The seminars, which are being held under the theme 'Parenting in a Volatile Society: How to be your child's friend while still being a parent', will provide a forum where parents can get sound advice and coaching on proactively handling many of the serious issues that are currently affecting the country's youth.
Three seminars will be held in different locations across the island, starting tomorrow at the Hilton Hotel in St Andrew, continuing with a session at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville on Thursday, June 4, and concluding in Montego Bay at the Wexford Hotel on Thursday June 18. Each session will run from 5 to 8 p.m.
The agenda will feature presentations and discussions on three main topics: crimes against children; staying current with what interests your child; and handling aggression. The segment on crimes against children will be led by representatives from the Bureau of Women's Affairs and will deal with human trafficking, paedophilia and kidnapping - all of which have become a growing concern for the Jamaican society.
Althea Bailey, a lecturer in adolescent health at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies, and Beverley Scott, executive director of the Family and Parenting Centre, will both present on staying current with what interests your child. This segment will examine issues such as music, jargon and places of entertainment with a view to teach parents how to establish reasonable boundaries while helping their children to be aware of their environment.
Beverley Scott and David Pearson, head of the theology at the Jamaica Theological Seminary, will present on being your child'ssafety net and handling aggression. The speakers will help parents learn how to establish or regain the trust and respect of their children as well as how to communicate with young people in a manner that fosters healthy self-esteem.
Each segment will be facilitated by parenting educators and counselling consultants from Youth Opportunities Unlimited. The programme will also include question-and-answer sessions after each presentation.
Juven Montague-Anderson, manager, marketing and public relations of CCCU, says that by sponsoring these seminars the company is hoping to fill a pressing need in the society as today's parents are facing unprecedented challenges with raising their children. "We've gone from a society where parents were once seen as the ultimate authority to one where parents are now competing with many 'influencers' for their children's respect," she explained. "Many of the age-old parenting techniques are no longer effective and so we need to learn a new way of doing things."