Passionate about families, community development, peace, sustainability.

Authoritative Parenting

Authoritative parents are high on control and demandingness, and also high on responsiveness and warmth. They set clear standards for their children but accept “a reciprocal responsibility to be as responsive as possible to their children’s reasonable demands and points of views” [3, p. 46]. The authoritative style of parenting can be described as democratic with parents being willing to discuss options and to negotiate rules and expectations. When children fail to meet these expectations, the parents respond in a nurturing and forgiving way rather than simply imposing punishment (About Education).

Baumrind[2] suggests that authoritative parent

Monitor and impart clear standards for their children’s conduct. They are assertive, but not intrusive and restrictive. Their disciplinary methods are supportive, rather than punitive. They want their children to be assertive as well as socially responsible, and self-regulated as well as cooperative (p. 62).

According to About Education authoritative parents:

• Listen to their children
• Encourage independence
• Place limits, consequences and expectations on their children’s behavior
• Express warmth and nurturance
• Allow children to express opinions
• Encourage children to discuss options
• Administer fair and consistent discipline.

The authoritative parenting style is often associated with positive outcomes for children such as social competence, psychological flexibility and success at school [2, 7, 11-13]. Maccoby [14] suggests that the positive outcomes associated with authoritative parenting is related to parents focusing on the best interests of the child (even if it means setting aside some of their own interests) while also insisting the child takes responsibility (increasing as they grow) for responding to the needs of other family members. (In the next post I will discuss some of the criticisms of these parenting styles and the importance of recognising other influences on outcomes for children.)

Webinar Opportunity for Parents