The Foundation for the Development of Caribbean Children (FDCC) this week hosted a workshop in Conscious Discipline for parents, early childhood practitioners, and social workers from Canaries and Anse la Raye.
Conscious Discipline is built on the premise of developing discipline within children rather than applying discipline.
The workshop covered topics such as how the brain develops and functions, the seven powers of an adult, new ways to connect a family, classroom or team, and will use the seven skills of discipline to respond to events in new ways.
The programme provided participants with the capacity to manage their emotions and behaviour so that they can help create a safe and positive learning environment for their children. The FDCC saw this workshop as an opportunity to support the reduction of corporal punishment in schools and homes, and in the long-term reduce the abuse of children in the name of discipline.
This approach to discipline has been introduced in over 40 countries around the world, including the Caribbean countries of Grenada, Suriname, Aruba, Bonaire, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The presenter, Dr. Barbara Landon is a certified instructor for the curriculum, as well as a neuropsychologist and professor at St. George’s University School of Medicine. Dr. Landon administers several programmes aimed at reducing violence against children.
The work of the Foundation for the Development of Caribbean Children, a regional non-profit organization is aimed at helping children in the Caribbean to reach their full potential through early childhood development (ECD) outreach programmes.
This week’s workshop was held with the support of the United Nations Development Programme for Barbados and the OECS, and Northwest Limited.