Ocean Shores Parenting Project

Supported by
Dept of Family & Community Services
Contact No. Graham & Rose O'Brien (02) 6680 1806

Dear Parents,

We thank all those who assisted us by filling in the survey forms & returning them to the office at the end of last July.  As a result, we have received some funding from the Dept. of Family & Community Services, which will allow us to offer, free of any charges, three (3) different courses over the next 12 months.  

These courses are all related to parenting and are:

1) Parent Effectiveness Training (PET). This is an internationally respected parenting course.  It offers tools & skills to enable parents to create more loving & caring family relationships as well as focusing on issues around discipline & self-esteem.  The course will be held over 6 weeks during Term 1 & depending on preference, will commence on Monday morning 25th February, 9.30-12.30am, or Thursday evening 28th February, 7-10pm.  The venue is the Ocean Shores Community Centre.  Please register no later than 18th February, as course materials need to be ordered. 

2) Relationship/Communications Training (ET).  This is an exceptional ‘life skills’ course which teaches skills in relating & communicating more effectively with others at home, work and all areas of your life.  This course will be held over 9 weeks during Term 2, & will commence on Thursday evening 2^nd May, from 7-10pm. Venue is the Ocean Shores Community Centre.  Please register by 24^th April, as course materials need to be ordered.

3) A Community Evening on Drug Awareness is to be held at the Ocean Shores Community Centre on the evening of May 7^th at 7.00pm.  Once again, we have the privilege of having Dr. John Anderson as our keynote speaker.  He is consultant Psychophysiologist from the Westmead Brain & Behaviour Centre in Sydney, and is one of Australia’s leading drug researchers. He will speak on the current research into the effects of cannabis on the developing brain of children & adolescents.

At this evening, we will be offering enrolment into the successful course ‘How to Drug Proof Your Kids’.  This course was held after the community evening last August at Mullumbimby High School, and proved to be very helpful for the 30 or so parents which attended the course.

This educational, preventive program is realistic in acknowledging that it is near impossible to prevent children from experimenting with tobacco, alcohol & other drugs, but asserts that parents can be effective in implementing strategies, which will make their children less vulnerable to the influence of drugs.  The course is held over 6 weeks & will commence at the Ocean Shores Community Centre on Wednesday 29^th May, at 7.00pm. 

We are fully trained & accredited local community members, who care about family life. Having raised six children of our own, we have come to see how important a role good educational, communication & relationship skills play in the prevention of family breakdown.

·                    Child minding by accredited people is available. (Please advise facilitators early)

·                    All courses, workbooks/manuals are free & refreshments will be provided.

·                    For further information & early bookings, please contact the facilitators:

Facilitators:            Graham & Rose O’Brien, 

Tel/Fax:                  66 801806

E-mail:                   gjobrien@better.net.au

PET
Ordinary people doing ordinary things making
an extraordinary difference in their communities.