By NARELLE COULTER
NAVIGATING the dos and don’ts of bringing up children in the modern world is tricky enough without throwing a clash of cultures into the mix.
But that is precisely the scenario facing refugee and immigrant mothers as they try to raise children in modern Australia without losing touch with the traditions and cultures of their homeland.
On 6 June 70 immigrant and refugee mothers attended a parenting day at Dandenong South Primary School.
Community hub leader Deborah Handley said the parenting day canvased a range of topics including infant and toddler health, how the maternal and child health system works and how to assimilate two cultures when parenting.
“There are differences in parenting styles, expectations and what is termed acceptable between the Australian community and newly arrived members of our community,” Ms Handley said.
“In reponse to this need for education, the Muslim Women’s Association for Human Rights has prepared this wonderful day to help educate, inform, nurture and support mothers in our community.”
Most of the women who attended were Afghan refugee mothers with children at Dandenong North, Dandenong West and Dandenong South primary schools.
“It is up to them to decide what is important from the culture of origin, what they would like to retain, and what things they would like to take from their new culture and move forward from there.
“I’m an Anglo raising my little person and I have enough trouble with all the information that is thrown at me.
“You can understand the uncertainty a mother in a new culture will face to meet the expections of her culture of origin as well as being accepted in the new culture.”
The parenting day was part of a wider strategy adopted by the three schools to help the children of refugee parents prepare for school.
Central to the strategy are playgroups that bring together mothers and their children from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
The Tuesday playgroup is open to all cultures while the Wednesday and Thursday groups are for Afghan parents only.
“Children who have attended the playgroup are hitting the classroom more settled and more engaged and want to learn having been given structure and support by their parents in the lead up to school,” Ms Handley said.
“We want to engage and empower families in the community to help make their children more ready for school.”
The playgroups run from 9.30am to noon. The Wednesday session is full but there are still places available on Thursdays.
For more information contact Dandenong South Primary School on 9792 3726.
