Parenting is an experiential journey where you are constantly learning to cope with new challenges while you support your children through their growth and development. As children grow through various developmental stages, the support they require from you is also constantly evolving, and parents may often feel at a loss on what to do.
Some of these challenges may include:
- Learning and developmental delays
- Peer and social difficulties
- Addiction behaviours such as computer gaming
- Emotional issues such as temper tantrums and withdrawal from people
- Behavioural difficulties such as non-compliance, school refusal, lying
As a parent, there are also challenges such as:
- Learning to adjust and adapt to the arrival of a new baby, including adjusting to new roles and expectations
- Feeling helplessness when you cannot seem to improve situation
- Experiencing rejection from children
- Coping with the stress of being a single-parent, or co-parenting
- Different parenting values from your spouse
- Managing time and financial constraints
Speaking to a counsellor can help you process some of these common parenting challenges and develop a plan of action to tackle issues. Additionally, there are resources you can turn to for further support:
1. Parenting Support Providers (PSPs)
PSPs are one-stop service providers set up by MSF. They work closely with schools within their allocated regions, to deliver evidence-based parenting programmes and provide follow-on counselling support to parents who need it. You can find out more information, including the locations, through this link.
https://www.msf.gov.sg/policies/Strong-and-Stable-Families/Supporting-Families/Pages/Parenting.aspx
2. Triple P Online parenting programme
It is an evidence-based online parenting programme that equips parents with positive parenting skills. You can find out more about how to access this free programme through the same link as above.
