Parent+Education+Module+for+New+Parents

8/13/2019 Parent+Education+Module+for+New+Parents

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PARENTING

What Does It Take?

A Parent Education Module forNew Parents in the Pacific

June 2006


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Contents

PAGE

Foreword

Importance of Skills Development 1

Objectives of Workshop 1

Workshop Preparation 2

Selection of Participants 2

Preparation of Materials 2

Maintaining Fidelity to Intervention 3

Workshop Delivery 4

The Parenting Module 5

Assessment 6

Parenting Workshop Competencies 6

Assessment Tools 7

Facilitator Self-Assessment 7

Facilitator Observation 8

Partic ipant Self-Assessment 9

Workshop Evaluation 11

Outline of the Parenting Module 12

Parenting: What Does It Take?

Warm-up: Rhythm Clap 16

Introduction 16

Setting Rules and Boundaries 17

Part A: Setting the Scene

Key Question 1: Why i s Parenting a Challenge for Many YoungPeople?

19

Activi ty A1: Changes and Challenges 19

Key Question 2: Who are the Different Types of Caregivers Act ingas Parents of Young Infants?

23

Activi ty A2: Parents and Caregivers Have to Be 23

Key Question 3: What are the Basic Needs of Children During theFirst Three Years of Life

24

Activi ty A3: How Much Do I Know? 24

Handout A1: Meeting a Childs Basic Needs during 26


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the First Three Years of Life

Key Question 4: What are the Key Developmental Stages andMilestones during the First Three Years?

30

Acti vi ty A4: Milestones and Baby Pictures 30

Handout A2: Developmental Stages and Milestonesduring the First Three Years of Life

32

Handout A3: An Early Childhood Screening Tool 34

Key Question 5: Why is Being a Parent of An Infant Up to the Ageof Three so Important?

35

Acti vi ty A5: Wanted Job as Parent 35

Part B: Building Parenting Skills Competency

Warm-Up: Mother/Father Child Trust Call 37

Activi ty B1: A Mother in Need of Help 37

Activi ty B2: Practice Problem Solving 40

Activi ty B3: Can We Talk? 41

Activi ty B4: Help and Assistance 44

Activi ty B5: Community Services 46

Handout B1: Community Service Mapping 47

Activi ty B6: Summing Up 48

Attachments

At tachment I: Facil itator Sel f-Assessment Checklist 49

At tachment II: Facil itator Observat ions Forms 51

At tachment III: Par ticipant Sel f-Assessment Form 57

At tachment IV: Participant Sel f-Assessment Worksheet 63

At tachment V: Workshop Scoring Form 68

At tachment VI: Workshop Evaluation Form 70


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1

Foreword

We live in a pressure-packed world. Parents and caregivers must be able to handle manydifferent responsibilities in order to maintain a safe, healthy household for their children.

Balancing a budget, preparing nutritious meals, providing housing, and making children receivea proper education and necessary medical care are just a few of the day-to-day challenges thatevery family faces. Many families are strong enough to survive tough times while others needassistance to develop the necessary skills to carry them through.

When parents and caregivers arent skilled in these areas, or havent had the opportunities tolearn the skills that are necessary to perform these functions, it can be just as damaging to thestability of the home and the well-being of the children. In these situations, children, often sufferthe most. They are dependent on their parents, or other caregivers, for not only the love,affection, understanding, and sense of self-worth that are absolutely essential for healthydevelopment, but also the everyday necessities of life. When any of these are missing, the child

suffers, both physically and emotionally. Intervention then must focus on enhancing thestrengths and abilities caregivers already have, and providing them with opportunities to learnnew skills or strategies that will enable them to create a safe environment for their children.

The Importance of Skil l DevelopmentMost people assume that young adults inherently know how to be good parents and caregiverswith pregnancy and the birth of a child. But anyone who has been a parent to a child can tell youthat no matter how smart, dedicated, loving, and motivated a person is, parenting skills do notcome naturally. Knowing how to nurture children, manage household tasks, solve life problems,and negotiate for the needs of the family are skills that are learned and developed, not ones that

people are born with.

But, where do young adults learn the skills to be good parents, caregivers, and providers? Manylearn these skills from their own parents; they copy what their mothers and fathers did. Parentsand caregivers also learn from experience and practice, or by having someone teach them theskill they need.

However, not everyone had the opportunities to learn daily life skills while growing up or inadulthood. Having poor or few role models or resources, or being isolated from sources ofinformation can limit learning opportunities for some adults. In these situations, parents, andcaregivers either develop ineffective skills or simply dont acquire the necessary skills forcarrying out daily living tasks and proper care-giving.

The activities that are presented in this module will help the participants to explore where thereis a skills deficit, a lack or knowledge, or inappropriate use of skills for solving life problems.They will also help the participants do develop some of the skills and knowledge they need andto strengthen skills and knowledge they may already have. Learning just a few basic skills oftencan provide a foundation for solving many of the seemingly complex problems they willencounter with parenthood.

Objectives of the WorkshopThe purpose of the workshop is to build the capacity of new parents to assess their own abilitiesas parents and identify and assess ways of strengthening these abilities


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The objectives of the workshop are for young parents to be able to:

(1)Understand why parenting is an important issue for caregivers during the vital first threeyears of a childs life;

(2)Examine how the basic needs of children can be met during their first three years;

(3)Identify appropriate parent / child interactions during key developmental stages andmilestones of a young childs life;

(4)Apply life skill competencies to situations facing young parents today.

Workshop PreparationAn important step in preparation is for the facilitator to prepare his/her professional self. Bybecoming a facilitator, you have placed yourself in a professional relationship with trainingworkshop participants. You may be in a position of learning personal and sensitive information

about participants. Thus it is important for you to recognize a clear boundary between yourselfand the participants.1For example, parents and caregivers who arent meeting their childrenseveryday needs may sometimes lack the knowledge and skills needed to be caregivers ofchildren and may be seen as neglectful even through they are trying to do the best they canwith the skills they have. It is important for facilitators to accept that participants may be doingthe best they can with the skills they have. If parents and caregivers need to do better, then thefacilitator is responsible for helping them develop the right skills the right way so that they canmake changes to meet the challenges of everyday life. It is often difficult for parents andcaregivers to admit that they dont know how to take on all the responsibilities of a parent, butthey have taken an important first step by joining this workshop.

Selection of ParticipantsThe facilitator needs to monitor the selection of participants to make sure they are new parentswho have recently given birth or are expecting a child. The participants should also have thefollowing characteristics:

They have an open mind;

They have a willingness to share ideas and experiences with others;

They have a willingness to take part in a variety of learning experiences and activities.

Preparation of Materials

All of the materials for the workshop should be prepared well in advance of the workshop.These include, materials for all the activities, copies of the handouts, and copies of theassessment forms. These materials are available in this manual for photocopying.

Preparation of a Directory of Community Services

While the parenting experiences of family members and friends is an invaluable resource for theparticipants, additional assistance may be needed. As facilitator, you may be asked by theworkshop participants where they can get information, help or assistance related to an issue

1For more detailed information on boundaries, see the Pacific Stars Life Skills Code of Ethics for YouthTrainers in the Pacific Stars Life Skills Trainers Guide.


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brought up in the workshop discussions or they may have other concerns related to parenthoodnot yet revealed. Before organising a workshop in a community, facilitators should becomefamiliar with the range of services available in the local area and develop a directory of supportservices (if one is not already available) that can be distributed to the participants at the end ofthe workshop.

Services may include:

Health clinics, hospitals and medical centres

Antenatal and postnatal care services

Paediatric medical treatment services

Services for adolescents and young adults

Voluntary counselling and testing services for HIV and Sexually TransmittedInfections.

