Resources for Busy Families

Welcome to our parenting information hub! Being a parent can sometimes be challenging and if you are looking to increase your parenting skills or simply interested in some ideas and news on parenting issues, please check this page regularly. We will be sharing with you any relevant information that comes our way.

Whilst we will endeavour to represent a wide variety of viewpoints and areas of interest to parents, we acknowledge that every family is unique and not everything on this page may suit you or your particular circumstances. What is important, is the value of exposure to different schools of thought and to, hopefully,  initiate discussion. Some of the greatest learning you will find comes from shared experiences.

Parent Participation

Dear Parent, About THAT kid.... letter

 

Getting help, if you need it.

To download a resource sheet provided by the National Child Protection Clearinghouse with contact details and links to a number of helplines and telephone counselling services for children, young people and parents click here.

The Patch School is a KidsMatter school. KidsMatter provide a vast range of resources. Click here to visit the KidsMatter website and click here to access their Directory for Kids' Mental Health and Wellbeing.

If your contact is related to the safety of a child, you can call 000 or the Department of Health and Human Services After Hours Service on 13 12 78.

Kids Helpline is another excellent support service for young people aged from 5 to 25. Visit their website for email, web chat and information or call them on 1800 55 1800

If you feel you or someone you know is at immediate risk, please call emergency services on 000 or contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Office of the eSafety Commissioner

The Office of the eSafety Commissioner is a wonderful resource provided by the Australian Federal Government which provides education and information about staying safe online.

The Office is committed to helping young people have safe, positive experiences online and encouraging behavioural change, where a generation of Australian children act responsibly online—just as they would offline. It provides specfic information on cyberbullying and has far-reachng powers when it comes to removing inappropriate content from the internet.

Particularly of interest to parents is iParent, which teaches parents how to remain safe and secure in the digital environment.

Anglicare - offering great opportunities for parents

Anglicare Victoria provides support to 70,000 children, young people and families every year.

Through a range of diverse programs and services, they work towards strengthening families and communities so they can protect and nurture the children within them.

Although Anglicare are well known through services like foster care, emergency food and crisis accommodation, they also offer family and community support services such as financial counselling, parent education and group work.

Combined, their range of services alleviates immediate hardship while building skills and resilience to overcome future hurdles.

Anglicare offers some valuable workshops on parenting and child behaviour for parents & carers. There are currently oppotunities to attend locally in November and December and are FREE of charge.

Why not get some friends together and have a coffee afterwards?  

In there you will find:

  • SPSP groups (online and in person)

  • Free tickets to events

  • Information events

  • ParentZone parent education opportunities coming up

  • Social groups for kids, teens and parents/carers

  • Community events

  • Webinars

  • Health programs/services

  • NDIS

  • Requests for input and opinion from government/organisations

  • Other peer support options

Parenting Information

Parentingideas with Michael Grose

The Patch School subscribes to Michael Grose's Parentingideas which is a website full of fantastic resources for families on effective parenting.

You may enjoy exploring Michael's website http://www.parentingideasclub.com.au and we will be posting articles of interest that are accessible to subscribers only, as they become available.

You may also like to browse through the latest Parentingideas Magazine.

 

Child Behaviour

Three Steps to Behaviour Change

This fact sheet "3 Steps to Behaviour Change" is from the Fabic organisation. Fabic specialises in working with any unwanted behaviour used by: children; adolescents and adults. This team of caring, professional & qualified staff who all employ the unique Fabic methodology leading to the acceptance of all individuals in their own rightful uniqueness. Fabic “Functional Assessment & Behaviour Interventions Centre” is a national based “behaviour specialist” centre that supports people to “Understand & Change Unwanted Behaviours”used by any person. 

 

Terrific TED Talks

"For Parents, Happiness is a Very High Bar"

Jennifer Senior is a journalist whose interest and research includes the social science around modern parenting. In this 18 minute recorded talk (just enough time for a coffee break from whatever you may be doing) Jennifer talks about something very important that we often overlook in our busy lives - choosng more achieveble aims and being kinder to ourselves. Click here to listen to Jennifer's TED Talk.

"The Best Kindergarten In The World"

This is amazing! You will never have seen so many happy children! Click here to watch this video by Takaharu Tezuka on an inspiring prototype kindergarten in Japan.

"A Pep Talk"

This is an inspiring talk by the Kid President that will.... make you smile. Click here, and enjoy.