Positive parenting to make a difference.
This is the goal of the administrators at the Milton Lynch Boys’ School as they set out to assist the boys in the transition to manhood.
Starting last year through the Ministry of Education’s School Positive Behavioural Management Programme they began the initiative, dubbed Family Week. It continued again this year, beginning on Sunday with a church service at the Christ Church Parish Church and it ended today with Bring Your Father To School Day.
Throughout the day, fathers visited their sons at the school in Water Street, Christ Church to spend quality time with them. They joined in a workshop, Raising Boys to Men, hosted by MESA president Ralph Boyce, visited classrooms to read to and with the boys, or just looked on with some interaction.
The boys were exposed to various novelty games and many of the fathers took particular interest in playing football and cricket with their children.
Coordinator of today’s activities, Carlson Spooner-Pascal told Barbados TODAY the whole idea was to incorporate parents and the community into the school activities, while specifically giving fathers a chance to bond with their children like some normally would not have.
“As we know, many of our boys sometimes don’t see their fathers very often and don’t get to interact with them — today was that opportunity. I believe a lot of the boys appreciated the opportunity to see their father here and I believe a lot of the fathers like it as well.
“It is something any school should do, but especially because we are an all-boys school, … that is even more special. Seeing how some children are reacting I think this alone will help to create closer bonds. Sometimes fathers need something to give them a little push to forge closer bonds and come together.
“It might inspire them to be more involved in their boys’ lives after today. Research and studies show when parents are more involved in their children’s lives, children tend to do better in school. Once the children know that mummy and daddy are interested — they care, they check in with the teachers, they come to PTA meetings, talk and ask about the behaviour — the child is better motivated to work,” he said, noting it was something they wanted to do annually at the school.
By Barbados Today Online
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