Reproductive health services and STI treatment

Counselling services: Individual; Relationship; Family; Spiritual; Psychological; and

Mental Health Services for victims of sexual violence or abuse

Drug and alcohol counselling, detoxification, treatment or rehabilitation

Social support, welfare, peer support and outreach services

Whenever possible, facilitators should meet with service providers and collect the followinginformation:

Name of the organisation

Address

Telephone number

Name of the key contact people

Services offered by the organisation

Hours of service

Most importantly, find out how they protect a clients confidentiality if necessary

Maintaining Fidelity to Intervention

All the best laid plans of running a workshop can go awry if fidelity to the intervention is notmaintained. Fidelity to the intervention means that there are high quality learning materials, welltrained facilitators, and a conscious and continuous plan to maintain quality of delivery.Therefore, before the start of the workshop, the facilitator needs to review the learning materialsand, whenever possible, difficult sessions should be rehearsed with a critical audience, e.g.other facilitators or program staff.

Another useful aid is the Facilitator Self-Assessment Checklist (Attachment III). It can be auseful planning tool because it can help you assess your effectiveness as a facilitator in relationto opportunities for workshop participants to learn and practice skills. The tool will allow you tonote which skills are the weakest to develop a plan to improve on these in the upcomingworkshop.


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Workshop Delivery

This learning module was developed as stand-alone training curriculum, separate from thePacific Stars Life Skills (PSLS) Curriculum. However, this module may also be used conjunction

with the PSLS Curriculum. The PSLS Trainers Guide can also be a useful resource forfacilitators of this module.

The module will take approximately 7 hours to complete. If time is insufficient to conduct themodule in its entirety, the workshop can be divided across two days as the module is dividedinto two parts; Part A: Setting The Scene (3 hours); and, Part B: Building Parenting SkillCompetency(3 hours). It may also be possible to use Part Aand Part Bseparately to focuson specific skills, although this is not recommended. Part Afocuses on parental responsibilitiesand the assessment of personal abilities in parenting, including coping with change. Part Bfocuses on problem solving, assertive behaviour, and information and help seeking behaviour.

The sessions in the workshop are largely participant-centred and participatory learning methods

with the life skills approach applied. This means that the facilitator will need to keep theparticipants engaged in the learning activities from the start of the workshop to its end.

From time to time, the facilitator will need to provide some additional information and points ofclarification. The facilitator will have to decide how much information is necessary. Too muchinformation will quickly be forgotten as participants will not be able to absorb it all. A few keypoints may be all that is needed and can be best incorporated into the learning activities or intothe discussions to stimulate cognitive processes. Additional information resources may then beprovided to the participants after a level of skills is in place. What can be more important thanproviding topical information to the participants is to help them develop skills to assess their ownknowledge about a topic, identify the gaps in knowledge, and then build skills to supportinformation and help-seeking behaviour. This is in line with the essential guidelines for a

successful skills-building workshop below.

Essential Guidelines for a Successful Skills-Building Workshop2

Start where the person is. Assess the participants individual learning styles, strengths,and limitations. Everyone has different experiences and cognitive abilities, and everyonelearns at a different pace. Take this into consideration when facilitating activities. A variationin the teaching and learning methods is helpful.

Begin with what is important to the person.The participants will not want to learn skillsthat arent related to what he or she wants or hopes to accomplish. Identify the personsgoals and partner them with skills that will help him or her achieve the desired changes.

Build on participants strengths.Use what the participants know or what they do well as abase for learning new skills. Find out what a family member is good at and teach skills thatare related to these strengths. Learning happens faster and a person is more likely toremember a skill if it is tied into experiences and strengths he or she already has.

Connect what participants are learning to their goals.Explaining why it is important tolearn new skills in terms of what the participant / family will gain helps members to be moreinvested and motivated. If participants dont see the benefit in trying something new, theywill be less likely to take the steps toward change.

2For more detailed information on boundaries, see the Pacific Stars Life Skills Trainers Guide.


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The Parenting ModuleThe parenting module consists of several component parts. First of all, the module is dividedinto two parts, Part A: Setting the Sceneand, Part B: Building Parenting Skill Competency.Part Afocuses on parental responsibilities and the assessment of personal abilities in parenting,

including coping with change. Part B focuses on problem solving, assertive behaviour, andinformation and help seeking behaviour.

Each part starts with a learning and development outcome. In some cases, additionaloutcomes are introduced as sub-units are introduces, as is the case with the Key Questions inpart A. The two parts of the module also start with a warm-up activity that is linked to thetheme of the part, set by the stated outcome, and introduces the first learning activity.

The learning activities are characterised by an objective that supports the learning anddevelopment outcome. For example the learning outcome in the beginning of Part B states that

participants will be able to demonstrate how to apply life skills competencies to real lifesituations. The objects of the various learning activities focus on the development of specificskills, but all in support of the stated outcome.

The learning activities are stimulus activities through which the participants assess personalknowledge and experiences, deduce understanding, and develop and/or practice skills, using avariety of methodologies. The core methods that have been used are brainstorming, role playand simulation, small group work, large groups discussion, and mapping exercises. 3. A varietyof methods

In addition, each activity lists both content and personalisation discussion questions. Thesequestions are suggestions and are by no means exclusive or exhaustive.. The contentquestions aid in the analysis of the activity to ensure mastery of the concepts and the content ofthe activity. Whereas the personalisation questions facilitate the application of the conceptspresented to the participants own experiences and living situation. The personalisationcomponent is critical because it helps to move participants from intellectualization about whatthey learn to an understanding of how such learning can enable them to cope more positivelywith the challenges of everyday life. The discussion questions also help the participants tosummarize and internalize what they are learning.

At the end of each learning activity, facilitator notes are provided to highlight some of theimportant content points and messages that need to be emphasised. These notes may alsoprovide some additional background information or hints in the summarization of the activity.

The outcomes, warm-up activities and learning activities are bridged together by facilitatordialog notes. These notes help to summarise the previous activity and introduce the next.

The module also contains tools for the assessmentof the competencies set for the workshop.These will be further described in the next section.

3The strengths and weaknesses of these participatory learning can be found in the Pacific Stars Life

Skills Trainers Manual.


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Assessment

In each sub-unit of the module a learning outcome has been identified. These are the linkbetween the workshop objectives and the curriculum contents, i.e. the learning activities.Facilitators need to assess these learning outcomes in order to determine whether the

objectives have been reached, and whether the workshop has made a difference in theparticipants knowledge, attitudes, and life skills - key determinants of behaviour.

Assessment of a life skills based intervention should focus on key knowledge, attitudes and lifeskills, whose development may be influenced by the teaching and learning activities. This, inturn, will influence the development of health-promoting behaviours in real life. For example, inthis workshop, participants assess their level of knowledge about parenting and the gaps in thatknowledge. Then, they learn to assess their information and help seeking behaviour and identifyresources for information, help and assistance and how to access them. This process is basedon what the participants know, what they learn, what they can do and are thereby applicable toreal life outside the workshop.

The key elements of knowledge, attitudes and life skills of each activity have been identified andhave been developed into competencies that participants are expected to achieve under thecourse of the workshop. The competencies reflect what participants understand, have learnedand the cognitive application of what they understand and have learned (knowledge), theirabilities to carry out specific behaviours (life skills), and their beliefs about what they are able todo (attitudes).4They are also the indicators against which the workshop will be assessed. Thecompetencies are:

Parenting Workshop Competencies

(1) Decision making and problem-solving

The participant is be able to identify and use steps in decision making andproblem-solving with issues encountered in family life and parenting.

(2) Creative thinking

The participant is able to identify a number of potential solutions when facedwith a problem.

The participant is able to identify multiple sources of information, help andassistance related to issues in parenting.

(3) Critical thinking

The participant is able to assess the advantages and disadvantages of thepotential solutions the participant has identified.

The participant is able to assess the appropriateness of sources ofinformation, help and assistance in parenting.

(4) Communication

The participant is able to identify and use the steps to assertivecommunication.

(5) Self-Awareness

The participant is able to access their knowledge (and gaps therein) on thebasic needs of children.

4This is especially apparent in Participant Self-Assessment.


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The participant is able to assess their skills (and gaps therein) in childcare. The participant is able to assess their knowledge (and gaps therein) on the

different stages and milestones in early childhood development. As a result of the workshop, the participant is able to assess their own

abilities as a parent and ways of strengthening these abilities.

(6) Interpersonal Relationships

The participant is able to identify the inter-relationship of the needs, rights,and responsibilities of self, child, and family.

