Question: which job pays no salary, allows very few hours off, offers no holiday pay or retirement plan and yet it is the most important job in the world?
Answer: being a parent or caregiver!
Te Kakaia (Parents as First Teachers) workshops are for all parents and caregivers. Did you know that the kakaia is a bird which nurtures its young for an exceptionally long time? And that's a picture of our role as parents and caregivers; we are in this for the long haul. It's sometimes a hard job and it can also be the most rewarding and enjoyable one too. We all need equipping and encouraging along the parenthood journey and so our workshops are for all parents, grandparents and caregivers.
Welcome. My name is Anna Savage and as Te Kakaia coordinator I am here to give parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles and all caregivers some simple, practical tips on how to be involved in our children's education, and to share some easy ways to enjoy our children more. And all this happens through free Te Kakaia workshops held in the community.
Here are the titles of some of the workshops held over the last three years:
"Homework without Tears" - how to help your children with their homework and survive
"Learning styles" - discovering your child's style (and your own too)
"Positive Parenting" - practical tips for parents of young children
"Baby's Brain" - amazing facts about brain development in the first three years and how we can give our children a head start
"Is tertairy study right for my child?" - helping them make choices for their future
"Youth...preparing for work" - how to get them ready for the workplace
"Youth...planning for the future" - how to help them get ready for life after school
"How to take your brain for a jog" - how to prepare for parenting (this is for young people - our future parents)
"Maths today!" - how to help our children with their maths and how to be in the know about the way they learn maths today
"Playing is Learning" - how playing for under fives is how they learn and how they get ready for school
"Boundaries and Limits - How to train your children to behave" - discipline strategies for a happier family liife
These workshops are advertised in the local Cook Island News, on local radio stations, on local church noticeboards and through school and Early Childhood Centre newsletters and noticeboards. So do make the most of what's available. New workshops are under development too.
Come along to a Te Kakaia workshop and join with other parents to share our common experiences and learn from one another. Or watch for our short Te Kakaia film, showing on Cook Islands television, called "Playing is Learning". Be eqipped and encouraged!
Kia manuia
Anna Savage
Te Kakaia Coordinator
