Raising Happier Children: The Journey Towards Loving Parenting

Parenting style profoundly influences a child's growth and development. In one village in Sekadau Regency, West Kalimantan, some parents still raise their children using violent methods such as pinching and speaking harshly. This occurs because they are not yet aware of non-violent parenting techniques. 

Wahana Visi Indonesia, in collaboration with their partner Timang Kaseh Sekadau, conducted Parenting with Love training for local facilitators from WVI's assisted villages in Sekadau Regency. Ibu Rina (31) is one of the Parenting with Love facilitators in her community. Driven by her desire to share her experiences of the positive impact of implementing what she has learn and applied in her family, Ibu Rina and other mothers formed a Parents Support Group in their community. 

"Before attending this parenting training, frankly, we parents often spoke harshly to our children and often misunderstood our children and husbands because we didn't understand the love languages. Since attending the training, there have been many changes in my family. We have come to understand the language of love within our family. My husband and I have become more mature in raising our children, and I have become more patient," said Ibu Rina. 

Furthermore, Ibu Rina has also observed changes within her community since the establishment of the Parents Support Group. This group holds regular monthly meetings to share stories and experiences of parenting within their families. The group consists of 20 mothers from the same community. "I see that my friends have started to implement Parenting with Love in their families. Those who used to often speak harshly and be physically rough now no longer do so," she revealed. 

Ibu Rina hopes that the parenting style will continue to be implemented within families, even though it is not easy and requires a long time. "In the future, because there are around 20 mothers in our group, I hope we will continue to implement loving caregiving in our respective families, and thank you to Wahana Visi Indonesia and Timang Kaseh Sekadau for training us so that we can share our knowledge with other mothers in the Parent Support Group," added Ibu Rina. 

Author: Neneng (Timang Kaseh team, programme implementing partner in Sekadau, West Kalimantan) 

Editor: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)