DEVELOPMENT AND CONFIDENCE BUILDING
ACTIVITY: TIPS ON HOW TO BRING UP CONFIDENT CHILDREN
Purpose of the activity
This activity gives participants the opportunity to share and gain knowledge on how to how to raise children who have a positive self-concept.
Preparation work
(a) Read the background document.
Explanation of the activity
(a) Explain to participants that they will be divided into groups of between two and three.
(b) Each group will brainstorm tips for parents/caregivers on how to encourage confident children.
(c) The groups need to write down their tips on pieces of newsprint and their spokesperson will present these to the rest of the participants.
Implementation of the activity
(a) Divide participants into groups of between two and three members.
(b) Tell groups that they should decide what tips they would give to parents to build their children’s confidence.
(c) Groups need about 20 minutes for their discussion.
(d) After the discussions, allow each group five minutes to give feedback.
(e) Check the feedback against the background information you have on this topic. If there are serious inaccuracies and omissions, correct them during the discussions in a supportive and constructive manner.
(f) Conclude by highlighting the importance of confidence building in babies and young children and suggest what parents can do to enhance this.
PRESENTATION
Explain to the participants that you are going to do a short presentation to summarise the discussions of the session. It will include important messages to remember regarding social development, emotional development and confidence building. Present to the participants the PowerPoint presentation: Social development, emotional development and confidence building. Make sure that the presentation links the groups’ discussions, feedback and activities.
At the end of the presentation, allow time for questions and discussions.
Key messages
• Babies and young children need to learn and understand how they fit in the world.
• Social development helps babies and young children to understand the people they live with in their community. • Caregivers/parents need to help babies and young children
understand and manage their emotions.
• Babies and young children have different ways in which they develop socially and emotionally, and they should be allowed to safely experiment with new behaviours.
• Play is important in building confidence and self-esteem in babies and young children.
• Play has an important role in the social and emotional development of babies and children.
• Friendships and playing with other children and adults is important for the social and emotional development of babies and young children.
• Babies and young children learn social and emotional behaviour from watching the behaviour of adults and other children.
SELF ASSESSMENT
Write the following questions on flipchart paper and ask the
participants to answer the questions on a piece of paper. You might want to write the questions in a language participants are more familiar with. Explain to the participants that this is not a test and that you will not take in their answer papers.
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SES S ION 5 : SO C IAL DE VEL O P M EN T , EMO T IONAL DE VEL O P M EN T AND C O NF IDENCE B UIL
Explain to them that they are doing this test to see for themselves how much they have learnt during the session.
(a) Parents/caregivers need to help babies and young children understand their emotions. TRUE OR FALSE
(b) Tantrums should be seen as normal ways in which babies and young children behave. TRUE OR FALSE
(c) Play can be used to build the confidence and self-esteem of babies and young children. TRUE OR FALSE
(d) Play forms an important part of the social and emotional development of babies and children. TRUE OR FALSE (e) Friendships and playing with other children and parents/
caregivers is important for the social and emotional development of babies and young children. TRUE OR FALSE
(f) Babies and young children copy the social and emotional behaviour of parents/caregivers and other children. TRUE OR FALSE
Now repeat the questions, but this time give the answers as indicated in brackets [ ]. The participants should check their own answers and assess how they have done.
(a) Parents/caregivers need to help babies and young children understand their emotions. [TRUE]
(b) Tantrums should be seen as normal ways in which babies and young children behave. [TRUE]
(c) Play can be used to build the confidence and self-esteem of babies and young children. [TRUE]
(d) Play forms an important part of the social and emotional development of babies and children. [TRUE]
(e) Friendships and playing with other children and parents/
caregivers is important for the social and emotional development of babies and young children. [TRUE]
(f) Babies and young children copy the social and emotional behaviour of parents/caregivers and other children. [TRUE]
CLOSURE
You are at the end of Session 5. Remind participants that this session provided them with some key information on social and emotional development, and explain how these link to confidence building in babies and young children.
It is important that they apply what they have learnt in this session when they go back home. They should also share it with their neighbours.
Ask the following question: If you want further guidance and advice on the social and emotional development of your baby and young child, where will you go in your community? Allow a few participants to share their answers and write them on a flipchart, if you want to. Tell them that it is important to use the resources in their community to help their children grow up healthy and strong.
Tell the participants the date and time for the training of Session 6. Thank the participants for their involvement in this session and give each of them a copy of Handout 6: Social and emotional development and confidence building.
TRAINER HINTS
Write down some notes to yourself about the lessons you learnt or other interesting discoveries you made during the training of this session. These may be useful for the next time you train this session.
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Tell them that it is important to use the resources in their community to help their children grow up healthy and strong.
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SES S ION 5 : SO C IAL DE VEL O P M EN T , EMO T IONAL DE VEL O P M EN T AND C O NF IDENCE B UIL
ANNEXURE A:
MILESTONE CARDS
The answers to this activity appear on the following page.
Begins to smile for other people for the first time.
Starts to show some facial expression.
Understands the difference between fantasy and reality.
Extends arm or leg to help when being dressed.
Is shy or anxious with strangers.
Copies some movements and facial expressions.
Cries when mother or father leaves.
Thinks that unfamiliar things may be monsters.
Prefers mother and/or regular caregiver over all others.
Understands words like ‘mine’ and ‘his’ or ‘hers’.
Finger-feeds himself. Takes turns in games.
Has trouble telling the difference between make-
believe and reality.
Shows a wide variety of emotions (e.g. sadness, happiness, anger, etc).
Often cries if they cannot do what they want.
Often lives in a world of fantasy, creating fantasy
playmates.
Has tantrums. Says own name.