Commission honours leader in parenting research

Media release

Monday 28 September

Commission honours leader in New Zealand parenting research Professor Ritchie

He Totara kua hinga I te Wao Nui ā Tane.
E te Rangatira, e te Kaihautu I ngā take Māori.
Haere, haere, haere.

Families Commissioner Kim Workman says the death of leading parenting expert James Ritchie is a great loss to New Zealand.

“We are mourning a national hero. Professor Ritchie was someone whose courage, conviction, knowledge and spirit helped to develop our nation’s understanding of how to raise our children well.”

His work developed our thinking about positive parenting strategies. With his wife Jane, Professor Ritchie wrote the books ‘Growing Up in New Zealand’ and ‘Spare the Rod’ which were well used by parents in the 1970’s and 1980’s. More recently in 1997 they wrote ‘The Next Generation’ which updated forty years of research into parenting practices in New Zealand.

Professor Ritchie was also well-known for his work with Tainui, and as a leader in bicultural practice.

“Professor Ritchie gave life to biculturalism, and led by doing.”

“We have been blessed with his work, and mourn the gap his death will leave in the biculturalism, and within his own whānau.”

ends

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