The introduction and implementation of a modified parent education programme - WATCH, WAIT...and WONDER as a group intervention and assess the process and outcomes - for the parent, the child (indirectly) and facilitator (researcher)

This study describes the introduction and implementation of a modified parent education programme – WATCH…WAIT…AND WONDER ™ developed by Michael Zilibowitz (2008) as a group intervention in New South Wales, Australia and attempts to assess the process and outcomes for the parent, child (indirectly) and the facilitator (researcher). WWW is a child led approach used to reconcile uneasy relationships between parents and children (Muir et al, 1999 and Cohen et al, 2002). The WWW method consists of the parent getting down on the floor with the child, to follow the child’s lead and not interfere in the child’s play but be watchful and receptive to whatever the child wants to do. As part of the group intervention, this method was modelled and explained to the participants who were encouraged to try to do WWW at home and feedback to the group the challenges and changes they experienced along the way.
It was hypothesised that using this modified parent education programme would lead to changes in the parents’ understanding of their child’s social and emotional development and associated behaviours. It was further hypothesised that this would influence the parents’ self-efficacy and capacity to initiate change in terms of their own behaviours following the intervention.