Navigating the twists and turns of parenting is no easy feat. Because it can be overwhelming most of the time, some resort to shouting or even physical punishment when faced with challenges.
But Raquel Labrague, a mother from Samar, chose a different path. After participating in Save the Children’s parenting program, she embraced positive parenting, incorporating aspects like positive deviance/hearth, and holistic child development.
“Discipline does not require violence. It thrives on affection, communication, and empathy,” Raquel realized after her stint with the NGO’s program.
This sudden change of perspective and her adoption of positive parenting have sparked positive changes within her family. Her children felt safer, more loved, and supported, she said.
“I noticed that they are more willing to obey and help at home when I show them affection,” she shared.
Save the Children cites stories like Raquel’s as motivation to continue their parenting sessions, which focus on nurturing stronger parent-child relationships.
Since its launch in 2017, the program, initially targeting beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program (4Ps), has gained momentum, especially after two bills on positive parenting have been proposed in Congress.
On Monday, the House Committee on Welfare of Children, chaired by BHW Party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co, approved the substitute bill for the two measures that promote positive and non-violent discipline of children at home, in school, in institutions, and workplaces, among other settings.
It also aims to mandate collaborative efforts between the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and other local government agencies to promote positive parenting comprehensively.
