Course to boost parenting skills

The challenges of remaining consistent and presenting a united front while raising his children has led FIFO worker Andrew Allen and wife Bianca to sign up for a parenting course that starts on Sunday.

Mr Allen said it could be hard to maintain an even keel when he worked away and Mrs Allen cared for their children, Jaxon, 8, and Krista, 6.

The couple are keen to do the course to update their parenting skills.

“We want to be on the same page. I’m away from the house a lot of the time and when I come back I need to fit in with what Bianca is doing,” he said.

“We also want to stay current in our parenting practices as well as adjusting our skills to new things like technology and how the kids use it.”

The free, five-week Parenting Children course begins on February 14, at Lighthouse Church, Shenton Street.

It will cover topics such as understanding how families work, how to meet children’s needs and to help them make good choices and will teach parents how to build their child’s character by setting boundaries and how to pass on their beliefs and values to their child.

Participants will have afternoon tea and join small-group discussions based on a video resource from Holy Trinity Brompton.

The Anglican church in England produces Bible-based family and relationship resources including the introduction to Christianity course, Alpha.

Lighthouse Church’s Rev. David de Kock said Parenting Children was aimed at parenting couples and single parents of a child aged up to 10, as well as expectant parents.

He said the course was based on Christian principles but would be beneficial to all parents.

“There is a fair amount of scriptural reference but it isn’t confronting and all parents will find it of value,” he said.

Lighthouse Church’s popular marriage course begins next week, on February 10, and the church will host a Parenting Teenagers course in coming months.

For more information, call Vicki at Lighthouse Church on 9964 4169 during office hours.