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Lifestart OCN accredited Parent Education Programme
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Lifestart OCN accredited Parent Education Programme
Lifestart Mid-.Ards provides a variety of services to parents who have children under 5 years of age.
Lifestart Growing Child programme
Growing Child is a parent and child development programme gives parents monthly information on their child’s developmental stage and the play required to ensure enhancement of their child’s physical, social, emotional, cognitive, intellectual and creative skills at each stage of the brain’s development.
Children who have experienced the programme have, through play, developed their confidence, self-esteem, independence, resilience and problem solving skills. This play also provides the necessary foundation skills for numeracy, literacy and science so that children enter school ready to learn.
Growing Child programme also gives parents the opportunity to gain parenting skills which are relevant not only to their under 5 year old children but are valuable in coping with older children including teenagers, for example setting boundaries for positive discipline, effective ways of communicating with your child, how to encourage good behaviour and deal with challenging behaviour.
Lifestart Mid-Ards offers all parents the opportunity to access free accredited Open College Network Level 1 courses in;
- Creative Parenting – Story, Dance &
Movement, Play, Communication. - Parental Personal Development – Self
Esteem, Discipline, Learning through
Senses, Conflict Resolution. - Practical Parenting – Parenting Styles,
Nutrition& Healthy Eating, Keeping Children
Safe, Appropriate Toys for Children, Safety
in the Home
Choose to take one unit or all three and enjoy learning with Vicky and Lesley, in a friendly and welcoming environment. Where possible crèche may be provided through Surestart.
Dads Are Different
Dads play a very important role in children’s lives.
If you are a Dad, Step dad, Grandpa or Uncle to any child/ren under 5 years, find out you can help develop your child’s imagination, creativity, confidence, self esteem, science, language and literacy skills.
Join Zandra and Linda for the following workshops:
- Assault courses for Dads and kids
- Model Making and Junk Art
- Science for Toddlers
- Language and Literacy
Did you know ............................
Those children whose Dad/Step dads are actively involved in their children’s development from birth are;
- More likely to achieve better at school
- Less likely to be involved in criminal
activity as teenagers
- More likely to gain employment
- More likely to be in a stable relationship
And for girls,
- more likely to put off sexual activity a
t a young age
‘Every Father should remember that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice” (unknown)
Our Back Yard - Drop in and Play
Children learn through play and the development of Our Back Yard drop in and play facility is complementary to the free Child Development programme offered by Lifestart to parents of children from birth to five. 'Our Back Yard' will offer parents, carers, grandparents and children under 5, particularly those who have recently moved into the area, the opportunity to meet other parents, carers and children in a safe, welcoming and child friendly setting.
Our Back Yard is now closed until April 2009.
Social Events
Lifestart Mid-Ards hosts four social events per year to enable parents with young children to meet others from the area and to visit places of interest such as the Zoo, W5, Ark Farm etc.
Multi Cultural Coffee mornings
The Ards Peninsula attracts families from other parts of Northern Ireland and further afield, currently Lifestart Mid-Ards provides a service to families from Eastern and Central European, African and Chinese communities. Multi cultural coffee mornings enable local families to welcome new families into the community.
