Welsh Government’s ‘Positive parenting’ campaign set to hit the big screen

An advert encouraging ‘positive parenting’ is set to appear in cinemas across Wales this half term.

A range of parenting and child behaviour experts have contributed to the Parenting. Give it time campaign, which shows how encouraging and praising children for good behaviour is more effective than doling out harsh punishments when children do things wrong.

The campaign has also been backed by a number of parent support groups across Wales.

Parenting.Give it time was first launched in 2015, with a dedicated website, Facebook page, booklet and advice sheets offering tips and information for parents about ways to take some of the stress out of everyday family activities, such as bed time, bath time and the weekly food shop.

The website deals with specific issues, including toddler tantrums and potty training, and addresses the challenges associated with a child’s development from birth to five years old.

[miptheme_quote author=”Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, Carl Sargeant” style=”boxquote text-left”]We want parents across Wales to share their experiences of positive parenting and how it has made a difference to their, and their children’s lives.[/miptheme_quote]

Thousands of parents visited the Parenting. Give it Time website during the first phase of the campaign, while the Facebook page has provided an outlet for people to share their own experiences of successful (and unsuccessful) parenting strategies for the benefit of others.

The second phase will see the first parenting advert shown on cinema screens in Wales, an outdoor and online advertising campaign, as well as partnerships with popular UK parenting websites Netmums and Mumsnet.

Speaking on the latest phase of the campaign, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, Carl Sargeant, said;

“Parenting. Give it Time is about supporting parents of young children and providing help and advice at a time that, although rewarding, can also be very stressful.

There is definitely no such thing as a perfect parent but the vast majority of research shows that both children and parents can really benefit from a positive parenting style.
“The campaign is about providing advice on how to handle the many different challenges of parenting and the website contains lots of useful information, with more downloadable resources being added as the campaign progresses.”

In March 2016, the results of a parenting survey carried out as part of the campaign were published, in which two-thirds of the 1,490 respondents said that balancing work and family responsibilities was among the top three concerns they worried about most often.

The survey also found that 82% of parents of under 5s living in Wales ranked outdoor activities, such as going for a walk or playing in the local park, in their top three family pastimes.