Enlightening Parents to Empower the Children
“Empower the child, and you will elevate the skill.”
This was the advice given to parents by occupational therapist Lady Suarez during a parenting seminar hosted by the Guidance and Testing Center (GTC) at MGC New Life Christian Academy last September 12. The seminar aimed to equip and support parents as they guide their children through various stages of growth and development.
Suarez emphasized that parenting practices that were effective in the past may no longer apply in today’s ever-evolving world. As an associate of the Neurodevelopment Center and Therapeutic Intervention for Kids and an Occupational Therapist Registered Philippines (OTRP), she provided insights to help parents navigate these challenges, covering two key topics during the seminar: behavior management and skill building.
Suarez discussed the Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) Model, with antecedent being the reason why a child behaves a certain way, behavior being how the child acts, and consequence being the effects of the child’s behavior. She explained that one of the major reasons why a child’s behavior does not improve is because parents focus on the behavior or consequence aspect rather than the antecedent.
The second part of the seminar focused on how to develop a child’s skills. Suarez suggested combining the child’s innate skill with early opportunities for training. She also noted that a possible reason why a child’s skill may not be improving could be the lack of freedom from the parents to explore and develop their abilities independently.
Additionally, Suarez emphasized that one of the most important skills for children to develop is emotional regulation. She suggested that parents can enhance this skill by creating a safe and consistent environment where they show their emotions more often and verbalize their feelings. By doing so, children would learn to express their own emotions rather than resorting to throwing a fit or crying – habits they can develop when they view their parents as their emotional role models.
Meanwhile, the parents expressed their appreciation for the things they learned. Erika Kuan, an Early Years parent, stated, “We are grateful to have a seminar like this because not all schools are like that. We also appreciate how the speaker [provided] examples [that are] not just school-related.”
Jemarie Joy Yulangco, a mother of two alumni and three current New Lifers, also expressed, “I can relate because [the seminar] is talking about how to change [a child's] behavior or understand [their actions]. I feel it’s very relevant [in] that it teaches us to focus on the antecedent rather than [just] the behavior and consequence.”
