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MANILA, Philippines — Adopting a positive parenting approach has proven “to strengthen family bonds and foster positive child development,” according to two lawmakers who filed House bills on the approach and children’s rights advocates.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, lawmakers and advocates shared tips on this approach, including regulating their emotions, being good role models, and establishing long-term parenting goals.
“A lot of parents are actually just needing support to shift away from using physical and psychological punishment in disciplining their children, as it does more harm than good,” said Barangay Health Workers (BHW) party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co, chair of the House Committee on the Welfare of Children.
“We have a bill specifically addressing this, wherein the state will support Filipino parents in practicing a more effective method of discipline, which is positive parenting.”
Advocate Edwin Horca of Save the Children Philippines said that the approach helped him understand the value of reasoning and create a nurturing environment in his own home.
“Discipline is anchored on trust, respect, active listening, and journeying with my daughters,” he said.
“There is a constant struggle to ‘use the stick’ to immediately get what I want. I learned to discipline myself, pause, not act in anger, find out the cause of one’s action, and say the right message at the right time. Positive parenting is applying reason, spirituality, values, and loving kindness.”
The statement also shared studies showing that this approach bolsters high self-esteem and a positive self-concept in children, thus increasing the likelihood of better mental health and academic performance.
“Physical or humiliating punishment most often produces anger, resentment, and low self-esteem among children. It also teaches the child that violence is an acceptable behavior and a solution to problems, thus perpetuating itself as children imitate the actions of adults,” Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera, author of a positive parenting bill, said.
“The Positive Parenting Bill is a piece of legislation that acknowledges that positive change starts at home. Many of our problems today can be addressed when we provide a nurturing and constructive environment for our children,” she added.
Under her bill, Herrera said the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of the Interior and Local Government would be mandated to develop a comprehensive program in collaboration with other government agencies to promote positive parenting.
Two positive parenting bills have been filed in the House — House Bill No. 8306, authored by Co, and House Bill No. 1269 by Herrera.
Another version of the bill is also pending before the Senate — Senate Bill No. 2036, authored by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.