The participant is able to identify characteristics of good parents orcaregivers in the local context.

(7) Empathy

The participant is able to identify situations inwhich the needs and rights ofthe child come first before their own.

(8) Coping with stress & emotions

The participant is able to identify some of the causes of stress fromparenthood.

The participant is able to identify and use steps in coping with stress andemotions that come from parenthood (changes in lifestyle).

Assessment Tools

There are four assessment tools that are suggested for use with this training module. Theseare:

Facilitator Self-Assessment ChecklistFacilitator Observation Form

Participant Self-Assessment FormWorkshop Evaluation Form

Facili tator Self-Assessment

Facilitators can assess their effectiveness in their role as facilitator in relation to opportunities forworkshop participants to learn and practice skills through the use of a checklist (Attachment I).This checklist consists of a number of statements that relate to key tasks and abilities that areessential to the facilitation of life skills development.5 These tasks and abilities reflect thefacilitators preparation, facilitation skills, assessment skills and professionalism.

As mentioned in the section, Workshop Preparation, above, the checklist is a useful tool in thepreparation of the workshop, but it should also be used at the end of the workshop to assesshow effective the facilitation of the learning activities went during the workshop. The scores canbe compared with the pre workshop assessment to identify areas that still may need to bestrengthened for future workshops.

5These tasks and abilities have been identified in the Pacific Stars Life Skills Programme.


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Facilitator Observation

Facilitators must assess whether participants are attaining the competencies set for theworkshop. In most cases, they will assess this by observing what the participants do and whatthey say during the learning activities and discussions. An example of assessment byobservation in a small group discussion would be to observe whether the participants in the

group, who are tasked with solving a problem, are using creative and critical thinking skills. Todo this they have to base their assessment on certain criteria. The criterion for creative thinkingwould be to come up with choices. The criterion for critical thinking would be to assess thosechoices. So, if the facilitator observes that the group has come up with a range of alternativesolutions to the problem and are assessing the advantages and disadvantages of each possiblesolution, then he can report that the group has these skills.

However, the competencies are not always so clear cut. Moreover, the participants individuallearning styles, strengths, and limitations have to be taken into account. Therefore, it issuggested that the workshop participants progress toward achieving the individualcompetencies be based against a criterion-referenced checklist. Rather that a Yes/Noapproach to checklists, criterion referencing aims to provide information on the participantslevel of achievement in relation to specific criterion, a set of criteria or standards. For this, five,criteria have been set that indicate increasing levels of achievement. Scoring is not based onpercentages of correct answers, but rather on whether a specified level of competency isdemonstrated.

Facilitator Observation Criterion Scale

Level 1: Very weak. The participant is not able to demonstrate this ability at all.

Level 2: Weak. The participant is not able to completely demonstrate this ability.(Steps are weak or some missing).

Level 3: Satisfactory. The participant is able to demonstrate this ability but only

in a structured (e.g. guided activity) context.Level 4: Strong. The participant is able to demonstrate this ability (beyond level3) with confidence.

Level 5: Very Strong. The participant is able to demonstrate a mastery of thisability (beyond level 4) and likely can apply it to contexts outside of the workshop.

During the course of the workshop, the facilitator will determine a level of achievement based onthese criteria. The numerical value of the level is then recorded in the Facilitator ObservationForm (Attachment II)

Workshop ParticipantsSample

Competencies

ParticipantA

ParticipantB

ParticipantC

Decision Making / Problem Solving

9.6The participant is be able to identify and use steps indecision making and problem-solving with issuesencountered in family life and parenting.

3 2 4

6Number of the order that the competency will appear in the module.


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The observation of participant achievement while facilitating the learning activities can be aburdensome task for any single facilitator. Therefore, it is suggested that facilitators work inteams. While one facilitator is responsible for the learning activity, the other takes responsibilityfor the observation assessment. These roles can alternate between the facilitators throughoutthe workshop.

Whenever possible, facilitator feedback should be provided to the participant. Feedback isessential for learning and may stimulate goal setting for higher achievement.

Participant Self-Assessment

Participants are capable of providing valuable feedback on the personal impact of a life skills-based education programme. Self-reporting scales or checklists may be used to assesschanges in their own knowledge, attitudes and skills. Participant self-assessment tools may alsoprovide important feedback on the contents and facilitation of the module. 7

Ideally, the self-assessment should be carried out using a pre- / post intervention design,8 sothat participants can look at their results, both before and after being exposed to the curriculum,describe the changes they see, and tell why they think those changes occurred. This involvesparticipants in a participatory way as subjects, rather than objects, of assessment, whiledeveloping the ability to think critically about their own learning process.

For this module, the purpose of participant self-assessment is to see how the level of participantskills or abilities related to parenting has changed as a result of the workshop. Participants willbe asked to complete the Participant Self-Assessment Form (Attachment III) at both thebeginning and the end of the workshop. In this form, the workshop competencies have beenmodified to become ability (self-efficacy) statements. Participants are asked to rated their levelof agreement with these statements based on personal assessment of their achievements.

9. I am able to identify and use steps in decis ion making and problem-solving wi th issuesencountered in family li fe and parenting.

Pre Workshop

Strongly Disagree1

Disagree2

Neither agreenor disagree 3

Agree4

Strongly Agree5

Reason:

Post Workshop

Strongly Disagree1

Disagree2

Neither agreenor disagree 3

Agree4

Strongly Agree5

Reason:

7 Research has shown that while good trainer feedback of learners achievements is essential for

learning, self-assessment by learners helps them learn much better than if self-assessment was not

done.8If for some reason the assessment cannot be completed at the beginning of the workshop, please fill in

both the Pre Workshop and Post Workshop sections the end of the workshop.


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Five criteria have been set that indicate increasing levels of achievement similar to facilitatorobservation. Again, scoring is not based on percentages of correct answers, but rather onwhether or not a specified level of competency can be demonstrated.

Partic ipant Self-Assessment Criterion Scale

Level 1: Strongly Disagree. You are not able to demonstrate this ability at all.

Level 2: Disagree. You are not able to completely demonstrate this ability. (Steps

are weak or some missing).

Level 3: Neither Agee nor Disagree. You are able to demonstrate this ability but

only in a structured (e.g. guided activity) context.

Level 4: Agree. You are able to demonstrate this ability (beyond level 3) with

confidence.

Level 5: Strongly Agree. You are able to demonstrate a mastery of this ability

(beyond level 4) and can apply it to contexts outside of the workshop.

Scoring Participant Self-Assessment ResultsWhat will be important for facilitators and project staff to know is whether it the levels ofparticipants competency have changed as a result of this workshop. Because the assessment isnot based on quantitative data, and that it would be too cumbersome to report on the change incompetency levels of individual participants, perhaps the simplest method of reporting would beto find the simple averages for each competency for both the pre and post workshopassessment and to compare them. This module provides a form, Participant Self-AssessmentScoring Worksheet (Attachment IV), to help calculate these averages.

Step 1: Count the number of responses for each criterion and write the total in the appropriate

column. For example, since nine participants responded said they agreed with the statement,place 9 under the Agree column.

Step 2: Multiply the number of responses in each column by the value of the criterion of thatcolumn, (Strongly Disagree = 1, Disagree = 2, Neither Agree nor Disagree = 3, Agree = 4,Strongly Agree = 5). For example, 2 participants responded that they disagreed with thestatement, therefore 2 (responses) is multiplied by 2 (value for the criterion Disagree). A 4 isthen placed in the Disagree column for this step.

Competencies

Stron

gly

Disagree

Disagree

Neither

Agree

orDisagree

Agr

ee

Strongly

Agree

Average

score

Criter ion values: 1 2 3 4 5

Decision Making / Problem Solving

9. The participant is be able to identify and use steps in decision making and problem-solving with issues encountered in family life and parenting. ( )

Pre Workshop Step 1: No. answers per criterion 1 3 2 9

Step 2: No. answers x criterion value 1 6 6 36Step 3: Sum of Step 2 No. responses 3.27


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Competencies

Strongly

Disagree

Disagree

N

eitherAgree

orDisagree

Agree

S

trongly

Agree

A

verage

score

Criter ion values: 1 2 3 4 5

Post Workshop Step 1: No. answers per criterion 1 2 8 4

Step 2: No. answers x criterion value 2 6 32 20

Step 3: Sum of Step 2 No. responses 4.0

Step 3: Find the sum of all the numbers calculated in Step 2 and divided this number by thetotal number of responses. This will provide the average score for the group. Therefore, 1 + 6 +

6 + 36 = 49, 4915 = 3.27. The number 3.27 is the average score.

