Understanding baby’s life path and how parents need to give conscious thought to preparing this path.

Kaupapa

Matua, mātua – Conscious parenting

Help parents to think about their parenting style and explore parenting behaviours. Help them become more conscious about what they do as a parent, and how their behaviour affects pēpi.

Taumauri – Mana aotūroa

The underlying philosophy of this wānanga is based on the Āhuru Mōwai principle ‘Mana aotūroa’ – children learn through active exploration of the environment.

Mōhiotanga and māramatanga

Learn and use the words mōhiotanga (awareness) and ‘māramatanga’ (understanding) to embrace the kaupapa of this wānanga.

Whakawhanaungatanga

Whakatuwhera, whakatau, mihimihi

Continue to build whanaungatanga within the group. Meet whānau as they arrive. Open with a karakia and a waiata, your own or see the ones provided.

Introduce the session

Give an overview. Emphasise that this hui will centre on the importance of:

  • baby’s developmental journey and pathway
  • their parents’ intentions and commitment
  • their parents’ courage, energy and values.

Discuss attachment

Do a short presentation on attachment.

  • Emphasise that parents and whānau are responsible for encouraging attachment, and attachment is the first step in a healthy, positive pathway for pēpi.
  • Actively encouraging their attachment with pēpi helps parents to raise their awareness of baby’s needs and of their own parenting behaviours.
  • Being present and ‘kanohi ki te kanohi’ with pēpi when baby is wide-awake and alert is so important for baby’s optimal brain development and learning. It also builds and strengthens parents’ relationship with their pēpi.

Using the Tākai Whakatipu booklet that’s appropriate to each baby’s age, read and discuss the ‘Whānau say’ sections in pairs.

  • Ask participants to share the things they and their whānau do with pēpi. Talk about how their values and culture are passed on to their children.

Discuss parenting styles

Share the Tākai Thinking about parenting booklet and talk about the parenting styles (p. 3).

  • Ask whānau to spend some time working through pages 4, 5 and 6.

Explain that 80% of what baby learns comes through the vision centres in the brain. How whānau behave is so important, because pēpi is seeing whānau members as role models, and imitates their behaviour.

Stress the importance of positive male role models and male nurturing. Introduce the pakiwaitara in the Whakatipu booklet Te Pihinga 1 (page 36). It tells the story of Tamanui-ki-te-rangi, Māui’s tīpuna who reared him from a birth.

Whakataukī

Explain the following whakataukī and encourage whānau to have a 2-minute discussion about its meaning:

Nāu i whatu te kākahu, he tāniko tāku.

You weave the cloak and I the border

Mahi

Prepare a suitable area at the venue, inside or outside, for taking photos of whānau or individuals. Take photos and then share these electronically with whānau or print and share them at the next wānanga. Start a photo album or book for pēpi, to record some special moments as they set off on their pathway with their whānau.

Whānau may like to include:

  • kanohi ki te kanohi moments

things that whānau do together with baby, for example, karakia, pānui pukapuka.

Whakamutunga

Bring everyone together for closing and offer an opportunity for whānau to share their experience of the day. Reflect on the kaupapa of this hui ‘Taku ara’. Close with a karakia and a waiata, your own or see the ones provided.

Workshop materials

  • camera
  • laptop
  • photo setting props
  • small photo album
  • book-making materials
    • A4 paper
    • stapler
    • glue sticks
    • marker pens
    • sticky tape
    • ziplock bags
    • card