Problem-solving skills are some of the most vital aspects of life in the modern world. Subsequently, learning about problem-solving skills has been incorporated in most schools in developing countries’ educational curricula. Learning about problem-solving skills has proven to improve students’ performance in schools. Parents are important stakeholders in the education system since they are in direct contact with learners. Therefore, the workshop for parents that focuses on using a behaviour management program at home comprises of several resources that can be utilized to enhance the educational needs of students. This article evaluates the significance of parent workshop that emphasizes family collaboration to use behaviour management program at home to improve the performance of students in the classroom. The parent workshops will help education stakeholders to conduct and organize training sessions that will improve the learning outcomes of students by 60 percent.
Objectives
The workshop will cover several objectives as outlined below:
To give parents to discuss the challenges they face with their children and why they think their children behave the way they do.
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To seek to model skills of parenting such as problem-solving skills and thinking about appropriate options.
To link the relationship between child development and behaviour to understand the natural children's behaviours.
To help the parents reframe some of the remarks they make about their children's behaviours.
Activities and Timeline for the Session
The workshop will have the following agenda which is expected to last between 1 to 2 hours in the given order:
Introduction of facilitators and the participants which will last 10 to 20 minutes.
Introduction to positive discipline, expected to last 10 -15 minutes.
Video and discussion sessions expected o last 30 – 45 minutes.
Conclusion and evaluation of the workshop objectives, expected to last 10 -20 minutes.
Preparation by the Facilitators
Before presenting the workshop, the facilitators will be expected to:
Review the videos and the links to be shown and presented to the parents
Organize the audio-visual system to be used to access the websites such as; projector, computer, screen, high-speed internet, and speakers
Prepare sticky notes, markers, and flipcharts
Organize the workshop room to aid in the discussion by properly arranging the chairs
Make all the resources required by the parents for further information about behavioral change in children
Prepare the workshop evaluation forms for the participants
Activity 1: Introduction of Parents and facilitators
The participants will be allowed to introduce themselves after the facilitators have introduced themselves. As a result, the parents will be asked to; introduce themselves by their names, the ages of their children, name one of the positive attribute of their children, name one great moment they had with their children, as well as one positive characteristic they see in themselves as parents (Children See Children Learn, 2019).
To make sure that the needs and the experiences of the participants are met and valued, they will be requested to participate in the workshop only if the ages of their children fall under the same age groups (2 – 8 years). Additionally, the participants will be asked what their expectations were about the workshop by writing them on a flipchart.
Activity 2: Introduction to Positive Discipline
The facilitator will give a lecture on the aspects of positive discipline, which is expected to assist the parents to reconsider how they interact with their children, and how their daily interactions can shape their behaviours towards other people. Subsequently, the facilitator will request the participants to perform certain tasks: Firstly, ask the parents to write down personal attributes they believe their children will develop when they grow up, in the sticky notes provided to them. Consequently, these attributes should concentrate on the types of people they hoped their children would be and not material possessions or careers (Children See Children Learn, 2019) . Secondly, request the participants to be in groups of twos and discuss these attributes of their children. Thirdly, the facilitator will request the parents to post their sticky notes on the flipcharts, where the facilitator will categorize the attributes and read them back to the participants. As a result, the facilitator will outline the resemblance in the hopes of parents for their children and open a discussion. The discussion would be: a) Are we helping our children to develop empathy, problem-solving skills, independence, as well as others? And b), do we act in ways that contradict the way we want our children to interact with others? Lastly, the facilitator will thank the parents for their remarks and contribution and proceed to define a positive discipline.
What is Positive Discipline?
The facilitator will provide a basic meaning of positive discipline to the participants (US Department of Health and Human Services, n.d). The facilitator will reiterate that positive discipline does not involve allowing children to do whatever they wish to do but concerns: Firstly, helping children to understand what is crucial via approaches that are suitable to their levels of development. Secondly, guiding children to understand the effects of their actions, to help them solve problems by themselves. Thirdly, ensuring that parents compose themselves, before dealing with problematic situations or conflicts. This aspect aims at assisting children to learn how to self-regulate. Additionally, understanding that physical and emotional punishments including; rejection, swats, isolation, spanks, threats, pinches, and slaps, can emotionally or physically harm children. Moreover, understanding that, even though punishment can discontinue, it may not assist the children to understand why their behaviours are dangerous or harm others. Lastly, realizing that emotional or physical punishment may teach children that violence and physical reactions can solve problems.