Step 4: Repeat these steps for responses from the Post Workshop Assessment.

Reporting on Pre and Post Self-Assessment Scores

To aid in comparison and reporting, the average Pre and Post Workshop scores for eachcompetency can be recorded in the appropriate boxes in the Workshop Scoring Report Form(Attachment V). An arrow or dash should be placed in the last box to show whether there has

been a reported increase (), decrease (), or there was no change (-) in skills capacity, frompre to post workshop, as a result of the workshop. An example from the sample scoringworksheet is below:

Sample

CompetenciesAverage Scores

Decision Making / Problem Solving PreWorkshop

PostWorkshop

-9. The participant is be able to identify and use steps indecision making and problem-solving with issuesencountered in family life and parenting.

3.27 4.0

Workshop Evaluation

The workshop evaluation form (Attachment VI) asks the participants how successful theworkshop was in terms of overall planning / organization, training methods and competencydevelopment. The form is meant to be filled out at the end of the workshop, when both parts ofthe module, Part A and Part B, have been completed. However, the facilitator may adapt thisform for the individual parts of the module, if it is not possible to complete the full module all atonce.


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Outl ine of the Parenting Module

Outcome, Competency, Objectives Activity Content

Objectives: Warm-up, introductions,setting the stage for the workshop

Warm-Up: RhythmClap

Discussion

Participant and facilitator introductions

Need for assistance to complete a tasksuccessfully like parenting

Introduction to workshop & module

Determine rules and boundaries ofworkshop participation

Setting Rules andBoundaries

Rules and boundaries of participation, provfeedback, maintaining confidentiality.

Part A: Setting the Scene

Outcome: Participants will recognise whyparenting is a challenge for many youngpeople

Competencies: Able to identify thecauses of stress from parenthood; Ableto identify and use steps in coping withstress and emotions; Able to recognizeinterrelationship of needs, rights andresponsibilities of family members; Abilityto identify situations in which needs andrights of child come before parents.

Objective: Examine lifestyle, roles andresponsibility changes and challenges ofnew parents.

A1: Changes andChallenges

Changes pair work,

large group discussionChallenges brainstorming, situationassessments, largegroup discussion

Key Question 1: Why is parenting a challenfor many young people.

Critical Thinking: Assessment of the impac

life changes and of coping strategiesCoping with stress and emotions: Steps focoping with change

Interpersonal relationships: Identifying theneeds rights and responsibilities of the parfamily and child.

Empathy: Prioritizing the needs and rights children

Outcome: Identification of the differenttypes of caregivers and the skills neededin caring for the child

Competency: Ability to identify thecharacteristics of good parents andcaregivers in the local context.

Objective: Identify and assess the skills

A2: Parents andCaregivers Have to Be

Brainstorming, pairwork (debate),

Key Question 2: Who are the different typecaregivers as parents of young infants?

Interpersonal relationships: Identification ocharacteristics of a good caregiver in the locontext,

Critical Thinking: Attitudes about childcareidentification of essential skills


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necessary for being a good caregiver

Outcome: Able to describe the basicneeds of children during the first threeyears of life.

Competency: Ability to assess ownknowledge and gaps in knowledge on thebasic needs of children.

Objective: Identification of some of thebasic needs of children.

A3: How Much Do IKnow?

Small groupbrainstorming onnutrition, health care,personal safety, andsensory, intellectualand emotionaldevelopment

Group presentationsand feedback

Key Question 3: What are the basic needschildren during the first three years of life?

Self-Awareness: self assessment on childc

knowledge and gaps in knowledge; self-assessment on skills and gaps in childcare

* Adequate nutrition the importance ofexclusive breastfeeding in the 1st6 monthscare required with supplementary foods; throle of vitamins and minerals

* Adequate health care the importance oimmunization; the different illnesses that caaffect a child; successful treatments; materhealth a vital element

* Protection from physical and emotional h

physical objects can be dangerous; parentmental and emotional health are importantfactors; support services can help families

* Promotion of sensory, intellectual andemotional stimulation importance ofattachment with an adult; parents need tointeract with their children to encouragelearning; children start to become independto an extent

Outcome: Identification of keydevelopmental stages and milestones

during the first three years.

Competency: Ability to assessknowledge and gaps therein on thedifferent developmental stages andmilestones of early childhooddevelopment.

Objective: Assessment of ability to

A4: Milestones andBaby Pictures

Small group brainstormand freeze frame-roleplay

Key Question 4: What are the keydevelopmental stages and milestones duri

the first three years?

Self-Awareness: Assessment of self knowland gaps about developmental stages andmilestones in childhood development

* Children develop rapidly during their first years learning about their world through alsenses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell)


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identify key developmental stages andmilestones.

* For key stages and milestones in a childdevelopment, parents need to respondappropriately; warning signs indicate milesare not met, or stages are delayed

Outcome: Explain why being a parent ofan infant up to age of three is soimportant

Objective: Summarize the qualitiesneeded in caring for a child in the firstthree years

A5: Wanted a Job asParent

Group work

Summarization of contents of previous acti

Development of a want ad for quality pare

Part B: Bui lding Parenting Skills Competency

Outcome: Ability to demonstrate how to

apply life skills competency to real lifesituations.

Objective: Warm-Up

Warm Up: Mother /

Father Child TrustCall

Providing for the child and the need to dev

skills

Competency: Ability to identify and usesteps in decision making and problemsolving with issues encountered in familylife and parenting.

Objective: Practice using decisionmaking and problem solving skills toresolve parenting problems.

B1: A Mother in Needof Help?

Small group discussion

Presentations

Analysis of the story

Development of problem-solving strategieshelp Mere

Competencies: Ability to identify and usesteps in decision making and problemsolving with issues encountered in familylife and parenting. Ability to identify anumber of potential solutions when facedwith a problem. Ability to assess theadvantages and disadvantages of

B2: Practice ProblemSolving

Brainstorming

Small group work

Presentations

Brainstorming and selection of problemscommonly encountered by the participants

Development of problem-solving strategiesthe situations selected.


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potential solutions.

Objective: Practice problem solving forpersonal problem situations.

Competency: Ability to use the steps toassertive communication.

Objectives Examine passive,aggressive, and assertive behaviourcommunication

B3: Can We Talk?

Large and small groupwork

Role play

Discussion

Communication behaviour: passive, aggreassertive

Negotiation, refusal

Competency: Ability to identify multiplesources of information, help andassistance related to issues in parenting;Ability to assess the appropriateness ofsources of information, help and

assistance in parentingObjective: Review of sources of help andassistance

B4: Help andAssistance

Brainstorming relay

Small group work

Presentations

Identification of multiple sources of informahelp and assistance. Categorization of thesresources and assessment of appropriatenwhere different issues are concerned. inffeeding, vaccinations, family planning, pare

stress

Competencies: Ability to identify multiplesources of information, help andassistance related to issues in parenting;Ability to assess the appropriateness ofsources of information, help andassistance in parenting

Objective: Self assessment of knowledgeof services

B5: CommunityServices

Small group work Community mapping

Identification and mapping of communityservices and how to access them.

Objective: Summarization of what hasbeen gained from the workshop

B6: Summing Up

Large Group Feedback

Review and summary of workshop

Assessment

Partic ipant achievement in knowledge, attitude, and life skills development will be assess through faworkshop and through participant self-assessment, both pre and post w


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Parenting: What Does it Take?

Warm Up: Rhythm Clap

Time:10 minutes

Ask the participants to stand in a circle. The facilitator will start off with a simple rhythmic clap byclapping her/his hands or snapping her/his fingers in time to an introductory statement, such asMy name clap, clap is Name snap, snap I live clap, clap in location (town,village or island) snap, snap. Go around the circle in this way until all participants haveintroduced themselves.

