The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) is conducting research into the role of fathers in feeding young children. Feeding young children has been predominantly researched with mothers, so little is known about fathers in relation to mealtimes. In fact, it can be difficult to attract fathers to this kind of research.
Fathers that complete this survey go into the draw to win a $100 Coles Myer voucher!
The researchers are seeking fathers of toddlers and preschool aged children (approximately 18 months to 5 years) that do not have a developmental or medical diagnosis. Fathers that are concerned about their child’s eating or mealtime behaviour are particularly invited to participate, though all fathers are welcome! Participation involves completing an online survey that takes about 30 minutes.
Further information and the survey are available at https://psych.sci.usq.edu.au/olsRun.asp?Survey=RFFY2011. The research has ethical approval from USQ Human Research Ethics Committee.
Activities
Parents Without Partners Family Activities provide an environment for single parents and their children to interact with each other.
Members and their children frequently enjoy ten pin bowling, ball games, group trips to museums, the beach, camping weekends, picnics, movies, the zoo, swimming and many other activities together.
Educational Activities and Incentives
help members and their children learn to restructure their lives through our Student Encouragement Awards (for secondary school age children) and Education Grants. (For members and adult children). Information about these is available to members through their branch or Head Office.
Also some branches hold discussion groups, workshops and conferences sometimes involving guest speakers. These are run to help members explore various subjects of interest to members and their children.
Parent Social Activities fill social needs in a supportive, non-threatening atmosphere; we choose our own pace for re-entering the single social scene. Parent socials offer another avenue of learning, through participation in group functions. We make a new circle of friends and learn to relate to the opposite sex.
Frequent social programs, including large group functions and smaller parties in members’ homes are offered.
F.I.T.A.P.
stands for Family & Individual Talent Awards Program. This is a multi-faceted program that is designed to encourage members and their children to make, draw or write craft items as part of a yearly competition that is independently judged at 4 levels from Local branch through State then National to International level. Details of this competition are available either through your local branch or Head Office. This can be a lot of fun.
House parties, some with special themes are informal gatherings at which members share food and beverages while making new friendships.
Other special interest activities for members without their children, are also held when appropriate. Most branches hold Social Planning meetings where all members are asked to put forward ideas and occasionally may offer their homes as a venue for either a adult or family function.
Adult Recreational Activities provide opportunities for members to participate in a variety of sports and recreational activities without children. These functions are held for two reasons, one reason is to raise funds to enable the branch to provide a subsidy for children’s functions and the other reason is because some members don’t have full time custody and also for members that don’t have any break at all from parenting.
Children’s Recreational Activities provide opportunities, at low cost for children to go camping, hiking, bowling, swimming, to parties and picnics. PWP may be the one place where children from single parent families meet other children in the same situation, where they need not feel different and where they are never in the minority. Some branches conduct family discussion groups where parents and children together explore family concerns.