The parents of the Fatherhood Program at Dacoma II
celebrated the end of their coursework and their
graduation. They received a certificate of participation
and celebrated with their families and the Fatherhood
Program staff. The same way, the Fatherhood program
participants at Mt Houston, Oakwood, and James Berry
Elementary also celebrated with a delicious cake and
refreshments. Congratulations to all our families!
AVANCE’s
Fatherhood Coordinator,
and recipient of 2009’s Houston
Hispanic Author of the Year
award,
Héctor Rodríguez featured in
newspaper articles.
The
Fatherhood Program emphasizes the first
three main points focused on a dad's
relationship with his own children.
·Loving your
Child- affirming and
nurturing your child, loving and/or respecting the
child's mother.
·Coaching your
Child- being involved in
your child's life and knowing them well
·Modeling for
your Child- consistently
living the values you wish to pass on to your children
OUR PURPOSE
The AVANCE
Fatherhood Program is committed to:
Enabling fathers to become involved and loving dads
Enhance family unity
Increasing father’s role in their children’s education
Improve interpersonal relationships
among couples
TOPICS
The Presentations focus on enhancing personal
development and life-coping skills
Are dads really unique?
Benefits of a healthy marriage
Age appropriate discipline
Family communication
The father as a role model
Better parents, better children
Spending time alone with your child
Tips for new dads
Values clarification
Topics also include:
Parenting issues,
Communication,
Interpersonal relationships,
Parents as a team
Overcoming crisis and adversity
(Resilience)
METHODOLOGY: DYNAMIC – PRACTICAL
Interactive lessons
Support group sessions
Presentations by field experts
Hands-on activities
Educational field trips
SUPPORT SERVICES:
Classes conducted in English and Spanish
On site child care
Food/refreshments provided
Advocacy and referrals
FATHERHOOD PROGRAM
THE
EXPERIENCE OF BEING PARENTS
By: Héctor A Rodríguez D.
Being parents
is an event that transforms us and challenges our
personal development. That is why it is necessary to ask
ourselves:
What does it
mean to be an adult?
Our knowledge
of development can be useful in many areas of our family
life. It can make us feel more secure in ourselves; make
us more flexible and more understanding in certain
situations and will help us to better enjoy the
wonderful adventure that it is to be parents.
Being an
adult parent means closely examining the problem of
discipline: what is it, what does it mean and what it
should be. Our problems can’t be solved by forcing our
children to obey us, or leaving them to do what they
wish without clear controls and limits. Remember that
nowadays one can better educate by lowering our voices
and raising our points of arguments.
Research in
the field of pedagogy has moved in the same direction.
John Dewey and other researchers, who head a movement
called advanced education, state that if we want our
children to be capable of thinking for themselves, we
have to help them to develop their internal controls.
It is not
possible to make them act in a determined manner by
means of terrorizing them. If we do this, they will
always need a totalitarian voice of authority to be able
to control them. We have to show them how to live in a
constructive manner, to accept the responsibilities they
have, not by means of force, but rather with love and
understanding, given that learning self-control is a slow
process.
Another new
and important observation alludes to the fact that
behavior is also symbolic and significant. When a child
does something that to us seems incomprehensible, we need
to understand what he / she wishes to express; that is
why it is important to learn to reach out to their
personal world to understand and help him / her.
Being parents
is a unique learning experience both for the children
and their parents; it implies learning to live outside
ourselves with generosity to be able to share our
fragility, and the grand experience that it is to be
human beings.
A father and a dad are not the same: One can be a dad and not a father, Or one can be a father and not bother To earn through love the more endearing name.
Some find fatherhood a bit too tame, Leaving all the details to the mother, Or dumping the sweet burden on another Man with just a passing twinge of shame.
You have been our dad so many years That you've become the landscape that is home, The mountain that we look to from afar.
No matter where we go we're not alone, For you remain within to still our fears And be the word that tells us who we are.
On June 13th
AVANCE families gathered at the Boy Scouts of America’s
Camp Strake for the annual Fatherhood Fishing Trip. Over
300 participants lined the lake and tried their luck at
fishing, while snacking on watermelon and drinking
lemonade. The camp greenery and open spaces provided for
a picturesque background, and the large trees provided
some respite from Houston’s summer sun.
While families were plunking their lines into the still
waters of the lake, others decided to take advantage of
the camp grounds to play in the park or to enjoy a nice
game of cards. Others chose to stay under the covered
eating area to snack on delicious grilled burgers, and
get a break from the sun.
We thank all of the AVANCE participants that were able
to come and take part in our fun fishing trip, and that
are committed to spending quality time with their
children.
Place
: “Camp Strake”
“Boy Scouts
of America”
11322 Interstate 45 S,
Conroe TX
Date: June 13th, 2009
8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
If you
need information about the
Fatherhood Program
and the services
we provide, please contact
Héctor Rodríguez, Fatherood Coordinator
at (713)812-0033 Ext. 203”
