Home | Blog | Advanced Parentology | Our Programmes | Parent Coaching | Resources | About Us  

About Advanced Parentology

• What is Advanced Parentology
• Paradigms, Principles and Practices
• What is Unique about Advanced Parentology
• Educational Methodology and Distinctions
• Deep and Sustainable Change
• For Parents of All Ages  

What is Advanced Parentology

Parenting has traditionally been approached in a highly subjective manner, relying mainly on personal beliefs and preferences, expert opinions that are sometimes contradictory and confusing, free tips on the internet, friendly advice, trial-and-error, common sense, etc,. As a result, parenting practices has remained largely unchanged and progress was minimal. 

For example, despite the widespread availability of findings on the ill-effects of physical punishment and information on non-punitive approaches to child discipline, age-old methods such as spanking and caning continue to be applied by even the most well-intentioned parents. The use of rewards and punishment for shaping children's behaviours remains popular, even though such methods are often ineffective in the long term and tend to undermine children's intrinsic motivation.

Advanced Parentology was conceived out of a quest to address the current deficiencies in parenting practices.  The term parentology is derived from a combining the word ‘parent’ with the Greek word ‘logos,’ which means ‘the study of.’  Parentology literally means the study of parenting.    The term advanced refers to progress.  In essence, Advanced Parentology is a study aimed at advancing the practice of parenting. Its ultimate goal is to enable and empower parents to undertake the complex task of raising children with greater JOY , PEACE, LOVE, MEANING and FULFILMENT . 

Advanced Parentology is a multidisciplinary approach to parenting that culminated from an extensive investigation into the art and science of raising children.  It incorporates principles from various disciplines including philosophy, psychology, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), systems thinking, personal transformation, professional coaching, and leadership development; with humanisic psychology being its greatest source of influence.  Advanced Parentology is founded on the fundamental premise that children are complete human beings that deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

At the heart of Advanced Parentology is a set of paradigms, principles and ways of being.  Collectively, they form the theoretical foundation that enables one to approach the complex task of parenting with greater rigour, objectivity and confidence.  These are further supported by a set of practical frameworks and parenting practices , thereby serving as a bridge between theory and practical applications.

 

Paradigms, Principles and Practices

Within the context of Advanced Parentology, paradigms, principles and practices are defined as follows:

• Paradigms refer to the 'mental models' through which we view or perceive the world. They function like maps that help us navigate  effectively through life.  Deeply embedded in our paradigms are a set of beliefs that shape how we make sense of reality and consequently influence how the world 'shows' up for us. Given its powerful impact on our lives, a minor shift in paradigm can bring about a major transformation in the quality of our parenting experience. For example, do you view parenting as a responsibility or a privilege? Do you see your child as a burden or a gift?  Is parenting about moulding a child into a set of qualities desired by the adult or nurturing the child's innate nature and unique potentials?

• Principles refer to the 'Laws of Nature' that govern how the world works.  They are enduring, universal and easily validated. Principles are more reliable than personal beliefs.  The latter is often biased by subjective experiences that vary from one person to another.  Principles, like gravity, works consistently regardless of whether one believes in them or not.  For example, a principle that is relevant to parenting is: "Being listened to affirms one's existence and sense of self-worth."   It follows that parents ought to seek to communicate with their children in a manner that makes them felt listened to.  When children are listened to, they feel respected, valued, understood, and loved.

• Practices refer to actions, encompassing both deeds and words. They form the DOs and DON'Ts of parenting.  While the aim of Advanced Parentology is not to prescribe parents with practical tips, it does provide a collection of 'best practices in parenting' that are firmly grounded on principles.  An example is "Lead by example" - a common practice that is based on the principle that "children learn mostly from modelling after adults."

The paradigms, principles and practices of Advanced Parentology may be learnt through a range of educational programmes offered by the Institute. Click HERE for details.

What is Unique about Advanced Parentology

1. Advanced Parentology adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to parenting. It is NOT limited by the set of theories within a particular branch of psychology, doctrines of a religion or premises in a specific discipline of study.  It draws on insights and principles from multiple disciplines, thereby enabling one to approach parenting from different perspectives.  The result is a more holistic and comprehensive understanding of key aspects of raising children including the role of parents, the goals of parenting, the purpose of disciplining, and the nature of children’s behaviours.    The enriched understanding, together with the possible elimination of dangers associated with ‘blind spots’ and ‘groupthink’ shall enable us approach the challenges of raising children with greater rigour, objectivity and confidence.

