Plum Parenting

About

A New Zealand-based service providing education and mentoring for parents, whanau, teachers and caregivers on parenting and child development.

Story

WHAT IS THE PLUM APPROACH?

After looking at the history of the family, we build a comprehensive picture of the children and parents, including the contributing circumstances, physical, psychological and cultural aspects, temperaments, relationships, talents and challenges, mapping the child’s path of development. This culminates in clarifying the presenting issues and identifying the child’s unique needs.

In response, parents are given education on age-appropriate and situation-specific parenting, support in providing healthy rhythms and loving boundaries, ideas for altering family timetables and practices to improve sequencing and create optimum conditions, and direction in creating new parenting skills, and managing stress and anger.

I work mostly with the parents, rather than directly with the children, in order to build the parents’ skills in observation, assessment and creating strategies, and to empower them to develop self-confidence. This method is very successful. I do observe the children where necessary. Where appropriate I refer both children and adults to other agencies.

At times the work extends to helping parents to improve their communication, co-operation, and their relationship in general, whether co-habiting or separated/divorced/blended. Grandparents and other Whanau may use the service.

Positive parenting is the theme throughout.