The facilitator will start another simple rhythmic clap by clapping her/his hands or snappingher/his fingers. The participants will watch and listen as the facilitator is demonstrating the clap.Go around the circle and ask all the participants to imitate the clap, one by one. Once all theparticipants have done the clap, the facilitator will make the clap more complicated by changing

the rhythm, and or slapping her/his thighs, or snapping her/his fingers, or including vocalsounds. The facilitator should try to make it difficult. Again, the participants will only watch andlisten. Go around the circle again in the opposite direction and have the participants imitate thisclap. The participants should have difficulty in completing the clap.

The facilitator should ask the participants what would help them imitate the clap. Among otherthings, the participants may suggest that the facilitator demonstrate the clap once again and/orsuggest that the group practice together with the facilitator. The facilitator may then ask what thegroup thinks would be the most effective method of assistance and then provide this assistance.Go around the circle once more to have the participants imitate the clap, one by one.

Facilitator: The simple rhythmic clap after introductions was quite simple for all of you to imitate.

On the other hand, the more complex rhythmic clap was difficult for everyone. Though, withadditional assistance to learn this clap, the task of imitating it became easier and wassuccessfully done. This is similar to parenting. When parents, especially new parents, are facedwith single simple tasks or problems in parenting, these tasks can often be accomplishedwithout effort. When the tasks or problems become more complex, or there are many tasks tobe done at once, we may need some assistance in order to find our way.

The facilitator may then continue to provide an introduction to the workshop, such as thefollowing example:

IntroductionParenting is the most important activity we undertake. It is also a major responsibility, but at thesame time, can be very rewarding for all parents. This is even more so for new parentsexperiencing parenthood for the first time. Children require 24 hour care, 7 days a week, 12months a year. At birth, they are totally dependent on their primary caregiver who is usually themother. As children get older, the type of dependency changes, but they are still dependent ontheir caregiver to provide food, clothing, safety, supervision, education, and most of all, love.

Parental responsibility can seem quite a challenge to new parents, creating a lot of anxiety andfear. However, after the events of pregnancy and child birth, most people assume that youngadults already know how to be good parents and caregivers. But anyone who has been a parentto a child can tell you that no matter how smart, dedicated, loving, and motivated a person is,

parenting skills do not come naturally. Knowing how to nurture children, manage household


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tasks, solve life problems, and negotiate for the needs of the family are skills that are learnedand developed, not ones that people are born with.

Where do we learn the skills to be good parents, caregivers, and providers? Many of us learnthese skills from our own parents; we copy what our mothers and fathers did. Parents andcaregivers also learn from experience and practice, or by having someone teach them the skillthey need.

This module will provide information and strategies to help new parents as they attempt to meetthe needs of their children.

Facilitator: This workshop will take approximately7 hours to complete. The workshop organisersand facilitators hope that you will be able to participate the entire time.

Before we move on, we need to set some rules and boundaries for participation in thisworkshop. These will help ensure that everyone will be able to participate in activities andcontribute to discussions both comfortable and confidently.

Setting Rules and Boundaries

Objectives:The participants will determine rules for participation in the training workshop andwill set boundaries for the provision of feedback and in disclosing information to others on whatis discussed in the workshop in order to maintain the confidentiality of individual participants.

Time:10-15 minutes

Materials:Flip Chart and markers

Instructions:1. The facilitator introduces the activity by saying that we want to make our training workshopsafe and comfortable so that everyone will participate. Just as there are rules in theclassroom, at home, in our community and even when we are playing games, we also needto set rules for our Life Skills programme.

2. Have the young people brainstorm on possible rules for the group.3. List them down on the board/Flip Chart/Note book paper4. After the participants have compiled a set of rules, compare it to the following list to see if

anything should be added:

One person speaks at a time, do not talk excessively give others a chance

Coming to sessions on time / Support each other in maintaining time for the sessions

Listening to each other without interruption

No making fun of anyone Maintain confidentiality at all times: The sharing of personal experiences and

opinions will remain in the group (this is not linked to content on issues which maybe shared with others outside the group)

Respect privacy (safe space) There is no compulsion to participate, learners canpass any activity if they so desire. Also personal questions can be raised by writingthem down on paper and putting them in the question box placed in the room

Non-judgmental approach - Do not laugh at any person.

Respect each others feelings, opinions and experiences.

Use the following questions to stimulate discussions, to develop rules and to support group and

individual learning.


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Discussion Questions1. What do you think will be the outcome of the workshop if participants do not share their

experiences, express their opinions or give feedback to others?2. What would help you to feel more comfortable in sharing these things with others?3. Why is confidentiality important?4. How can we support each other in maintaining the ground rules that are set?5. What should be done if any of the ground rules are broken?

Facilitators Notes

After the rules are written down on flip chart paper, display them on a wall where theparticipants will be able to see them. If necessary, the rules may be referred to at the start ofeach session. Encourage the participants to monitor adherence to these rules.

Facilitator: The workshop will consist of two parts, A and B. Part A: Setting the Scenelooks atfive key questions that will help the new parents explore how they will cope with theirchallenging role as a caregiver and to develop skills that will assist them in this role. Part B:Building Parenting Skills is structured to allow the participants to apply and strengthen theirskills.

Let us start with the first question, Why is parenting a challenge for many young people? It willhelp us look at how our lives, roles and responsibilities have changed since becoming parents.


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PART A: SETTING THE SCENE

Key Question 1: Why Is Parenting A Challenge For Many

Young People?Outcome:

Participants will be able to recognize why parenting is such a challenge for many young people.

Activity A1: Changes and Chal lenges

Objective: Participants will examine the lifestyle, roles and responsibility changes andchallenges of new parents.

Time:45 minutes

Materials:Flip chart paper, markers, sheets of blank paper, pens.

Instruct ions: Part 1: Changes

1. Distribute a blank piece of paper and a pen to each participant and ask them to form pairs.[If possible, the pairs should be couples]

2. Have the participants fold their piece of paper in half, lengthwise, to make two columns.

3. Ask the participants to think back to the days before they had a child and/or were not yetpregnant.

4. In the column on the left-hand side of the paper, have the participants write 10 things theyreally enjoyed doing or thought they would like to do in the future.

5. In the right-hand column, have the participants mark the activities that they are no longerable to do (or have given up plans to do) since having a baby.

6. Tell the participants to now discuss the points they have written with their pair. [Thefacilitator may want to give couples a few moments to think about what they will say. Theinformation may be new information about their partner that they are hearing for the firsttime.] The pairs should also discuss how they feel since these changes have taken placeand how these feelings may affect their behaviour.

7. In the large group, ask the participants to list the activities that they are no longer able to doand write these on a piece of flip chart paper. On a second piece of flip chart paper, askthem to state a single words that describes how they feel about the changes.

8. Next, ask the participants to brainstorm all of the new and wonderful things they have been

doing since becoming a parent and record these on flip chart paper. On a second piece offlip chart paper, ask them to state a single work that describes how they feel about thesechanges.

9. Ask the participants think about some of the strategies they may use to cope with changesin emotions and stress that come from change and share them with the other members ofthe group.

10. From the suggested strategies provided, ask the participants to develop a formula ofdifferent steps that will help them cope with the changes they are facing.

Discussion:

Content Questions

1. In general, what types of activities are new parents no longer able to do?2. What does this tell you about the responsibilities associated with parenthood?


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3. How do feelings of loss or change make people feel?4. How can these feelings affect a parents behaviour and role as a caregiver?5. How can the positive emotions from our new experiences help reduce negative emotions

caused by change?

Personalisation Questions:1. Before becoming a parent, did you anticipate that these changes would occur in your life?

Why or why not?2. Before becoming a parent, did you anticipate the new and wonderful thing you would be

doing as a parent? Why or why not?3. Now that these changes have occurred, what do you think about them?4. When you are feeling a sense of loss from these lifestyle changes, what are some strategies

you use to cope with the situation?

