When we are young, the prospect of raising a family is one of those things that we entrust to nature. The event feels so distant – so safe and tucked away somewhere in the far-flung future – that we don’t worry about it too much. We simply assume that, when the time comes, we will know what to do.

And then the time does come, and we wait for the magic ingredient of intuition to kick in and do its work… and we wait… and we wait.

Sadly, many of us will be waiting for quite some time. You see, parenting intuition – the natural instinct that makes us perfect parents – is a myth. The skill of parenting, just like any other skill, is one which needs to be nurtured, cultivated and supported over time.

This is why Chain Reaction’s Family Skills Program – held on Tuesdays at the Mount Druitt Learning Ground – provide such a vital service to parents and families in our local area.

Parenting or Family Skills Program, Provided Free of Charge

It is vital that all families everywhere, can connect with the sorts of skills, techniques and methods that can help them to achieve harmony at home. This is why we offer all of our three hour sessions free of charge, ensuring that no one is excluded from the benefit we can provide.

In addition to domestic harmony and a more pleasant relationship for individual families, these skills also help to safeguard the next generation of Australians. A strong, benevolent society is built upon the atomic framework of relationships between individuals and family units. The typical Australian family may have changed in its dynamic over the years, but the bonds of love, respect and support have remained constant, and it is this that we aim to nurture.

To achieve this, the team at the Mount Druitt Learning Ground aim to accomplish the following;

• Improved co-operation and confidence between family members
• Better management of emotions and feelings within the family dynamic, and improved communication
• Successful domestic and academic lives for each family member
• The establishment of firm personal boundaries and the reinforcement of whole family values
• The development of successful strategies for resolving conflicts within the family, or for dealing constructively with unwanted or anti-social behaviour
• Eradication of bullying. Whether a member of the family is a bully at work, at school or at home, or is getting bullied, we can work to break this cycle
• The formation of a structured plan to help youngsters navigate the potentially dangerous path of modern life in the digital age.

Universal Skills for All Families

Balancing parenting with other commitments, such as full or part time work, can be a serious headache. It can also be a major impediment to parents who feel they simply do not have enough time in the day.

This is compounded by the problems and issues associated with raising young children, particularly when obedience and discipline breaks down, or when anger issues and other problems are left unchecked. As children grow up, they do not necessarily outgrow these anger problems, and others, and the same issues pass into adolescence.

Each phase of parenting comes with its own trials and tribulations. This is normal, and nothing to get concerned about, providing the right support can be accessed. The support we offer is universal – in that it deals with the myriad of problems faced by modern families – and is tailored specifically to the situation at hand.

During the weekly program, which last for three hours and take place over five weeks, we get to know and understand our participants, enabling us to provide the support they require. Courses are divided into four terms throughout the year, with the first commencing February 14^th, the second May 2^nd, the third held in August 1^st, and the fourth commencing October 24^th.

Ongoing Support, with Your Help

The delivery of this support will never be a quick-fix. Instead, it is an ongoing project, during which we can reach out and help new families in need of assistance and guidance.

For this, we need your help and your donations. To run each five week program costs for the year costs $35,000. We aim to keep the Family Skills Program as inclusive as possible, and so we do not charge our participants anything. Why not apply now and avoid disappointment?

Any donations are welcome, and by contributing you are helping us to create a proper foundation upon which the next generation of Australian society can be built. In addition, you will be making a real, demonstrable difference to the lives of families across the region, providing hope in places where there was none before.

Take a look at the Chain Reaction website to learn a little more about our Family Skills Program and about the advantages it provides. Or, if you’d prefer, you can come and find out for yourself, first hand! For details, email info@chainreaction.org.au or phone 02 9953 3287.

This is our chance to do something great for the families across Western Sydney and the surrounding region. I hope that you can help us achieve our aims. 

Margaret Bell, AM - Founder and CEO of Chain Reaction Foundation.

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