BEING a parent is the most important job in the world – and as part of a campaign to bring information and support to all parents, Parenting Limerick a network of organisations that provide parenting and family support across Limerick hosted a Positive Parenting Morning recently where the importance of strong relationships was discussed.
John Sharry, well-known parenting advisor, was on hand to discuss Positive Parenting: Building Strong, Positive Relationship with your Children and to answer questions from the crowd.
Members of the Parenting Limerick Network held interactive workshops on issues that matter to parents such as Building Strong Attachments with Your Child, Communicating with Babies and Toddlers, Coping with Challenging Behaviour and Cyberbullying.
John Sharry, who co-developed the Parents Plus Programmes and is a regular contributor on parenting to The Irish Times, told the audience that, “Probably the most important contributor to a person’s happiness and well-being is the quality of their relationships with their closest family.
“Family relationships with spouses, children, siblings, parents and grandparents and all those who make up our nearest and dearest are what we value most as people, and have the greatest impact on us.
“When these family relationships are going well, this leads to our greatest happiness and, sadly, when they are not going well to our greatest misery. Nowhere is this more true than for children and young people and for them the most important relationships by far are with their parents.”
Margaret Mastriani, Chair of Parenting Limerick, said that “This event is part of an overall Positive Parenting Campaign, which includes a radio and poster campaign and the web-site www.loveparenting.ie
“All parents need support at some stage and the goal of Parenting Limerick is to ensure all parents have the information and support they need.”
She added that, “the members of Parenting Limerick provide a range of supports to parents from those that may just need some information and reassurance to those that may be really struggling with certain issues and need more intense help.
“We encourage all parents in Limerick to visit Loveparenting.ie to see what is available and to let us know what else you would like to see there.”
Parenting Limerick is a network of organisations that provide parenting and family support across Limerick. The network is working together to provide parents with the information and support they need so that they can be the best parents they can.
It is part of Limerick Children and Young People’s Services Committee (CYPSC www.cypsc.ie), which is a county-level committee that brings together the main statutory, community and voluntary providers of services to children and young people.
The primary purpose of CYPSCs is joint planning and co-ordination of activity to ensure that children, young people and their families receive improved and accessible services.
