What is the Bringing Up Great Kids (BUGK) Program?
How does BUGK work?
The Bringing Up Great Kids (BUGK) program has been developed into a series of easy to use facilitator’s packages for use by professionals working with families and/or supporting parents and any other adults supporting children. The program recognises that a variety of adults can be involved in parenting children.
The original BUGK program is written as six chapters or 12 hours and may be delivered in whatever way works for you and your group less or more hours, less chapters, more chapters or chapters in a different order. Each of the variations follows a similar pattern.
All of the BUGK programs and resources are underpinned by a philosophy of promoting and supporting respectful, caring and nurturing relationships between parents and their children. Parents and all other adults involved in the care of children are encouraged to become more reflective and mindful in their parenting approach.
All of the BUGK programs aim to support parents/carers to review and change their patterns of interacting with their children which promotes more respectful interactions and encourages children’s positive self-identity. BUGK aims to identify and address the sources of unhelpful or hurtful attitudes held by parents. BUGK also works to establish a new relationship context for children and their parents by facilitating opportunities for positive exchanges.
NOTE: The philosophy of the program supports parents/carers accessing the BUGK parenting group free of charge. This means facilitators cannot be paid by charging parents/carers to attend.
What are the aims of the original Bringing Up Great Kids (BUGK) program and its new variations?
Bringing Up Great Kids (BUGK) programs and resources support parents to:
• Learn more about the origins of their own parenting style and how it can be more effective
• Identify the important messages they want to convey to the children in their care and how to achieve this
• Learn more about brain development in children and its influence on their thoughts, feelings and behaviour
• Understand the meaning of children’s behaviour
• Discover how to overcome some of the obstacles getting in the way of them being the kind of parents they would like to be
• Discover ways for parents to take care of themselves and to find support when they need it
The theoretical underpinnings of the ‘messages’ approach derive from a child-centred perspective, neurobiology of trauma and attachment, narrative and solution focused therapy and a strengths perspective.
What is included in the original Bringing Up Great Kids (BUGK) program and its variations?
Each of the Bringing Up Great Kids (BUGK) program materials include:
• Facilitator’s manual
• Parenting journal
• Session outlines
• Interactive reflection activities
• Participant sheets and tools
• Evaluation protocol
Each of the variations has new and specifically tailored material. Once professionals have completed any of the BUGK training, they will have everything they need to be able to run a BUGK program with parents on a one to one basis or as a group.
Becoming a Bringing Up Great Kids (BUGK) Registered Facilitator
Becoming a Bringing Up Great Kids (BUGK) Registered Facilitator comes with the following benefits:
• Ability to use BUGK Program with parents in a one on one format
• Ability to facilitate the BUGK Program with parents in a group
• Access to undertake advanced training associated with BUGK program variations
• BUGK newsletter
• BUGK Registered Facilitator Online Community
• Access to new resources as they are created
• Discounts on products that are developed for BUGK
BUGK Registered Facilitators join a thriving network of other professionals who are advocates for the BUGK program and how it meets the needs of parents in their local community. They share ideas and experiences and develop the skills and confidence in the approach together with other similar minded professionals.
NOTE: The philosophy of the program supports parents/carers accessing the BUGK parenting group free of charge. This means facilitators cannot be paid by charging parents/carers to attend.
Bringing Up Great Kids (BUGK) Training
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Prosody Blog
Prosody is the pitch and tone of the human voice. It is the very essence of connection.
Our blog – Prosody – hosts an ongoing forum for the exchange of ideas about protecting children and young people from abuse and exploitation, advocating for their rights, resourcing the adults who are important to them and applying the neuroscience of trauma and healing. It is filled with articles reflecting on research and practice knowledge written by professionals who share in a commitment to the well-being and safety of children and young people. We hope you join the conversation too!
Bringing Up Great Kids Website for Parents
Support parents to go to the BUGK website to be able to access free content about relationship based parenting in English and 15 other languages.