The Sathya Sai Parenting Program is a program to help incorporate the Five Human Values into every aspect of family life. The program is useful for parents, parents to be (expectant parents), future parents (young adults), grandparents, and people who have contact with children.

The program encompasses fifteen topics divided into five full-day sessions. Each topic deals with interactive discussions involving all participants. The five sessions are held over a period of time in order to enable participants to practice the learnings in their lives and obtain integration.

The interaction methodology comprises:

• Brainstorming
• Sequential questioning - (short)
• Group discussion - anyone comments
• Role plays involving participants
• Sequential narration - (lonig)

All who are involved and interact with children find this program of benefit. Teachers engage the program to understand why children behave the way they do. We need to become aware of the impact of family issues on the development of children, to see things from the child's point of view, and to understand the parent's point of view ~ all parents want their children to be happy!

Areas of Exploration

Some areas the program explores include:

• Human life and human purpose;
• Reasons for getting married and having children
• The changing role of the mother and father
• The changing nature of childhood
• Take up oppportunities in situations occurring in families in order to explore and teach human values
• How the five human values exist in families

Why is the program important?

Parenting has become a very challenging matter in the age of technology. We all interact with children at some stage or another. We are the adults children imitate. Therefore we need to become self-aware of our thoughts, words and deeds, and understand the message that is being passed onto children. We have useful knowledge that should be passed on to the next generation. If we manage to alienate children, then how shall our values be passed on? How will our love be known and cherished? All parents need to become aware of how to teach values to children effectively, in a non-threatening manner. This program equips participants with the skills to become self-reflective, self aware, and better at interacting with children.

For more information, contact:

• In Canberra, Dr Pal Dhall, ph (02)62424712
• In Sydney, Satish Kumar ph (02)96044204
• In Melbourne, Cynthia Foa ph (03) 95329040a