2. Advanced Parentology is principle-based. It is NOT based on a certain expert’s opinion on how one should parent.  Experts are NOT necessarily free from biases that are rooted deeply in the underlying premises of their respective discipline of practice, the doctrines of the religion they embrace, and their personal beliefs and values.  Advanced Parentology is based on universal principles that are enduring, self-evident and can be readily validated through one’s personal experience. 

3. Advanced Parentology is non-prescriptive.  It DOES NOT seek to provide ready solutions or quick-fixes for common parenting challenges.   Instead, it seeks to honour one’s creativity, resourcefulness, personal values and beliefs.   By approaching parenting with the appropriate paradigms and relevant principles, one stands to uncover powerful insights into the true nature of the problems or challenges.  With these insights, one is free to make conscious choices so as to take the appropriate actions for creating one’s desired outcomes.

4. Advanced Parentology is progress-oriented.  It is NOT concerned with determining what are the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ ways for raising children.  Attacking or defending an idea does not make it any better.  For example, the age-old controversy on the use of corporal punishment will continue to prevail in even the most advanced or sophisticated societies as long as its proponents and opponents continue to strive to prove each other wrong with counter arguments.   Rather, it is concerned with uncovering the ‘better’ ways that make progress possible. 

5. Advanced Parentology is an evolving discipline of study and practice.  It is NOT made up of a static set of doctrines or theories laid down by a person or organization.  It is an on-going discipline that continuously evolves and grows as new paradigms and principles are integrated either through further investigations by the Institute of Advanced Parentology or from the feedback and insights contributed by its growing community of practitioners.

Educational Methodology and Distinctions

The learning and practice of Advanced Parentology involves exploring new paradigms that can possibly enhance one's parenting experience. A fundamental 'paradigm shift' is one that invites parents to transcend the limitations of relying on personal beliefs and social norms so as to experience new possibilities from approaching the task of parenting on the basis of universal principles.  In his classic bestseller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey termed this as the Principle-Centred Paradigm .

Paradigms exist and dwell in language.  As such, a key aspect of the educational methodology employed by the Institute is its emphasis on linguistic distinctions. A distinction is a clearing for our thoughts and actions - a realm of possibility for how we interact with the world and experience our 'human-beingness'.  Click HERE to view examples of distinctions covered in the study of Advanced Parentology.

Deep and Sustainable Change

While conventional parent education tend to focus primarily on equipping parents with practical knowledge and skills to deal with common parenting problems, our programmes are designed to facilitate transformations in MINDSET that can bring about new possibilities in one's parenting experience. 

Rather than simply teaching parents WHAT TO DO or WHAT TO THINK, we invite them to examine HOW they are presently thinking, seeing and approaching their children, thereby enabling them to generate INSIGHTS that can empower them to take NEW ACTIONS towards creating their desired family life.

When parents are firmly grounded on the fundamental principles of effective parenting and familiar with the implications of different parenting paradigms, the result is often deep and sustainable changes that make true learning and personal growth possible.

For Parents of All Ages

Advanced Parentology is suitable for parents with children of all ages. The timeless principles of effective parenting are applicable throughout the different stages of child development, ranging from infancy to adolescence. 

Parents with any of the following characteristics will find it most relevant and beneficial:

• Experience difficulties with children despite their loving intentions.
• Have a major parenting-related issue to resolve.
• Experience frequent conflicts with children or adolescents.
• Experience frequent conflicts with spouse or other family members due to differences in parenting styles or philosophy.
• Eager and willing to explore new approaches for effective parenting.
• Curious about how others have benefited from Advanced Parentology , and wish to find out about it for themselves.
• Recognise the importance and magnitude of parental influence on children’s development and growth.
• Desire to be a better parent and lead by example.
• Interested and willing to make time for personal development.
  

> Contact Us TODAY and find out more about how you can parent with greater CONFIDENCE, JOY and PEACE!