Jersey celebrates parents during National Parents Week

15 October 2008

The advice and support available to parents in Jersey , and the challenges of their role will be highlighted during National Parents Week which starts on Monday (13 October).

People working with parents and children will be using the week as a chance to talk to parents to explain what services and support is available and to recognise and celebrate what parents do. The week is also an opportunity to highlight the issues families face today with decision makers.

The week’s events will include street fun for families in the Royal Square next Saturday 18 October between 10 am and 4 pm. Staff from the Bridge and the Tenant Participation team from the Housing Department will be on hand to chat to parents and answer any queries.

The two organisations are working together as part of a series of initiatives in Jersey , led by the Bridge Family Centre, to support parents in Jersey . During National Parents Week, the Bridge will also be organising parties and fun for groups and clubs attending the community centre, and working closely with schools and nurseries.

Parenting Programme Manager Patricia Tumelty explains: ‘ We want to help parents and carers raise children in what is often described as an emotional rollercoaster; parenting is full of the most amazing highs and sometimes devastating or deep lows, and we want to do this without shaming, blaming or hurting them. This is no easy task and one of the reasons we celebrate National Parents Week in Jersey is to recognise the enormous task, and challenges family life brings with it and to celebrate all that parents achieve. Parents are the real unsung heroes which is why getting our services right is so important.’

Before staff organised the events for National Parents Week, they asked parents what they wanted. The theme; Ripples of Life was chosen and reflects the fact that family life is influenced by many different factors. One of these is poverty – which creates a practical barrier to effective parenting through, for example, poor housing and lack of space for a growing family. Other barriers included personal ones, such as lack of self-esteem and low educational achievement, leading to low aspirations for parents and children.