Flat Pack Parent

This is a discussion pack which aims to get the parents of pre-teens and teenagers talking together (adult to adult) about some of the issues that will arise as their children pass through puberty and on into adolescence so that they will be better able to talk to their children about these issues.

Research shows that teenagers actually want their parents to talk to them about the issues they face, sharing family values and beliefs as well as information. Over recent years, as these issues have made an increasing impact on youth culture, parents have misread the signs that their children have been giving them. Parents have recognised that embarrassment is excruciatingly painful for adolescents and assumed that it is better to avoid these issues altogether.

They have done so believing that schools, youth workers and health professionals have both a responsibility and the 'professional skills' to communicate this kind of information to young people in an appropriate manner.

Family Matters Institute believes that parents should not be leaving this important part of a child's education to the professionals (who are indeed trying to do a good job) but that parents and professionals need to be working in partnership. Parents need to share their opinions, ideas, values, moral beliefs, and personal experiences at home as part of everyday family life.

This will provide a clear frame work for the information that children later receive from the professionals. Young people are then in a good place to create their own independent picture, making sensible and healthy choices based on sound information and within the context of personal values, responsibility and consequences.

This is how FLAT PACK PARENT works

Parents of pre-teens get together in small groups and select a discussion topic. Next they read the Background Information. (This provides a level playing field for everyone).

The first Discussion Point is chosen and everyone is encouraged to join in the ensuing debate. A free exchange of ideas, opinions and experiences will help all present to learn from each other. It is envisaged that the discussion will relieve isolation, (I'm not the only one feeling like this) inspire fresh confidence (Oh, I'll give that a try!) be a powerful motivator (Next time that comes up I will.) and that the group itself will become a source of mutual support.

But the key to it all are the ACTION POINTS. This is when the adults move on from talking to each other (peer to peer) and make those first faltering steps towards more effective communication with their children. The Pack Contains a section entitled Time to Love Unlimited these pages give some basic guidelines that will help a parent to improve their listening skills and employ careful strategies to ensure that they talk to their pre-teen or teenage children sensitively and appropriately when the occasion arises.

It is hoped that whenever parents gather together for Flat Pack discussion groups they will have fun, their confidence will increase, new skills will be learnt and most importantly of all, parents and teenagers will communicate together much more effectively.