Our Parenting Programs
Throughout the year, Mana Parents Centre offers a range of parenting programmes to the community. Courses are available for a range of ages and developmental stages. All courses are presented by qualified adult educators. Topics include everything from starting solids, infant CPR through to baby sign and understanding how a babies brain develops with the brainwave trust seminar.
The venue for each session (unless otherwise stated) is the Ground Floor, Pember House, 16 Hagley St, Porirua. Generally each session runs for 2 hours beginning at 7.30pm.
Please refer to the parent ed schedule for dates, times and pricing.
Bookings are recommended (essential for CPR) and members are given priority. Your place on a course is not secured until full payment has been received.
To make a booking or find our more, contact Mana Parents Centre on 237 6262 or Email.
- Music Classes
Do you want to move and groove with your baby and meet other parents and babies? Come and join our music classes which are a great way to introduce your child to action songs and musical instruments. We run two half hour sessions on a Monday afternoon with afternoon tea in between. We have a qualified music teacher who runs the class and does a variety of childrens action songs, accompanied by musical instruments (bells, drums, tambourines, clackers and much more). Bookings are not required, just turn up and join in!! We place an emphasis on songs and activities, which promote language development and motor skills, while learning about and appreciating music.
When:
Monday afternoon
1.00pm – 1:30pm Session one
1:30pm – 2:00pm Morning tea (supplied)
2:00pm – 2:30pm Session two
Cost:
$3 for members and $5 for non-members per family
Where:
Ground floor, Pember House, Hagley St, Porirua
- CPR
Whether you have children or are expecting, in just two hours you can learn vital lifelong skills that could save your child’s life!
Learn the two different techniques needed for babies under 12 months and toddlers. The course also covers choking and basic first aid.
This course is run by the New Zealand Red Cross, and you will receive a certificate for completion.
- Positive Discipline and Tantrums
Most challenging behaviours occur for a reason, often because a child is trying to communicate needs or to express frustration. By looking beyond problem behaviours to understand why the behaviour occurs we can develop simple management strategies to modify the behaviour.
- Solids and Beyond
This session covers introducing solid foods to your baby in stages and helpful information on: cooking baby food; continuing milk feeds; storing and freezing foods safely;
using commercial baby foods; progressing towards finger foods and family meals. Includes FREE Watties samples and food charts and you can purchase the Alison Holst Baby Food
and Beyond recipe book for only $12 (RRP $19.99).
- Toilet Training
Get you and your toddler ready for this next step. The course covers signs of readiness, how to start, proper hygiene and what to do when it’s not working.
FREE Huggies samples and a toilet training guide are supplied.
- Top & Toe
A podiatrist will talk about how feet develop, when and how to buy the right shoes for your child, and how to take the best possible care of those feet for the many years of
stomping ahead. A Dental Therapist will cover the development of teeth, how to look after your child’s pearly whites and keep them that way, and when to enrol for dental services.
- Baby Sign
This workshop introduces parents to sign language for hearing babies, a wonderful, easy to use, early communication tool. Parents are taught when to start signing, how signing is implemented and how to recognise when their baby has grasped the concept.
- Creative Play
Covering the relationship between brain development and movement, these sessions provides practical ideas, games and songs for getting young children active.
Learn what toys to introduce at which stages in your child’s development.
- Brainwave Trust
A fascinating seminar where you can gain new insights into how your little one’s brain works and is developing. It focuses on the importance of the first three years of life
and covers how the brain develops, how brain connections are formed, critical periods for learning skills and how experiences shape the brain. Recommended for expectant parents and those already with children.
- What sort of Parent do you want to be?
This class covers conscious parenting – reflecting on our own experiences with our parents and discussion around the three main parenting styles. This is appropriate for parents of children of any age.
- Sleep Solutions?
From newborns to toddlers, whatever your sleep problem, this course will look at positive management strategies to promote healthy sleep patterns.
- Water Babies
Learn how to help your baby be confident in the water. This class will cover practical ideas and games for lots of water-based fun. A voucher three FREE swimming lessons is also
included.
- Testimonials
The CPR course I went on was fantastic. It was great being able to actually practice on the dummy’s and go through some very real scenario’s. I feel I am well prepared to use the techniques if I have to.
Annemaree & Trevor Deed
“Mana PC Parent Ed classes are fantastic. I have been to a number of them including Top & Toe, Food Glorious Food and Positive Discipline. All of the classes are well run and have been of benefit to my child as he progressed from an infant to a toddler”
