Parent to Parent New Zealand delivers a programme, which supports the specific needs of siblings who have brothers and sisters with special needs. The aim of Parent to Parent’s programme is to provide children with an experience that will assist them to cope with the challenges and stresses of living with a brother or sister who has a disability. Siblings develop their own support network, through sharing and making friends with others who understand.

Parent to Parent’s programme is designed for children aged from eight to eighteen years, who do not have special needs themselves, and who have a brother or sister with a disability or special need.

Weekend Programme:
It begins with theatre sports, drama games or other trust activities, continuing onto and recreational activities. Siblings are divided, according to age, into groups for formal sessions. facilitators are siblings themselves and are able to offer empathy, individual support and an emotionally safe environment for the young people. A variety of recreational activities are also part of the weekend. The recreational experience is fun and rewarding and promotes informal sharing, with friendships continuing long after the weekend camp.

For further information and to register, please click here or contact:

P O Box 234
Waikato Mail Centre
Phone 07 853 8491
Email: sibsupport@parent2parent.org.nz

Thank you to everyone who voted for Parent to Parent via the Sovereign Sunshine website.

2nd Generation Workshops

Building on the huge success of the ‘Seeking a Good Life” workshops for parents, a similar programme is being offered for siblings, who often assume responsibility for the support and guidance of their disabled brother or sister, as their parents’ age.

This weekend will focus on the unique perspective of siblings, the distinctive dynamics of the relationship they have with their disabled brother or sister, and will provide practical advice and information about how to manage the role of advocate.

The weekend workshop is being held in Christchurch and is on offer to any adult siblings who are interested in being an important part of the support and guidance of their disabled brother or sister. The workshop, accommodation, travel and meals are free to participants.

Christchurch 8 – 10 October
Blue Skies Conference Centre
Kaiapoi
Canterbury

Application for travel support closes on 8 September

Places are limited, please register your interest as soon as possible, to allow flights and accommodation to be organised.

SibParent: Where parents of kids with special needs can talk about their “other” kids! On the Internet, there are hundreds of “listservs” where parents can talk about their kids who have special needs. However, there is only one listserv where parents can go to talk about their “other” kids! SibParent, sponsored by the Sibling Support Project, is a new, innovative listserv where parents can discuss the joys and concerns experienced by their typically developing children.

As many SibParent participants are also parents of kids who attend Sibshops, SibParent is also a forum for parents who want to support the Sibshop movement. (And in case Sibshops are new to you, they’re lively peer support and education programs for school-age sibs. You can find much information about Sibshops at www.siblingsupport.org !)

Like the Sibling Support Project’s other listservs, SibParent is a warm, thoughtful community. If you’re a parent who’s concerned about the well being of all your kids, we hope you’ll join us! It’s easy and free: just visit www.siblingsupport.org or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SibParent/join

SibParent is hosted by Andrea Congdon, a mum of children with and without special needs and a Sibshop provider and enthusiast. Don Meyer, director of the Sibling Support Project, hangs out on SibParent too!