Facilitators NotesThe purpose of skills formulas is to provide a summary of the core skills examined in thisactivity, i.e. coping with stress and emotions. These skills are needed to help young people

resolve the problems they face in their daily lives. The formulas are a part of the lesson that theparticipants may easily remember and then apply when needed.

The formula should be drawn from the participants responses. The facilitator may suggeststeps or points to consider only after trainees have contributed what they can. While there areno specific formulas for coping with emotions and stress in every situation, the following formulais useful when dealing with change.

Coping with Change

1. Identify exactly what is changing and how it is making you feel oraffecting your behaviour.

2. Notice the effects your emotions and behaviour have on other people.

[Notice their response to what you say].3. Think of options of other feelings or behaviours that would make you

and others feel more comfortable.4. Make a conscious effort to express change the feelings and correct the

behaviours that are making you and others uncomfortable.5. Appropriate discuss the situation openly and frankly with someone you

trust.

Facilitator: Some of the greatest changes that occur in the lives of new parents are changes in individual

roles and responsibilities. While our personal rights and needs may remain relatively constant, they may

come in conflict with the rights and needs of the family and those of a child. The biggest challenges arehow we prioritize or find a balance in our needs, rights and responsibilities as a member of a family and

as a parent.

Instructions Part 2: Challenges

1. Start a discussion on needs, rights, and responsibilities. How are they different? Thefacilitator may start by asking the participants to complete the sentences I need, I havethe right to, I am responsible for . Draw three columns on flipchart paper and giveeach column the heading Needs, Rights, and Responsibilities, respectively. Write theanswers of the participants in each of the columns.


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2. The facilitator will then ask the participants to complete the sentences My family needs ,My family has the right to , My family is responsible for Again, write the answers ofthe participants in each of the columns.

3. My child needs , My child has the right to , My responsibilities to my child are Are there any patterns to the answers? Do children, especially young infants have

responsibilities?4. Divide the participants into 2-3 small groups and give each group two situation cards. The

groups should read the cards and identify the following:

- Who is involved / affected?- What are their needs, rights, and responsibilities?

5. Have one person be responsible for think about the needs, rights and responsibilities ofeach person involved/affected in each situation. The groups task is to negotiate a solutionto the situation. Can a win-win solution be found, or does some have to give way? Allowfive minutes for each situation.

6. Have each group present how it dealt with one of the problem situations.

7. Summarize the activity by using the questions below.

Situation Cards

Your favourite program is ontelevision but your stack ofbooks on childcare remain

unread

You have been saving for a newMP3 but there are a lot of things

that your baby needs.

Your friend invites you to go outbecause you havent seen each

other in a long time but youdont have a baby sitter

You have an appointment with afriend but your husband/wifeneeds you to help him/her.

You are supposed to playfootball with your friends but

your baby is ill.

Your wife wants you to look afterthe baby in the evening after

working a long, hard day.

Discussion:Content Questions1. Did any groups not achieve a balance in any of the situation cards? Why?2. What is the dilemma posed by the cards?3. How difficult is it to understand other peoples needs, rights and responsibilities?4. Can you learn from the groups who achieved a balance? Why or why not?5. Who is responsible for giving and protecting the rights of a child, especially in infanthood? Is

this one of the responsibilities of parents and caregivers? Please explain.

Personalization Questions1. Do you think it is possible to have a balance between needs, rights, and responsibilities?

Why or why not?2. Have you ever been in a situation in which you have had to decide between your needs andyour responsibilities? What was the situation? What did you do?


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3. How do you know what the other persons needs are?4. What do you think is more important your needs, your rights, or your responsibilities? Why?5. If the needs and rights of a child are in conflict with the needs and rights of the parents,

whose needs and rights should take precedence? Please explain.

Facilitators NotesThe groups could be asked to suggest and use situations of their own, either instead of, or inaddition to those provided. The facilitator may ask the youth to write problem situations on notecards before the start of the activity.

Summary of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child

1. The right to equality, regardless of race, religion, nationality or sex.

2. The right to special protection for full physical intellectual, moral, spiritual and socialdevelopment in a healthy and normal manner.

3. The right to name and nationality.

4. The right to adequate nutrition, housing and medical services.5. The right to special care, if physically or mentally disabled.

6. The right to love, understanding and protection.

7. The right to free education, to play and recreation.

8. The right to be among the first to receive relief in times of disaster.

9. The right to protection against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation.

10. The right to protection from any form of discrimination, and the right to be broughtup in a spirit of universal brotherhood, peace and tolerance.

Facilitator: Many young people find themselves unprepared to cope with the demands of beinga new parent, perhaps because of an unplanned pregnancy. A number of these parents are stillteenagers and parenting would not have been a priority for them at the time they becamepregnant.

Ideally, if a young woman does plan to get pregnant, she should be healthy by having a gooddiet, no smoking, no alcohol and good exercise. When she is pregnant, regular ante-natalchecks are essential. Pregnancy can be a difficult time for some expectant mothers e.g.morning sickness as their bodies experience many biological changes. Taking precautions,the risks of teenage pregnancy will be minimized.

Other factors affecting parental responsibility have their part to play. Family norms and valuesare often disrupted in todays world. Traditional childrearing patterns are under threat, and there

is not so much on-the-job parental training from extended families as there may have been inthe past. Yet children still need parenting even if traditional patterns have been disrupted. Intodays world too, both biological parents may need to go out to earn an income.

Other environmental factors such as poverty, unemployment, multiple demands andresponsibilities, and domestic violence also impact on whether parents are able to provide thenecessary nurturing and childcare. If a child, or parent, has a disability of some sort, thechallenge is even greater.

Thus quality childcare is essential. This module will provide life skill training opportunities forthose people who find themselves as new parents currently, or who will expect to be parents inthe near future. The following activities will help you to assess some of your needs and skills asa caregiver.


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Key Question 2: Who Are the Different Types of CaregiversActing As Parents of Young Infants?

Outcome:

Participants will be able to identify the different types of caregivers and the skills needed incaring for a child.

Activity A2: Parents and Caregivers Have to Be

Objective: Participants will identify and assess the skills necessary for being a good caregiver.

Time 30 minutes

Materials: Flipchart paper, markers, paper, pens.

Instructions:

1. Ask the participants to brainstorm the question, Who are the caregivers of children?[Expected answers could include: married couples, de-facto couples, single parents,relatives - grandparents, an aunt, etc.].

2. Next, ask the participants, Which type of caregiver may find it more challenging to be aparent? [Expected answers could include: teenage parents, solo parents, men, disabledparents, etc.]

3. Divide the participants into pairs and ask them to designate themselves as A or B

4. Write the following statements on flipchart paper (add or change statements as appropriateto the group and local issues):

Women with young children should not leave home to work.

Men should take equal responsibility for childcare.

Childcare is only difficult with young children.

No one should have a child until they are at least 25 years old.

Looking after young children is too much for one parent to cope with alone.

Grandparents can always take care of the children when the parents have to work.

5. The person designated as A should present arguments in support of the statements andthe person designated as B should present arguments against. Ask them to think about therights and responsibilities of the child and parent in each case. Allow about 3 minutes foreach statement and ask pairs to debrief after each one, by discussing their real views.

6. With the whole group, take feedback from the participants and share views.

7. Divide the participants into small groups. Ask the you to make a list on flipchart paper of allthe skills a parent would need to cope with a child of up to three years old (ask them to thinkabout all the things a parent has to do).

8. After the participants have written their lists, ask them to group the skill under the followingcategories:

Skills which are essential

Skills which are desirable, but not essential

Skills which are not necessary

9. Have the groups compare their answers and come to a consensus about the skillsnecessary to cope with a child.

10. Summarize the activity by using the following questions:


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Discussion:

Content Questions1. Why are there different opinions about childcare?2. Do very young parents possess the skills necessary to cope with a child?3. What skills do parents need to have? Why

4. How can you develop the necessary skills?

Personalization Questions1. Which skills do you think you already possess?2. How important is it to be able to practice these skills before you become a parent yourself?3. What kind of opportunities do you think you need to practice? Why?4. What is one parenting skill that you already have?5. What is one parenting skill that you need to learn?

