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Why kids think adults don't listen.
In our last eNewsletter I spoke about childrens' perception that adults don't listen to them and I think this is partially due to a culture of dobbing. If a child is dobbing all the time, it's like the boy who cried "wolf", adults just stop listening or don't believe them.
If we can reduce the amount of dobbing, tale-telling, snitching, grassing - whatever you would like to call it - and at the same time educate adults, both parents and teachers in the importance of listening to children, we can change this perception for children and help them feel safe.
In our November 2007 eNewsletter, I explained that in my experience the easiest way to teach children the difference between dobbing and telling is by teaching Early Warning Signs. After teaching Early Warning Signs, I explain to children that "dobbing" is when you don't have your Early Warning Signs and you feel safe, you are just trying to get someone else in trouble. "Telling" is when you have your Early Warning Signs, you feel unsafe - this is when you have to persist in telling an adult you trust until your Early Warning Signs go away and you feel safe again. |
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Our new product this month is for teaching Early Warning Signs. It was conceived after a lesson with a group of children in
Kalumburu,
WA. Like most people who teach Protective Behaviours, I did an activity with the children around a sheet of butcher paper (flip chart paper, for our
UK practitioners). I asked for a volunteer to lie down on the paper as a trace model so I could draw an outline of their body, we could then free think and draw all the different Early Warning Signs onto the body outline. A very shy little girl risked on purpose and agreed to be the model. After tracing around her she got up to reveal the outline of her shape. All the children erupted in laughter, because I had drawn her ears lopsided. She started to cry, I felt awful as my poor drawing skills had made her feel unsafe - I decided to come up with a solution.
The feedback on this new resource has been very encouraging; the fact that the figures are already clothed takes away the distraction some children have in drawing clothes rather than focusing on Early Warning Signs. Also, some practitioners may not have access to butchers paper, as they travel from school to school teaching Protective Behaviours.
We hope you will find them useful and, as always, we welcome your feedback on any of our resources.
Price AUD189 (inc. GST)
Includes banner, X-stand and carry bag. |
| Special Notice
No doubt there are many of you who were horrified and dismayed by the tragic death of Darcey Freeman, a four year-old girl thrown from the Westgate Bridge in Melbourne. Without prejudice, Darcey's death has highlighted a serious problem in our judicial system which may allow children to be placed in unsafe situations during custody disputes.
Protecting Kids is Our Game is dedicated to keeping kids safe and, as such, we include the link below for those of you who may wish to express an opinion about this problem. If you feel strongly, you may also wish to forward this link to your own Network.
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Upcoming events
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APCCAN 2009 in Perth in Sunday 15th - Wednesday 18th November 2009 |
Training Programs
You can begin to implement Holly-ann's program in your school or home with a basic training workshop - in two hours you can gain enough knowledge to immediately start teaching your children and modelling the language, concepts and strategies of Protective Behaviours.
Holly-ann will be visiting Darwin in March and will travel out to remote communities in the Northern Territory so make sure you express your interest for training in this region so we can minimise travelling costs and give as many people as possible the opportunity to access training - see our website for course dates. Protecting Kids is Our Game Training Programs
Holly-ann provides specialised training for teachers and parents to provide them with skills and practical ideas for teaching Protective Behaviours to children.
Basic Training is a two hour professional development for teachers presented by Holly-ann Martin as an introduction to our Protective Behaviours ten-week lesson plan.
Full-day Classroom Mentoring is also available for more detailed, practical training for teachers.
Full-day Protective Behaviours Applications is a comprehensive workshop for anyone working with children or in childrens services.
Our Parent Workshop is a two hour session packed with fantastic ideas for parents to begin practicing pro-active behaviour and language with their children at home.
Holly-ann is also available for customised in-house training and consulting by request.
If you would like more information about training, or would like to engage Holly-ann as a speaker at your event, please contact her directly at holly-ann@protectingkids.com.au |
