According to this article, one in ten children suffers from a diagnosable mental health problem, making this a real problem. This problem can however be positively impacted by teaching parents proper parenting skills and techniques, which is seen to significantly reduce the incidence of mental health problems among children.
A pilot project in one of the most deprived areas of south London, where the probability of mental problems is seen to be the most likely, was met with surprising success.
The project called Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities, offers parents training in gaining better parenting skills and techniques and also to pass on what they have learnt.
Explains one parent who underwent the course and is now teaching it to others – “I was definitely the sort of parent who got angry easily and just shouted, ‘Stop that’.”
Now however she has become more adept at being able to explain to the child what and why something shouldn’t be done. Also she is better able to praise a child for good behavior.
In particular, difficult conditions such as crowding, low incomes etc, will result in children playing up and parents needing support in figuring out the best ways to deal with their children.