Activity 3: Video and Discussion Session
The facilitator will visit the Children See Children Learn website ( http://childrenseechildrenlearn.ca ), to show the participants the videos that illustrate the relevance of the behavioural change in children (Children See Children Learn, 2018). From the videos, the facilitator and the parents can get several messages. The parents are encouraged to utilize the messages illustrated in the videos as alternatives to emotional and physical punishments (Walston, Redford, & Bhatt, 2017).
According to Durrant (2016), isolation of children can harm the relationship between parents and their children. Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (2015) reiterates that this is because of several reasons: Firstly, many aspects lead children to behave the way they do. Therefore, what parents may consider as bad behaviour, maybe an appropriate developmental response to the circumstance (Save the Children’s Resource Center, 2009). Secondly, parents should teach their children how to self-regulate, to stay calm instead of violently reacting. Thirdly, the ability to stay calm in the face of danger develops slowly and can be learned with assistance from parents. Moreover, children cannot understand the effects of their actions on others or themselves. Additionally, punished children can just learn to avoid getting caught the next time they make a mistake, instead of understanding the effects of their behaviours (McIntosh, 2017) . Lastly, a difficult circumstance with children is one of the best ways of helping them to learn how to solve problems. Therefore, according to Shanker (2010), parents should help their children by involving them in conversations rather than isolating them.
Activity 4: Conclusion and evaluation
Conclusion
The facilitator will summarize the key aspects of the workshop: Firstly, parents are required to be calm, when dealing with difficult circumstances that involve children. Consequently, parents can be great role models to help their children to practice calming down even in the face of trouble. Secondly, parents have the responsibility to understand the behaviours of their children. Harbor Regional Centre asserts that the behaviours of children always correspond to development levels, and therefore it is crucial to listen to the point of view of their children and appreciate their needs and feelings. Thirdly, parents need to understand their reactions, feeling, and needs; to enable them to learn their triggers. Furthermore, parents are expected to assist their children in solving problems, and explain why some behaviours are harmful to them and others. Lastly, parents need to know that emotional and physical punishments are not the best ways of disciplining children.
Evaluation
The evaluation is expected to measure the long and short-term effects of the parents’ workshop. The facilitator will measure the immediate responses of the participants informally by asking responses and comments from the participants. However, it is also vital to do follow up 3 to 6 months after the session to determine the impact of the workshop on the children. To ensure this follow up, the facilitator will collect the contacts of the participants, with their permission. The facilitator will give a closing remark and thank the participants for accepting to take part in the workshop, and encourage them to utilize the knowledge they have gained in the workshop. Lastly, the facilitator will encourage the participants to share the resources from the website with other parents who did not participate in the workshop.
References
Center of Excellence for Early Childhood Development. (2015). Eye on Discipline: How Much is Enough? Retrieved on 20 November 2019, from http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/sites/default/files/docs/coups-oeil/discipline-info.pdf
Children See Children Learn. (2018). Your Child Learns from You and Your Actions (Video files). Retrieved on 20 November 2019, from http://childrenseechildrenlearn.ca
Children See Children Learn. (2019). Ready-to-us Workshop: Facilitator Handbook for Parent on Child Discipline . Retrieved on 20 November 2019, from https://resources.beststart.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/K56-E.pdf
Durrant, J. E. (2016). Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting. Ottawa, Ontario: Canada. Save the Children Sweden , Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs. ed. 4. 1-54.
Harbor Regional Center. (n.a). Making it Happen: Parent Training on Behaviour management . Retrieved on 20 November 2019, from http://www.harborrc.org/files/uploads/Parent_Training_Behavior_Management.pdf
McIntosh, L. (2017). Positive Discipline is in Your Hands: Early Years and Child Care. Durham Behaviour Management Services . Retrieved on 20 November 2019, from https://www.durham.ca/en/regional-government/departments.aspx#Childrens-Services.
Save the Children’s Resource Center. (2009). Be the best Parent You can Be: Why Positive Discipline Works. Child Welfare Leagues of Canada . Retrieved on 20 November 2019, from https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/node/8274/pdf/ppes_pamphlet_eng.pdf
Shanker, S. (2010). Promising Practices, Teaching. Self-Regulation: Calm, Alert, and Learning . Retrieved on 20 November 2019, from https://www.edcan.ca/articles/self-regulation-calm-alert-and-learning/.
US Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d). Teachers and Parents Working Together: Delivering a Tell Me A Story Workshop to Parents. Retrieved on 20 November 2019, from https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/workshops-families-teachers-parents.pdf
Walston, J., Redford, J., & Bhatt, M. P. (2017). Workshop on Survey Methods in Education Research: Facilitator’s guide and resources (REL 2017–214). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest. Retrieved from: Retrieved on 20 November 2019, from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs.
