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At first it was a project idea, then a pilot project, and now it's already a small series: workshops for people who work as substitute grandparents or are interested in this activity.
Together with the AWO Parent Service, famPLUS has already organized three of these two-day workshops, where participants are primarily expected to do one thing: exchange ideas, share their perspectives, and deepen their knowledge of parenting and work rules. At the end, participants received a certificate for the training, which famPLUS and the AWO Parent Service offer free of charge to reach as many surrogate grandmothers and grandfathers as possible.
We conducted the workshops at the locations Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich and experienced great interest," says Helen Karcher, who was one of the workshop leaders at famPLUS. Karcher found it particularly exciting that the offer to bring along friends or spouses was also well received: "We had four men as participants in Munich and some in Hamburg as well," Karcher summarizes. This, according to the famPLUS employee, led to new, interesting questions and good group dynamics: "The men were a real asset!" Karcher praises the participants.
What is it like when two people under 40 want to tell a group of seasoned seniors, who are often multiple parents and grandparents, something about the activity of a surrogate grandmother? "At the beginning," says Helene Karcher, "it seemed to me that their faces showed, 'What can these young whippersnappers teach me!?' There was a healthy skepticism." But then, adds Lukas Jaeger, a project consultant at famPLUS, they started working constructively together very quickly. "There were good conversations we had as part of the workshop modules. In the end, our aim is to reflect on oneself, how to act as surrogate grandparents in a professional context, and how to manage to apply one's own parenting experiences in a new, suitable way in today's times.
Why does the workshop concept work so well? Jaeger and Karcher agree: "We talk to each other on an equal footing, want to learn from each other, and work together to develop content - it's just fun." It's about imparting content, but not in the form of lecturing. And also benefiting from the knowledge of the surrogate grandmas and grandpas, who can often provide valuable input with their life experience.
The feedback that the organizers from famPLUS and AWO Elternservice received from the participants was so positive that the surrogate grandmother and grandfather workshops will now also be offered in other metropolitan regions. A two-day event in Frankfurt is already specifically planned, which will take place on September 25th/26th. More locations are planned.
famPLUS hopes in this way to reach more people who are considering working as surrogate grandparents but are not yet quite sure how to get into the job. "A little bit," says Lukas Jaeger, "it’s also a trial run for those who have never done this before." And those who are already experienced surrogate grandparents benefit from new contacts and deepened knowledge – in Hamburg, the participants even want to establish their own surrogate grandparents' regulars' table so that they can exchange ideas regularly. A wonderful thing, entirely in the spirit of the organizers!
famPLUS - Together for your personal PLUS!
