The launch of a new Health Service Executive (HSE) campaign telling parents to talk to their children has received a mixed reaction, with the Mothers at Home group calling for its immediate withdrawal.
The "Parents who listen, Protect" campaign began yesterday, with television and radio advertisements showing a child who wants to say something but is not being listened to. It reminds parents to "Take time to listen to your children - they may have something important to say".
The HSE said the aim of the campaign was to remind parents that one of the best ways to protect children was to encourage communication. The campaign is supported by the ISPCC, Barnardos and the Irish Youth Council.
The National Parents' Council (Primary) also welcomed the campaign yesterday. Ms Fionnuala Kilfeather, NPC chief executive said it was "a gentle reminder" that children need to be listened to. "It's not dictating to parents," she said.
Next week, every household will receive a copy of a guide, also called "Parents who listen, Protect". However, the Mothers at Home group, which supports stay-at-home mothers, said the campaign was "totally off the wall" and a waste of money.
Its president, Nora Bennis, said she had just begun reading the guide and was already alarmed at its content. "It should be withdrawn immediately," she said.
Ms Bennis highlighted one paragraph which stated that it was easy to point out where a child was going wrong but to forget to notice the things that went right.
"The idea that you ignore the bad behaviour and just praise the good is simply wrong," she said. "If a child is doing something wrong you tell them."
She also criticised the focus on the "parent" and "responsible adult" instead of referring to mothers, fathers and families. "What's that all about?" she asked.
Ms Bennis also said that evidence suggests that the first three years of a child's life should be spent with its mother.
"Nowhere in the guide does it suggest this," she said.
"If the Government and HSE really care about protecting children, then they must recognise that and put the necessary supports in place."
The campaign was also criticised by Caitríona Lynch, parenting and family management consultant and president of Cúram which highlights the work of parents and carers.
She criticised the lack of focus on families and was unhappy with the section on teenage sex which advised parents to talk about safe sex to their teenagers if they thought they were sexually active.
She said the guide just accepted the depiction of sexuality in the media and on television. "It is like saying to the child 'this is what adult life is all about'. I would prefer to talk to my children about abstinence. Wait for the person and then commit yourself to a faithful love," she said.
The HSE campaign arose from a recommendation of the Report of the Ferns Inquiry in 2005. It said that a publicity campaign was required to "assist parents in performing their constitutional rights and duties to safeguard their children".
