EDUCATION

21^st Century Parenting 
By David Tait 

Have you ever caught yourself saying something to your child that you regretted; something that your parents had said to you that you swore you would never say to your child? The impact that our parents have in developing our values and behaviour is often much more powerful than we are conscious of and more influential than perhaps we would sometimes like. It is an influence so dominating that it can often be unwittingly passed down from parent to child for many generations.  

It becomes part of our belief system. How many of us have said: ìWell, I was treated with some pretty harsh discipline as a kid and it didnít do me any harm. I usually deserved itî. When we say this though, we look back at it through the detached eyes of an adult and dismiss the real feelings we actually experienced at that time as a child.  

We now know that these more harsh, negative, detached and controlling forms of parenting very often leave us with deep-seated emotional hurts, including powerlessness, inadequacy and feelings of being unlovable. All of these can leave us feeling very insecure and are likely to be a very destructive influence on our adult relationships.  

With the general demise of the supportive extended family in todayís Western world it is easy as parents to feel isolated and less advantaged than previous generations. And of course, in some ways this is true.  

Kumon student wins scholarship to Hale! 

All parents dreams that their children will be perfect. Firstly they count their ten fingers and toes, then hope they walk and talk with little difficulty, spell and count easily and approach school with enthusiasm. James Abbott has exceeded those dreams for his parents and he is just 12 years old. 

James has just won a scholarship to Hale School, after a gruelling exam and fierce competition. He believes that it is his after-school study at Kumon gave him the extra edge. At Kumon he is studying material that is three years beyond his grade level. 

James began the Kumon Programme at the Woodvale Kumon Centre run by supervisor Indrani Pillay. When asked about James, Indrani was bursting with pride about her ìmodel studentî.  She describes him as an independent learner who needs little assistance at the centre. Her highlight moment with James was, ìtwo years ago when he came running into the centre to tell me that he had come out on top of an interstate maths competition. This achievement had been recognised by his school, teachers and peers and he felt so proudî. 

Parent support is a crucial element of the Kumon Programme and Jamesís Mum Lindsey Abbott is proof that with the right guidance children can exceed their own expected potential. Lindsey enrolled her son James in Kumon as she felt that although he was doing well in school he needed to have the opportunity of extension. She believes that Year Two is a perfect time to enrol your kids in Kumon. 

The advice Lindsay offers to other parents thinking of enrolling their children is, ìdonít wait too long; you donít want your children to ever have to struggle at school if they donít have to.î She went on to say that ìKumon gives the children increased concentration skills and convinces them to have confidence in themselves.î 

Course to promote family harmony
by Victoria Carlton, Interna tional Centre For Excellence 

We now know that Emotional Intelligence is far more important than IQ. Parents can increase their own levels of EQ (Emotional Intelligence) and learn to ìcoachî their children in this area. By practising empathic listening, they can help children with emotional problems that cause negative behaviours. 

When children are truly heard and helped to find their ìvoiceî they will be empowered to overcome their problems and be set free to reach their potential. By raising the EQ of  families gradual changes occur: 

* children are kinder and more understanding to siblings
* everyone has more understanding of own emotions and relation of emotion to thoughts and actions
* less hostility and family arguments occur
* parents start to understand children at a deep level
* parents are able to ìself-coachî themselves in the Emotional Intelligence area
* Instead of just ìreactingî to negative behaviour, parents begin to act as emotional coaches for     children, which impacts on learning, social skills, motivation and character development.
* the whole family can work as a cohesive unit to achieve goals and harmony 

Our course, EQ4FAMILIES has been helping families in Western Australian to create happier, more harmonious homes. The next course is on Thursday, 11 August with a free follow-up session on Thursday, 25 August. These evenings are highly interactive, dynamic workshops that really help parents to raise the EQ of all family members. 

Kip McGrath Sponsors Youth Achievement
Julie Courtis KMEC - Willetton 

Kip McGrath Education Centres have been selected as sponsor for the Career Achievement Category of the Western Australia Young Achiever Awards. At Kip McGrath we seek ways to inspire our youth to reach for the stars and we are proud to be involved in this prestigious award. The award promotes active leadership, a hunger for knowledge and self-motivation, rewarding those who make their own opportunities to succeed.  

Kip McGrath is providing more than sponsorship. We are actively seeking future leaders and encouraging their mentors to help them have their efforts recognised by the community. This prestigious award recognises vibrant, exciting young people who deserve to have their stories told and will help set them on the road to a successful future. 

Kip McGrath Education Centres provide young people with opportunities to enhance their skills in English and maths, raise self esteem and confidence, develop independence and responsibility and learn strategies for preventing future failure.

Sponsorship forms for the Youth Achievement Awards are available from your local Kip McGrath Education Centre. Check the phone directory or visit www.kipmcgrath.com.au

Specialist educational intervention: Pre-Primary to Year 10 
Julia Gilmore (M.Ed.,B.Ed.,Dip.Tch) 

What do you do when your child is struggling at school?  Reports and portfolios have recently been handed out and the second half of the year has begun. 

Parents are often aware that their child is not succeeding or reaching his/her full potential at school but are not sure about what to do.  Whether the child is struggling in reading, writing, spelling, maths, organizational and study skills or is cruising and not achieving his/her true levels, there is help available. 

I am seeing more parents of Pre-Primary, Primary and Secondary students who want specialized intervention to help their child.  Most parents find it very hard to help an unwilling, frustrated and often negative child at home and need guidance and support from an educational specialist.  

At A1 Learning, each child is given an individual programme so that he/she can achieve full potential and develop a strong sense of self-esteem as a learner.   Parents are given weekly feedback, with additional support always available. 

Parents and teachers report major improvements within weeks of the children commencing their programmes at A1 Learning. 

Parents often need counselling as to the best choices for their childís academic, social, emotional and behavioural well-being.  At A1 Learning, practical assistance and follow-up help is provided.  

As Good As it Gets? 
Hope for young people with obsessive-compulsive disorder 

Approximately one in 100 children and adolescents have the anxiety condition known as obsessive-compulsive disorder. To an onlooker, obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterised by irrational beliefs and bizarre rituals. For a sufferer, it is like a never-ending nightmare. Could a new therapy finally end this nightmare? 

Researchers at Curtin University are investigating treatments for children and adolescents with the disorder. ìObsessive-compulsive disorder can have a detrimental effect on the young person, lowering self-esteem, interfering with school work, and contributing to peer rejection,î said Hunna Watson, coordinator of the project and PhD candidate at Curtin. 

Obsessive-compulsive disorder has been depicted in the movies As Good as it Gets and The Aviator. Although most cases of OCD are less severe, they can be incredibly disabling. The World Health Organisation ranks OCD as the tenth leading cause of disability in the world.  

Common symptoms of OCD in young people include excessive hand-washing, repeated checking of light switches and power-points, unusual touching rituals, excessive arranging and ordering, the need to count to a certain number, the need for oneís clothes to feel ëjust rightí, and an intense desire for symmetry. If children do not obey the urges they become extremely anxious. Efforts to resist the urges are frequently futile. 

ìOne of the most common complications of adolescent OCD is the disruption to study and often subsequent failure to complete tertiary entrance requirements,î said Curtin lecturer Dr. Clare Rees. ìThis is a very unfortunate scenario especially when the young person clearly has the academic ability to succeed but is disabled by their ritualsî.