NASSAU, Bahamas -- The Department of Rehabilitative Services held a training workshop for 30 social workers from around the country as well as persons from urban renewal centres and churches to become facilitators of parenting programmes.

Cheryl Carroll, Senior Probation Officer and Coordinator for the National Parenting Programme, said Rehabilitative Services has a mandate to expand the programme nationally to reach persons who may not be able to come to the Department.

“We are also thinking of preventative measures, having pre-parenting programmes in the schools whereby we talk to children in high school, letting them know the responsibilities of having children,” she said.

“We are also looking at urban renewal because they are in the community and strategically placed, so we will go into the community and have parenting classes,” she added.

Mrs. Carroll said the parenting programme is an important service because of the challenges facing the community due to the breakdown of families and the poor relationship between parents and children.

Mrs. Carroll said the facilitators are “prepared to go out and teach proper parenting skills” to help “build stronger families”.

Social workers who facilitate the programme instructed the three-day workshop along with persons from the community, including Pastor Dave Burrows, who handled conflict resolution in families, and Brenda Bethel, Branch Manager, Scotiabank, Thompson Boulevard, dealt with budgeting.

Mrs. Carroll noted that there are severe consequences for letting anger fester in families rather than trying to resolve conflicts.

“You have seen the separation of husbands and wives or siblings because there is no talking, no communication,” she said. “We live in the same house under the same roof but cannot get along, and I do not want you touching my things.”

Mrs. Carroll said anger in families often lead to problems outside the home and parents often come seeking help to deal with their children, but the children are often displaying behaviour modelled to them.

She added that some children do not know how to turn away if they are angry, instead they hit or turn to weapons such as knives and guns.

Further, Mrs. Carroll said many do not budget and spend money on non-essential items, even if they do not have the provisions for them.

“If you do not have the money, then that is where the budgeting comes in. I know how much I get a month; I know what my expenditures are for the month,” she said. “It is prioritising. Once I know what my expenditures are against my income; I know if I have a surplus – if I have that extra to do those extra things”

She said that a lack of budgeting can create stress in the family leading to conflict.

Mrs. Carroll said the facilitators also looked at how disputes between parents can affect their children.

“We model for our children. So if our children see us arguing with each other all the time, calling each other names all the time or belittling each other, watch the relationship between them and their siblings, their peers in school or wherever. They begin to act the same way.

“So it is important for us as parents to understand that, because we are the foundation for our children so whatever we do they will pick up and will emulate and they will say and do it. They will be conditioned to behave the way we do,” Mrs. Carroll said.

For parents seeking help with their children the Department holds classes Tuesdays from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.