With lots of things that command our attention these days, it is natural to approach aspects of our life and roles in the easiest manner possible. In Psychology, automaticity is concept used to describe times in which we perform a task almost unthinkingly, as if on auto-pilot, freeing up space to respond to other matters. An example most people identify with is the experience of arriving by car at your destination and having little conscious memory of the journey. It can be troubling, though it is natural. Aspects of parenting can become “automatic” too. Children benefit from their parents approaching the role consciously and intentionally. The challenge is to do so without adding to the sensation of overwhelm that is an ever-present risk in modern life. In the CARE Curriculum I put forward simple (and conventional) ways of parenting intentionally that have maximum impact on children, without being overwhelming (for parent or child). I have included some examples in the graphic below.

In the Kinship CARE Project, our outcome data revealed that carers felt more confident in the role and observed improved relationships in the home after completing training in the CARE Curriculum.

For more information about the CARE Model and Curriculum, see:

http://securestart.com.au/the-care-curriculum/

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