Facilitators Notes

Be prepared to help the youth identify parenting skills: listening, meeting needs, relaxing, beingconsistent, budgeting money, negotiating, empathizing, stimulating, encouraging, adapting,planning ahead, cooperating, comforting, persuading, communicating, etc.

Facilitator: You have been able to identify a long list of skills necessary for being a good caregiver.All of these skills are important but some may not been needed all the time or when the child is inearly infanthood. But how do we know which ones are needed? The next key question asks uswhat the basic needs of children during the first three years of life are. The activity that followshelps us to assess what we know about an infants basic needs do that we can identify what weneed to learn and what skills we need to develop to be good caregivers.

Key Question 3: What Are the Basic Needs of ChildrenDuring the First Three Years of Life?

Outcome:

Participants will be able to describe the basic needs of children during the first three years oflife.

Activity A3: How Much Do I Know?

Objective: Participants will identify the basic needs of children up to the age of three innutrition, health, personal safety, and sensory, intellectual and emotional development.

Time:45 minutes

Materials:Flip chart paper, markers, sheets of blank paper, pens, copies of Handout A1.

Instructions:

1. Divide the participants into four groups. Each group is allocated a topical theme related tothe rights of the child. The themes are:

Group 1: Nutrition


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Group 2: Health careGroup 3: Personal Safety (protection from physical and emotional harm)Group 4: Sensory, intellectual and emotional development

2. The groups are to brainstorm and discuss what the basic needs of children in eachcategory. The results of group discussions should be recorded on flip chart paper and alsopresented to the large group, by any method the group prefers, e.g. role play, chart,question and answer, etc.

3. After each group has presented, allow the participants in the other groups to ask for anyclarification that may be needed. Then, allow them to make suggestions of any additionalbasic needs that should be added to the list for that category.

4. Distribute a copy Handout A1: Meeting a Childs Basic Needs during the First Three Yearsof Lifeto each of the participants for future reference.

Discussion:

Content Questions1. If a parent needed to make a decision about their childs nutrition or health care but did not

have sufficient information on either topic, would it be possible for the parent to make anappropriate decision? Why?

2. If a parent needed to make a decision about their childs nutrition or health care but did nothave sufficient information on either topic, would it be possible for the parent to make anappropriate decision? Why?

3. When do parents normally think about these topics? When should they start thinking aboutthem? Why?

4. Is possible for a parent or caregiver to know everything that is needed to know aboutparenting? Please explain.

Personalization Questions1. Were you surprised by how much / how little you knew about the topic your group was

assigned? Why? How did this make you feel?2. If you do not feel that you have sufficient information, where could you go to get additional

information?3. With the vast amounts of information on parenting and child care, how can you know what

information if important to the care of your child?4. Can you think of a way that you can manage your information needs? Please share with the

group.

Facilitators NotesThis activity is designed to have participants assess how much they already know about youngchildrens basic needs. There will undoubtedly be gaps in this knowledge. The important skill is

the self-assessment. Participants will then start to think about seeking information, help andassistance. This will be examined further in Activity B4: Help and Assistance and Activity B5:Community Services.

The facilitator may provide any additional information to the participants in the form ofpamphlets, brochures and wall charts that may be available from the local health clinic ormedical centre.


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Handout A1: Meeting a Childs Basic Needs during theFirst Three Years of Life

(1) Meeting the Basic Need of Adequate Nutr ition:

Nutrition and nurturing during the first three years are crucial for lifelong health and well-being. Studies show that malnutrition in early childhood causes more deaths than any otherchildhood illness. It can also cause ill health and disabilities e.g. blindness

Breast is best exclusively breastfeeding for the first 6 months provides thegrowing child with the best food available, and reduces the chance of malnutrition. Italso establishes the necessary immunity to diseases.

Breastfeeding also enhances the bonding process between mother and child.

The rhythm of the heartbeat, felt during breastfeeding, has a calming effect on thechild.

Mothers should not get overanxious or guilty if they find breastfeeding to be moredifficult than other mothers do parents can seek assistance to find out why, andwhat solutions there are.

Working mothers may express their breast milk and store this in bottles.

At 6 months of age, babies need to be introduced to other food apart from breastmilk for continued growth and good health.

Once children are eating other foods, they need to eat small amounts frequently asthey have high energy levels.

When infants start to consume complementary foods in addition to breastmilk, theyare more likely to be at risk of infection. As food is eaten in small amounts, foodstorage and hygiene are most important in the period from 6 months to 18 months.

Parents should avoid giving food sweetened with sugar as it gives children a tastefor it and is bad for their health in later years.

Parents should find out what nutritional foods are given to infants in their country fresh food such as fruit, fish, green leafy vegetables and traditional foods should beused, not tinned fish or beef.

Providing fruit and vegetables is essential for healthy physical and mentaldevelopment. Vitamins and minerals are necessary too.

Young parents may not necessarily be aware of the important role that iodine playsin a persons diet. Iodine deficiency is the worlds most prevalent, yet easilypreventable, cause of brain damage.

What must also be considered is maternal nutrition and its impact on childdevelopment. There is a high prevalence of low birth weight in teenage pregnancies,anaemic mothers, and mothers with iodine and zinc deficiency. Interventionstrategies can be employed to address these deficiencies.


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(2) Meeting the Basic Need of Adequate Health Care:

Good nutritional practices will assist in the healthy development of the young child. During thefirst three years, children are susceptible to illnesses. To support sound nutritional practices, thefollowing features of health care will ensure a good start to a young childs life.

Young parents need to know which diseases may affect their child, and what can bedone to ensure he or she remains healthy.

Contact needs to be made with local health clinics or hospitals to find out theimmunization schedule that needs to be followed to prevent potentially dangerousdiseases from endangering the childs good health.

This schedule provides regular inoculation boosts particularly in the first year e.g. polioinoculations occur at birth, two, three and four months. There are variations in theschedule in Pacific Island countries, so parents would need to find out the schedule fortheir particular country;

These diseases include measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio,tuberculosis and hepatitis.

Diarrhoea commonly affects young children and there is no immunity for this if a childis affected, he or she needs to be orally rehydrated with boiled water or mothers cancontinue breast feeding. Pacific Island countries vary in their treatment of diarrhoea inFiji, raw cassava juice is sometimes given whereas in Tonga pihipihi, toa and volovalobarkhave been used. Doctors may also recommend a special solution.

Typhoid is also present in the Pacific so parents need to boil drinking water, and toensure that food is not contaminated. Hand washing after toileting and before preparingfood should be carried out too.

Parents should also be informed about other possible health concerns and thetreatments available, for instance, thrush is treated with Ango tuber and Tuitui bark inTonga, and basa/kura/nonisqueezed and mixed with breast milk in the Solomon Islands.

If a child is disabled or has some special needs, support groups are available in thecommunity to assist parents provide the necessary health care.

Preventive measures are the best to ensure a childs good health, but if the childs health

is not what it should be e.g. low birth weight babies, early interventions can make adifference in the childs quality of life.

Regular health checks are also important to ensure good health for children e.g.deworming may be required.

Adults should not smoke near children as this can cause respiratory disorders,especially asthma.


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(3) Meeting the Basic Need of Protection from Physical and EmotionalDanger:

Good nutritional and health care will very much be compromised if young children are not broughtup in a safe and secure environment particularly in the first three years when they are susceptible toaccidents at home. A number of important steps can be taken by parents to ensure the basic needof protection from physical danger, including abuse, is being met.

As young children begin to explore and play in their world, parents need to give them clean,safe household things to handle, bang and drop. Small, fragile items should be placed out oftheir reach. Safe conditions for play need to be established.

At times physical barriers need to be constructed to prevent children from getting into placesthat may be unsafe. Dangerous items such as burning candles need to be removed and

kerosene or petrol should not be kept in empty coke/juice or soft drink bottles.

Solo parents need to develop a coping strategy to prevent them from taking out anytiredness, frustration or stress on their children. Research indicates that children whoexperience extreme stress in their early years are at risk for developing a variety ofbehavioural and emotional difficulties in later life.

