What skills do parents need to survive living with their adolescents?

On 1 February 2008, the Ministry of Youth Development hosted a seminar by by Dr Sue Bagshaw, Director of 198 Youth Centre, Christchurch.

Positive youth development sounds like an impossible dream but most parents can achieve helping their children to become healthy, resilient adults if they have a little help form their friends. 

There was a discussion on what it takes to be resilient parents and how we can help all parents to do well with their teenagers. Much of the evidence for what works comes from the work of resiliency researches in the United States of America who provided evidence for the development of resiliency in family connection. This evidence was discussed.

The implications for policy around family friendly workforce development, income support for parents of teenagers, and the structure of high schools was also examined.

Sue Bagshaw works as a primary care doctor in adolescent health at a one stop community youth health centre for 10- 25 year olds.

She is a part time senior lecturer in adolescent health in the Department of Paediatrics at the Christchurch School of Medicine, and she is chairperson of the Trust that runs the Collaborative (a research and training centre for youth health and development).  She spent 20 years working for the Family Planning Association in Christchurch and ten years working part time on the Methadone programme in Christchurch; which is why she has interests in common with young people- sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll! She is on the Council of New Zealand Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development and the Council of  the International Association for Adolescent Health as Immediate Past President.

More Information

Below (under "Related documents") you can download the presentation made by  Dr Sue Bagshaw.

For more information on this seminar, email us at mydinfo@myd.govt.nz


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