“HOW CAN I TELL?”

A NEW TOOL TO HELP NEW ZEALANDERS RECOGNISE AND ACT ON CHILD ABUSE

Written by Anthea Simcock
Published by CPS

For every child that’s killed or hurt through child abuse, there is an adult saying; “I was worried about that child, but I didn’t know what to do.”

“How Can I Tell?” gives all New Zealanders the skills to recognise when a child or a family is in need of help is the aim of the new book, “How Can I Tell?”

The book also includes advice for what appropriate actions to take if people suspect abuse.

As the subtitle of the book indicates, this book will help New Zealanders recognise when a child or family needs help. It has been designed to be easy to read and carry, to show the positive side of protecting children and at the same time to contain lots of helpful information.

Every Zealander has a responsibility to recognise when a family or child needs help and “How Can I Tell?” will assist. It's not about telling tales or being a nosy neighbour.

Violence against children - Part one

This week I was reminded that being a father is a priviledge and not a right. I remember thinking that in disgust that violence against children is something that needs to stop and it needs to be stopped ASAP so why isn’t it? Why is violence towards children especially in a small country like New Zealand occurring on an ongoing basis.

I found this article which made me mad and also want to do something about it and addressing it and not sweeping it under the carpet is something that I want to make sure happens.

- Scott

Three children repeatedly beaten with a broom handle were so hungry they had to rummage in rubbish bins, and yet neighbours were too scared to report the cruelty they witnessed.

Kylie Tekani, 30, of Porirua, has been sentenced in Wellington District Court to eight months' home detention after pleading guilty to three charges of cruelty to a child and assault with a weapon.

PodCast - Murray Edridge

A DIYFather Podcast featuring show hosts Scott Lancaster and co-hosts Eric Mooij and Stefan Korn.

Today's guest is Murray Edridge, CEO of Barnardos New Zealand





About Barnardos - Barnardos Vision: childhood is valued and each child's hope and potential are nurtured. Barnardo's Approach: We serve children and young people through:
- Recognizing the importance of their families
- Offering integrated services, within Barnardos and in community partnerships.
By
- Providing care and support
- Providing education and learning opportunities

Barnardo's Values:

Integrity
We demonstrate honesty, fairness, openness and clear boundaries, in all our interactions, behaviors, and practices, within the organization and with our clients, stakeholders, and the wider community.

Celebrate Children's Day

DIYFather will be Celebrating Children's Day tomorrow at Government House.

Every Child Counts Childrens Day Event 2008

Every Child Counts is organising a public event at Government House on Sunday 2 March 10am-3pm. The day will provide an opportunity for children, families, and organisations working with children to join together for a new experience and celebration of Childrens Day.

The event will be hosted by His Excellency the Governor General Anand Satynand and Mrs Satynand and is free to all children, their families, carers and special friends. Live music, face painting, dancing and much more.

Toddler Day Out and Great Parenting Fair

Sunday March 2nd. 10am – 3pm

Gather up your children and head down to Waitakere City’s annual Toddler Day Out and Great Parenting Fair at Waitakere Trusts Stadium on Sunday March 2nd.

More than 11,000 people attended our previous event and this, the fifth of our annual events, promises to be bigger and better than ever before. There will be something for everyone at this fun event for families.

It is also National Children’s Day on this date, and with its theme of giving our children new experiences, what better way could there be to start the year off??

Massive Study Finds Active Fathers are Essential for Well Adjusted Children

20-year review finds children have fewer psychological and behavioral problems

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, February 13, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Active father figures play a key role in reducing behaviour problems in boys and psychological problems in young women, according to a review published in the February issue of the peer-reviewed journal Acta Paediatrica.

Swedish researchers also found that regular positive contact reduces criminal behaviour among children in low-income families and enhances cognitive skills like intelligence, reasoning and language development. Children who lived with both a mother and father figure also had less behavioural problems than those who just lived with their mother.

Dads at Christmas Miss Out

I came across this article which is a reality for a lot of fathers who don't have access to their children. Access is an issue for many fathers including celebrity dads like Sir Bob Geldof. It's particularly relevant at this time of year when absence is felt a lot more. The article is a good reminder of the important of the relationship between father and child, but also father and mother.

- Scott

Families across Britain are spending quality time over the holidays, except for the many fathers who aren’t, because the courts or their former partners won’t allow them access to their children.

In the vast majority of cases here, mothers receive residence, regardless of how involved the father was the children’s lives before the parents separated.

Medical News - 'Dad is Just As Good As Me', Say 7 Out Of 10 Mums

Medical News Today
8 January 2008

'Dad is Just As Good As Me', Say 7 Out Of 10 Mums

Seven out of ten mums (68%) believe dads are as skilled at parenting as they are, yet the father role is seen as still secondary by much of society, according to new ICM research launched by the Fatherhood Institute today.

The new institute says involving fathers has a major impact on child welfare yet they spend on average a month less with their children than mums every year, mainly because of unsocial hours and inflexible working. It is calling for a shake up of parental leave, all family professionals such as midwives and teachers to actively involve fathers, and more done to ensure dads sign birth certificates, in line with international best practice.

SPARC Active Movement - Part 4: Developing fine motor skills

Why are fine motor skills important?
Fine motor skills are important because children need them for activities like writing, playing instruments and playing sport later in their lives.

Once a child can hold a pencil or cricket bat without having to think of "how" to hold it, they can then concentrate on what they are going to write, or how they are going to hit the ball with the bat. This is called automaticity, which is the ability to do something without thinking about it.

It's important to note that being active isn't just about doing full-on physical things and playing sport. It's anything and everything involved in moving your body and having body awareness. For example, in younger children it's about knowing where their fingers are and what they can do.

SPARC aims to develop the skills in our children to be active and healthy from a holistic perspective – so it's about food and lifestyle too.

Active Movement for Children

Since becoming a dad and working on DIYFather.com I have learnt a lot about babies, parenting and sleep deprivation. Most of it was all new to me and at times it seemed a bit overwhelming to try and do "the right thing" (whatever that may be).

Fortunately very early on we got in contact with a government agency called SPARC who have put together a lot of material about helping children under five develop their fundamental movement skills.