Workshops offer advice for parents

KATINA CURTIS

A GROUP of mothers has started a series of workshops to help fellow new parents with various aspects of raising their children.

Siobhan King, Karen Mion and Lyndal Parker had been attending a mothers’ group run through Kiama Anglican Church when they realised most of the women wanted advice about raising kids as well as adult interaction.

“It’s mostly been me and Karen with our one and two-year-olds saying we have no idea what to do about this and then organising a speaker to come and talk about it,” Ms King said.

“We figure if we don’t know, there must be lots of people out there who need help too. Being in Kiama you kind of have to go further afield and I guess we wanted to bring that technical advice here.”

Ms Mion said it was often harder for new parents these days because they did not have traditional support networks.

“My parents and all my school friends who’ve had babies live in Sydney, so I can’t just drop in when I need support. The first six months was quite isolating,” she said.

Mrs Parker’s husband, Nigel, the church’s assistant minister, agreed and said he saw the workshops as a way the church could help people in the broader community.

They group’s next workshop will be on September 2, where a local nutritionist will discuss fussy eaters, meal times, allergies, snacks and other topics about food and under fives.

Another meeting on November 11 will discuss how to help children start “big school” without stress.

Ms King said more than 30 women attended the first workshop in June.

“There was a really positive response from the first one and women have been saying to us, ‘when will you do the next one?’,” she said.

“We’ve had a few people tell us what they want in the future and that’s why we’re doing the ‘big school’ one, because even though our kids aren’t up to that; there’s lots of people in Kiama who are.”

The facts about food for under fives workshop will run from 7.15pm on Tuesday, September 2, at Parkview Café in Terralong St, Kiama. It costs $10, which includes tea or coffee and dessert.

To book, call Kathy on 4232 2066 by Sunday.