NSPCC helps retailers to support parents whilst shopping.

[Ruthierhyme]

NSPCC helps parents to keep their cool

Join the Head of Child Protection at the NSPCC as
he answers your questions and offers support to parents when out with the kids.

All parents have been there. Half way through the weekly shop and your child starts to have a tantrum. Then comes the nightmare question, what do you do?

Take a deep breath? Count to ten? Try to look at it from their point of view?

Keeping your cool whilst trying to stop your child from having a tantrum is no easy task. No parent wants to tell their child off or smack them but how do you get through those fits of temper?
There is no doubting that in recent years smacking has become less acceptable. A recent survey by the NSPCC found that most people who have seen a child being smacked said they had found the experience upsetting and had worried about the child. Many claimed they wanted to comfort the child and help the stressed-out parent.

As a result the NSPCC have launched a campaign calling on stores to help support parents who are struggling and provide advice for mums and dads who want help. But what is the best thing to do if a tiny tot starts to have a tantrum in the middle of a supermarket aisle? Join our expert-parenting panel as they offer their advice on disciplining your kids without having to resort to physical force...

Head of Child Protection at the NSPCC, Chris Cloke, joins us at webchatsTV ~ NSPCC helps parents to keep their cool to offer support to parents.

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NSPCC urges retailers to
"work with us and go smack-free"

The NSPCC today called for shops to work with them to do more to support parents shopping in their stores.
From going smack-free through to stocking leaflets offering parenting advice the NSPCC wants shops to do their bit to look after parents and children.
Figures released by the charity today reveal a huge 77% of us think smacking is becoming less acceptable in today's world and nearly all those surveyed by the NSPCC want shopkeepers and store managers to take action and help parents avoid losing their cool with their children.

Nearly half those surveyed said they actively prefer shopping where smacking is forbidden and, based on findings, the charity estimates that 2.3 million adults would be less likely to go back to shopping in a store where they saw a child smacked.

11% of the adults in the survey said they'd seen a child smacked in the last week - equivalent to 2 million people across the country - with many of those admitting they had felt worried about the child and the experience had upset them. 51% told the charity they had wanted to intervene to stop the child being smacked and most added they had wanted to comfort the child and help the struggling mum and dad.

Many stores have already introduced family friendly measures such as parent and child parking, double seated shopping trolleys and nappy changing facilities but shoppers added putting in crèches and toys would help keep shopping stress free.

NSPCC parenting advisor Eileen Hayes said: "Shopping with a young child can sometimes try the patience of the most caring parent. Shops can help parents to take the stress out of shopping in simple ways. They can display leaflets on how to deal with tantrums and difficult behaviour, train staff to support those who are struggling and provide play areas for bored or acting up children."
"The NSPCC understands pressures on parents and is keen to work with retailers looking to make shopping a more pleasant experience for all. Helping parents not only makes good business sense, by promoting good parenting and discouraging smacking, retailers can show they care about customers and children."
For more information visit www.nspcc.org.uk

A new podcast has been released by NSPCC featuring Eileen Hayes, Parenting Expert and Chris Cloke, Head of Child Protection Awareness at NSPCC, with more on the research and tips on how to keep your cool. Visit Podmaster.co.uk - NSPCC's to listen to it now.


Press releases published on behalf of www.markettiers4dc.com
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Additional resources from NSPCC.co.uk

Keeping Cool .pdf
Not Naughty but Normal .pdf

[Ruthierhyme]

This is an incredibly emotive subject & at first contact wasn’t going to publish these press releases because of a discussion I’d read on it beforehand ~ however … having read the full article and listened to the WebcastTV show must admit that whilst it does bring a lot of unanswered questions to light it does also clear up others !!

Ultimately, the NSPCC’s campaign wants to help shops/retailers understand that they have/can have a role to play in helping parents out of situations that could result in the smacking of a child.

Whilst mentioned on the interview that it shouldn’t take much financially to get some diffusion strategies in place in shops, it doesn’t say how shop staff are going to help manage these situations without putting themselves at risk !

If a Parent & Child are already at loggerheads, I personally can’t see how any staff member will receive a warm welcome .. especially if the parent sees their interruption/offer of help as a threat … working in preschool you soon discover how highly trained/experienced in positive behavioural practices you really need to be in order to deal with things like tantrums & outbursts ..

and even though the cost of training doesn’t seem to of been approached at all.. would shop staff want to be trained in these types of anger management techniques & if not, what else can the retailers do …

Possibly offer more online shopping facilities ~ Quick checkout & home delivery options?
Shopping aides maybe .. where parents can ask for assisted help as soon as they enter a shop.. ?

Please add your own thoughts & views on this issue …