The methods used for family life education which should be 1 followed by both the home and school are as follows:
We know that a family plays a dominant role in training the child in family life in this stage. Children seek love affection and care. They are generally curious about various natural and social phenomena, Parents job is to encourage such inquisitiveness and answer their questions honestly and sincerely without ever ridiculing them or trying to evade them.
Parents should let their children participate in all family affairs and learn by observing. The task of parents is to teach by example: so parents must practice values and ideals themselves.
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During this period, parents need to be careful about their demeanour since children observe them keenly and develop attitude like theirs. Children are coming in contact with the world outside the home also and are influenced by this wider exposure. Affection from parents makes children feel loved. They learn it is important to give and receive affection.
However, children also learn by observing gender roles. If their father does not respect their mother’s work at home, children also learn not to look upon it with respect and form a stereotype about it. Media, especially the visual media, may introduce children to certain aspects of life some of which may be undesirable and untimely
and are better if introduced later. Therefore, parents should try to be present with children while they are watching television and discuss with them the programmes seen. At school, the teacher should introduce his/her pupils to family life education through a curriculum designed especially for this purpose. It may not be taught as a separate subject, yet can be included in social studies classes where children learn about family.
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Pre-adolescent Stage (9-12 yrs.)
This is the stage when somebody changes start happening, leaving the child confused. Therefore, concepts of maleness and femaleness can be dealt with them in an age-appropriate manner. Children must feel happy to be male or female since this directly influences their self- esteem. They must also learn to respect people belonging to the other sex.
Parents and teachers must create a culture of open discussion with children on any issue at this stage. Parents have to be like friends and guide to their children. Parents and teachers should ensure healthy interaction among children of opposite sex. In this stage, children may feel attraction for other sex.
However, they must be encouraged to share these thoughts with their guardians. Schools can also observe children and counsel them on this aspect. Ideas of any gender discrimination must be avoided. Healthy open friendships and companionship should be encouraged.
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In classrooms, teachers must create an open space for boys and girls to share their growing age issues, relations within the family and ways to solve them well. This would help children realise that they are not alone in feeling as they do. Such interactions could also be organised separately for boys and girls.
The teacher can encourage children to seek guidance and talk about and write about things that worry them. He/she should win their confidence so as to facilitate this. He/she can give them some statements to complete such as “I usually worry about…”
Teacher has to deal with such matters sensitively. Later, he/ she can mark out common areas of concern and set a time for discussion of them. If need, be he/she can call students individually and speak to them or arrange small group discussions. Many a time, he/she may find the children expressing. “I feel my parents do not like me as much. They like my elder sister more”. “I keep fighting with my brother. What to do?”. Such free expression can help the teacher address the problems of children better.
The teacher can use puppets to help children learn. With the help of puppets, he/she can have children express how they feel in certain situations. This can act as a cathartic method of venting out feelings. The teacher can also use playing in a simulated situation in a family.
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The teacher should impart sex education to boys and girls separately and on reaching maturity sometimes together. Male teachers for boys and females for girls also make the tasks easier. A question box can be kept where children would drop their questions anonymously.
The teacher must assure his/her students that their queries are important and will receive adequate attention. Once a week, he/she can read these questions and discuss the relevant issues.
If children are not comfortable with such direct approach, then the teacher can take up a story with a problem similar to the ones faced by some children in the class. While discussing the life and feelings of the unknown character in the third person, children can find it easier to express themselves. They would be able to analyse the situation better i and come up with solutions.
Along with this, workshops can be organised to help children in | personality development, self-discover, communication skill ‘ development and physical education. The teacher can show motion pictures, cartoons etc., relating to the life situations of children.
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Schools ‘ must also keep books in accordance with the cognitive level of children on various issues related to sex education and human relationships in \ various types of situations in a family set up.
The teacher can also plan role-playing or socio drama to help children analyse their feelings and give them desirable direction. The problem selected must be of immediate concern to the children.
The teacher might have noticed an incident in the playground or classroom I or in a family. Such enactment of roles will help children feel how others behave and examine different ways of handling a situation. In case the teacher finds that the child needs expert intervention on any matter. The teacher must consult the other teachers, the school counselor and refer the child to him/her for counselling.
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Adolescence is the stage of transition between childhood and adulthood. Adolescents express a desire to be treated not as children but as growing adults. They want parents to reduce their protective role and enable them create degree of autonomy. In this stage, teachers and parents need to guide adolescents constantly.
At school, the teacher can teach human reproductive system in biology classes. It is important that the teacher himself/herself is positive and normal while teaching it. The teacher can use some of the methods mentioned in the pre-adolescence stage such as the use of writing to vent out feelings, socio drama, and open discussions.
Programmes must be organised with the objective of making available the resources, delaying the beginning of sexual activity and decision-making available the resources, delaying the beginning of sexual activity and decision-making.
Experts (such as doctors) must be roped in to interact with adolescents to spread awareness regarding Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) – its transmission and prevention- and other sex-related diseases. They must also be told about the harms of substance abuse.
However, sex is only aspect in his/her coping with problems at this stage. Discussion needs not be confined to sex only. He/she need to understand clearly issues of self-dependence, responsibilities and contribution to pleasant atmosphere in the family. Sibling-parental and other relationships and sharing of household chores, avoidance of conflicts etc., are no less important.
School-Parent Collaboration can also encourage parents attend programmes in schools to know about the sexual development of their children. They can know about the children’s usual questions regarding sex and acquire information from professionals to respond to such queries. They can also gain information on HIV and AIDS.
Religious organisations can facilitate counselling for adolescents and adults. Religious educators need to be sensitive towards the family situations of children. For instance, none must say to a child abused by his/her father that God is like father.
Here the experience of child does not go in consonance with the qualities of God. Likewise, those adults who have suffered in childhood because of their parents will not be able to appreciate the statement ‘honour your father and mother’.
Premarital counselling can ensure effective execution of one’s responsibilities after marriage. Media, newspapers and magazines also publish columns to advice people on sex and marriage related problems and intra-family communications. Overall, method of dialogue, conversation, discussion, open debate, freedom of expression, welcome friendships and respect for their views on all matters in the family, be the usual methods of family life education.