Growing Up Our Way: Child Rearing Practices Matrix

Introduction

Growing Up Our Way: Child Rearing Practices Matrix aims to document some traditional and contemporary child rearing practices among a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities. It is part of a larger Child Rearing Stories project, which primarily aims to promote and preserve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child rearing practices. As the national peak body representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, SNAICC is interested in promoting culturally appropriate practices among those who support and care for our children.

The Growing up our way: Practices Matrix is a collation of material collected from literature and a synthesis of the child rearing themes found in that literature. It aims to recognise the uniqueness and value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child rearing customs in the hope that these customs and practices will be preserved for future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families raising children. This matrix is informed by a strength based approach to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In acknowledging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child rearing practices, we aim to help workers gain a greater understanding of the way in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’ grow up’ their children and hence to promote culturally appropriate work practices.

It must be acknowledged that there is no one way in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people raise their children, that families may draw upon child rearing practices from a range of cultures and that the child rearing practices of any one culture are no more ‘valuable’ than those of another.