I’m going to put these thoughts on paper and maybe come back to them and maybe not. I’m thinking that an outreach to parents and their children between the ages of 9 to 15 could be very beneficial. Especially for younger parents and parents that find it difficult to talk to their children about sensitive issues such as sex education, self esteem, drugs and alcohol, etc. Workshops geared to parents and the children of this age group together could possibly strengthen the parent/child relationship and prevent un-wise decisions. The workshops would have to be fun and interactive for the kids and parents. There could be breakout sessions. The workshops can be geared to mothers/daughters. Also to fathers/sons. The workshop can help initiate the conversations about difficult subject. There could be professionals who can come in and talk about respsecting self/others and how to navigate through the craziness of society and being a pre-teen/teen. This can open up discussions between the parent and child, through games, worksheets, icebreakers, etc. The workshops should be ongoing and can possiblty involve work at home. There can be breakout sessions for the parents to discuss topics and for the children to also discuss topics. The professionals/volunteers can send agendas to the parents before the start of the classes. This would be beneficial to parents who maybe made the wrong choices when they were younger. It can give them new ways to think and talk to their childern. With both parent and child present at the workshops they can learn how to work together and put ideas on the table. There should be emphasis on self respect, prevention, etc. It should be open and offer both Christian and secular views. This is just an idea. I am not a psychologist. Just a parent of a 10 year old.
