Using Ara mātua parenting pathways
Practical insights into how to use Ara mātua parenting pathways to support whānau.
If you're working with a new whānau, it may be helpful to introduce them to Ara mātua parenting pathways.
Ara mātua is all about building whānau who feel confident in their parenting and have strong relationships with their children. The pathways help with the practical things parents can do that have positive results for their children’s development, and that help them be the kind of parents they want to be.
What are parenting pathways?
They’re collections of ideas and goals designed for each age and stage in the Tākai website. They identify practical actions for parents to work on, helping to strengthen their relationship with their child and build their parenting confidence.
You can use the pathways with whānau as conversation starters or as ideas for parenting goals they might want to work on. There is also space for parents to add their own goals, focusing on what’s important to them at each stage of their parenting journey.
Each pathway is available as a downloadable checklist.
Ways to use Ara mātua
Ara mātua can be used in a number of ways to enhance the mahi of whānau support workers. They’re designed to be discussed with whānau and left in the home for whānau to refer to.
They’re a great help in highlighting the simple, everyday ways that parents and whānau build strong relationships with their children, especially if they’re struggling a bit with their parenting.
They’re especially useful where parents may need help with ideas for playing or interacting with their children. They’re also designed to be used as the main resource during support visits, alongside Whakatipu booklets. Whānau can assess where their parenting skills are now and how their child is responding to their actions, and then look immediately ahead to what might be of help next. It's best to focus on just a few ideas at a time.
They can be used specifically in goal setting exercises, or when developing ‘strengths and needs’ assessments with whānau. Some kaimahi find them useful to wrap up a visit after the current challenges have been talked about or worked through. Using Ara mātua in this way ensures that the child and their wellbeing is the focus during their visit.
Ngā tohu whānau
The ideas are clustered under ‘Ngā tohu whānau’ — also known as the ‘6 things children need to grow into happy and capable adults’. These principles promote a strong relationship between parents, whānau and their children:
- Love and warmth
- Talking and listening
- Guidance and understanding
- Limits and boundaries
- Consistency and consequences
- A structured and secure world
The pathways offer ideas and goals under each of these principles appropriate for each developmental age and stage. They also reflect what’s written in the corresponding Whakatipu booklets, so whānau will be familiar with the material through their conversations with kaimahi.
Ara mātua as a tool
Each item in Ara mātua is a practical and achievable action for parents and whānau. Focusing on one or two at each visit will help whānau slowly build their parenting confidence and capabilities.
Ara mātua can help whānau:
- identify appropriate activities to share with their child at each age and stage
- create goals that will further support them in their parenting
- reflect on their achievements and lead to next steps
- consider other siblings’ developmental progress as well.
Ara mātua can help kaimahi:
- address issues, concerns or risks for whānau in a kind and nurturing way, using this resource as a practical encouragement
- have a starting place for a courageous conversation
- highlight strengths and give positive feedback
- document negotiated goals for a child family plan
- review whānau progress over a period of time
- create a child safety plan when whānau need additional support.
