A WhatsApp support group for parents and caregivers of young children has been launched by Parentline SA.
The service provides parents with access to expert advice and guidance on various parenting scenarios and common challenges.
By saving the Parentline SA number to your phone and typing “hi”, parents are connected to the chatbot service, which offers parenting resources and referrals to in-person services.
The chatbot is designed to be light on data usage and is entirely text-based for accessibility to data-sensitive users. It can be used on smartphones and feature-rich phones.
The support line was established by the South African Parenting Programme Implementers Network (SAPPIN).
Since the launch in June, its user base has comprised of fathers and caregivers, with the strongest interest from mothers with children’s ages varying from newborns to six-year-olds, said SAPPIN director, Wilmi Dippenaar.
He added that the focus is on fostering positive parent-child relationships and promoting a positive approach to parenting.
SAPPIN is a network of NGOs that use evidence-based research to develop parenting programmes across South Africa.
Other popular topics include guidelines for sleep, sitting, and activity time, and handling bad behaviour.
If you have a phone with WhatsApp, you can add Parentline SA’s number 087 813 4290 to your contacts. Type “hi”, and you will be given prompts to guide you to the kind of advice you are seeking.
