Lane Cove parents Steve and Catherine Angier say they have been helped and encouraged by a new parenting course being introduced in Sydney parishes.

Steve and Catherine, parents to four-year-old Stephanie, are also the foster carers of a six-month-old baby.

Along with other local families, the young couple recently completed a new Mothers' Union (MU) parenting education program at their church, St Andrew's, Lane Cove.

"Through group work we learnt a lot from the other parents," Catherine says.
"We learnt that we had issues and techniques in common with other parents. We found it very encouraging. It was extremely helpful to have both theory and practical applications."
Facilitators, Lane Cove Rector Roger Kay and his wife Lynn, say they had been looking for a suitable course to run both to support and help parents in the congregation.

They also wanted to find a way to reach out to parents who come to playgroup and other community contacts. 

The course had ten participants, representing six families with preschool or primary school aged children.

A second course is planned for this year. 

Sydney Anglicans adapt UK course for Aussies

The MU Parenting Education Program (PEP) is adapted from the United Kingdom version for an Australian context.

Ian and Kate Pearse of St Jude's, Bowral were sent over to the MU offices in London to observe the course in action.

When they came back to Australia they revised and adapted the course and trained Roger and Lynn to run the program.

After it was launched at General Synod in Fremantle in 2004, the first program in Australia was run in Bowral in March and April last year over five evenings.

The program was run at Lane Cove in late 2005.

It consists of five sessions covering topics of parenting styles, children's development, self-esteem, encouragement and listening.

Glenda McSorley, President of the Lane Cove MU said Mother's Union designed the program to support parents in the church and provide outreach to the wider community.

Glenda said the Lane Cove course was "one of the best they'd ever seen' with each family staying from the start of the course until the end.

For information about the course contact the MU Australia Immediate Past President, Jan Livingstone. Email: ipp@mu.org.au or phone: (02) 4872-4254.

By Anna Vaughn