Welcome to Whānau Mārama Parenting
Connecting

Connecting

  1. It is a time when members of a family connect with each other in a loving way. It is a time when parents give their 100% attention to their tamariki/children.
  2. It may involve playing together, sharing a special time, listening to each other, having fun, sharing emotions and being together in ways that each member of the whanau enjoys.
  3. Family/ whānau time can be one on one time between a parent and one child, two parents and one child or all the tamariki with one or both parents.
  4. It may be a ‘planned’ activity time or occur on the ‘spur of the moment’. For some families it is maybe more helpful to plan together for this time when everyone will be at home. The danger perhaps, in some instances, is that in the busy lifestyle of the whanau these regular times may get set aside or even forgotten.
  5. This time needs to be a consistent event within the family with at least one hour each week being devoted to connecting together in this way. Shorter periods of time are equally rewarding either daily or, for instance 3 x 20 mins each week. The main goal is for this time to be a regular, consistent and important priority for each whanau member.
  6. Family/ whānau time is not a time for arguing, giving lectures, telling the tamariki how they have been naughty, or relating in any way that disconnects the hearts of any family member from each other. If during family time tamariki need guidance around behaving in a more acceptable way this needs to be given in a loving and respective manner. We need to keep upper most in our mind it is our child’s loving heart connection with us that enables and motivates them to actually behave according to our expectations, values and beliefs.
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