There may be occasions where parents take out their frustrations on their young childrenbecause they are envious of the free lifestyle of their friends who are not parents, or theyhave had to leave a job when they became a parent, or they have not been able to completetheir studies. In these situations, parents need to be supported.

A young mother can suffer from post-natal depression, so she needs to be aware of support

and treatment that is available to her.

Young fathers need to share in the childcare duties with their partners so that mothers canget some time to themselves. Responsible young fathers, if they are working, will ensurethey will provide for their young families. Money earned will not be wasted on pay days bydrinking with their friends.

For those mothers subjected to domestic violence from their partners resulting in an unsafeenvironment for themselves and their children, there are support groups in the communitysuch as the Womens Crisis Centre.

In some cases, where parents have been abused as children themselves, they becomevulnerable adults and are likely to repeat the abuse on their children. Supportive intervention

action needs to address this situation.

If young children are disabled in some way, or they have some special needs, parents needto identify the appropriate support groups who will assist them in their childrens care.

In some cases, parents themselves may have a disability. Appropriate support needs to beavailable so that such parents can cope with their disability and provide the care theirchildren need.


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(4) Meeting the Basic Need of Promoting Early Sensory, Intellectual andEmotional Stimulation:

In addition to meeting the childs physical needs, parents need to nurture a childs sensory,intellectual and emotional development. The stimulation that parents can give to meet these needswill provide opportunities for the child to learn and develop to his or her full potential.

It is important for young children to be able to form an attachment with an adult who canunderstand and respond to their signals.

Parents need to provide plenty of stimulating interactive experiences and opportunities fortheir children to explore their world, such as things to look at, touch, hear, smell and taste.

Parents can talk, read, sing and play games with their children, and respond to their soundsand interests. Talking in the mother tongue is vital for language development and promotingcultural identity.

Such positive interactive experiences will assist children to develop some independence bybeginning to learn to care for themselves and in the process, take the first steps incontrolling their behaviour.

Through these experiences, children develop thinking skills such as curiosity, problemsolving, and language.

When parents provide a warm, responsive caregiving environment, their children are morelikely to develop sound emotional expressions and attachments later in life.

Both mothers and fathers today may have to earn money to support a young child or family.The mother might prefer to stay at home to look after her child, but she needs to work. Sheshould not feel guilty about this what is important is the quality of care the child receives,and this can be provided by a suitable nanny or relative.

Play groups help socialization and also give caregivers space and time for themselves.

Parents need also to help their children regulate their behaviour by learning rules, limits andvalues. This can be done by providing choices and alternatives and explaining why certain

things are allowed and others are not.

Children need discipline but it should be appropriate to their age, their level of understandingand the nature of the misdeed.

For those families under stress brought about by poverty, domestic violence, multipledemands and responsibilities, children are likely to receive less adequate care. Parents inthese situations need to be able to access available support services.

Cultural norms and expectations can also affect the type of interaction between parents andtheir young child, for instance, the way affection is expressed will vary by culture. Communalsocialization for young children is also an important learning process in Pacific Islandcountries.

Being a caring and nurturing parent of a child of any age is important. However a parent of a childup to the age of three has a vital role to play as the following characteristics of a childs braindevelopment demonstrate:

(1) the most critical period for rapid brain development is between the ages of 0-3 years old;

(2) the environment affects not only the number of brain cells and the number of connections,but also the ways in which the connections or circuits are wired;

(3) as each individual is exposed to different experiences, no two brains are wired the sameway;

(4) the brain develops as a result of the nature of the interactions between the genes a childwas born with, and the childs experiences;

(5) the human brain has a remarkable capacity to change, but timing is crucial;

(6) there are times when negative experiences can have serious effects on a childsdevelopment.


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Facilitator: Now, we may have a better idea of the basic needs of a young infant. This informationcan help us to make better decisions related to childcare. But, we may still be uncertain whether weare caring for our baby in the right way and whether it is developing properly. The answer to keyquestion 4, what are the key developmental stages and milestones during the first three years canhelp us assess how we are doing.

Key Question 4: What Are The Key Developmental StagesAnd Milestones During the First Three Years?

Outcome:

Participants will be able to identify the key developmental stages and milestones during the firstthree years.

Activity A4: Milestones and Baby Pictures

Objective: Participants will assess their ability to identify key developmental stages andmilestones during the first three years of infanthood..

Time:20 minutes

Materials:Handout A2

Instructions:

1. Tell the participants that this activity will look at the milestones in the development of youngchildren in their first three years through freeze frames. Explain that a freeze frame is like a

picture (photograph or statue) of an action frozen in time. Ask for a volunteer to demonstratea freeze frame image. The other participants should observe and decide what the image isthat they see.

2. Divide the participants into five groups. Each group will allocated a specific period in earlychildhood development. These are:

Group 1: Birth to 3 monthsGroup 2: 4 to 6 monthsGroup 3: 7 to 12 monthsGroup 4: 1 to 2 yearsGroup 5: 2 to 3 years

3. Each member of a group must think of a milestone in early childhood development duringthe period assigned to their group and how they would present this milestone as a freezeframe. If the participants have difficulty in thinking of milestones, they can ask othermembers of the group for suggestions. Or, they think of the many photographs they haveseen of young children in their lifetime. These photographs often capture the milestones.

4. Ask Group 1 to start by presenting their freeze frames. The other participants shouldobserve and decide what the image is they see and, then, also decide whether it is indeed amilestone and one that would occur during the specified period. When the members ofGroup 1 have presented then the members of Group 2 will present followed by the otherparticipants in the order of their groups.

5. Stimulate discussion by using the questions below.

6. Distribute copies of Handout A2: Developmental Stages and Milestones during the FirstThree Years of Lifeand Handout A3: An Early Childhood Screening Toolto all participants.Give them a moment to read through the handouts to see if they need any clarifications.


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Discussion:

Content Questions1. What are some of the main stages and milestones during the first three years of life?2. How can parents or caregivers know what milestone should occur in what stage of

development?

3. What are some things parents and caregivers can do to help children reach thesemilestones?

4. How do milestones give parents and caregivers an indication of a childs development?5. What are some ways to assess whether a child is experiencing problems in development?

Personalization Questions1. What can you do in the care of your infant that will aid in its proper development?2. Have you already anything about the developmental stages of infants? If so, is there

anything you would like to share with the group?3. With the indicators provided in the handout, do you think you will be able to recognise if your

baby is developing properly? Please explain.4. If you are unsure whether your baby is developing properly, who can you consult? How can

this person or service assist you?

Facilitators Notes

Allow the participants to contribute what they know first, then supplement their knowledge bygoing through the handout in Handout A2: Developmental Stages and Milestones during theFirst Three Years of Lifeand Handout A3: An Early Childhood Screening Toolwhich suggestsassessment indicators in child development.

Similar to the last activity, this activity is designed to help participants assess how much theyknow about early childhood development. There will undoubtedly be gaps in this knowledge.The important skill is the self-assessment. Participants will then start to think about seeking

information, help and assistance, which will be examined activities B4 and B5.


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Handout A2: Developmental Stages and Milestones duringthe First Three Years of Life

Children have different needs at different stages during the early years. Parents need to be awareof these stages and milestones so that they interact appropriately and promptly with their youngchildren. This knowledge too, will assist parents in identifying any possible developmental delaysand what action or intervention, if any, is required. Parents should also remember that somechildren will reach these milestones earlier, others later.

Childrens Development Stages and Milestones

Approximateage

What children do What children need

Birth to 3months

Learn about the world through all theirsenses

Track people and objects with eyesRespond to faces and bright coloursReach, discover hands and feetLift head and turn toward soundCry, but are often soothed when heldBegin to smile

Begin to develop a sense of self

Protection from physical dangerAdequate nutrition (exclusive

breastfeeding is best)Adequate health care (immunization,

oral rehydration therapy asrequired, hygiene)

An adult with whom to form anattachment

An adult who can understand andrespond to their signals

Things to look at, touch, hear, smell,taste

To be held, sung to and rocked

4 to 6 months Smile oftenPrefer parents and older siblingsRepeat actions with interesting resultsListen intentlyRespond when spoken to

Laugh, gurgle, imitate soundsExplore hands and feetPut ob

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