PALS Parenting Curriculum

PALS
PARENTING
CURRICULUM
A 10-SESSION PARENTING CURRICULUM FOR PARENTS AND

CAREGIVERS OF ADOLESCENTS (10-19) IN CRISIS SETTINGS
January 2021
First published 2021 – Text © Plan International 2021
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of Plan
International.
Illustrations © Hazel Mead 2020/2021. All rights reserved.
Recommended citation: Plan International (2021). PALS: Parenting and Adolescent Life Skills
Programme, United Kingdom: Plan International.
The Adolescent Life Skills and Parenting programme was developed with financial support from:
 The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency,
Sida. Responsibility for the content rests entirely with Plan
International. Sida does not necessarily share the expressed views
and interpretations.
 The German Federal Foreign Office to the multi-country project in
the Lake Chad region.
 Plan International Netherlands.
 Plan International Finland.
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Plan International | 2022
PARENTING SESSIONS
Theme Sessions Session objectives
s
▪ Have a personal goal for the programme
Being a Session 1: Getting to
Parent Know Each Other
▪ Have access to a safe and inclusive space
▪ Know ways to practise self-care

Session 2: Supporting
Ourselves in Stressful
Times
▪ Practise positive ways to manage stress
Adolescent Session 3: Adolescent
▪ Know the changes that take place during puberty and
Development Development
adolescence
▪ Know how crisis situations can affect adolescent

development and wellbeing
▪ Practise listening and praising skills to support

Session 4: Supporting
Adolescents in Difficult
Times adolescents in difficult times
▪ Practise positive ways to spend time with adolescents

Positive Session 5: Problem-
▪ Practise making agreements with adolescents
Parenting solving with
Adolescents
▪ Practise peaceful problem-solving with adolescents
Session 6: Helpful
▪ Distinguish between helpful and harmful (gender)
and Harmful Roles of
Adolescents roles of adolescents
▪ Promote positive roles and responsibilities for

adolescents and prevent harm
Adolescent Session 7: Adolescent
▪ Know the sexual and reproductive health needs of
Health and Sexual and
Protection Reproductive Health adolescents
▪ Feel confident in talking about sexual and

reproductive health with adolescents
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Session 8: Protecting
▪ Understand existing protection risks for adolescents
Adolescents from
Violence
▪ Identify ways to promote safety of adolescents
Session 9: Marriage
▪ Understand the harmful impact of child, early and
forced marriage
▪ Know positive alternatives for child, early and forced

marriage
Our Future Session 10: Looking
▪ Be aware of own strengths and capacities
Ahead
▪ Have a positive outlook for the future
MONITORING AND TOOLS

Tool 1. PALS Mini Assessment Tool
EVALUATION TOOLS Tool 2. Communicating about PALS
M&E Tool 1. Adolescent Registration Form Tool 3. PALS Implementation Plan
M&E Tool 2. Parent Registration Form Tool 4. PALS Budget Tool
M&E Tool 3. Participant Database Tool 5. PALS Organogram
M&E Tool 4. Attendance Tracker Tool 6. PALS Job Descriptions
M&E Tool 5. Adolescent Questionnaire Tool 7. PALS Decision Making Tool
M&E Tool 6. Parent Questionnaire Tool 8. Safe Site Selection Checklist
M&E Tool 7. Personal Goal Tool 9. Materials List
M&E Tool 8. Personal Goal Registration Form Tool 10. Outreach and Mobilisation Strategies
M&E Tool 9. Module Evaluation Tool 11. Feedback Channels
M&E Tool 10. Facilitator Report Tool 12. Tips for Modifying Sites
Tool 13. Reporting Safeguarding Concerns
Tool 14. Participant Rights and Responsibilities
Tool 15. Safeguarding Reporting Templates
Tool 16. Managing Challenging Group Dynamics
Tool 17. Safeguarding Risk Assessment
Tool 18. Mitigating Safeguarding Risks
RESOURCES FOR THE Tool 19. Receiving Safeguarding Complaints
Tool 20. Contextualisation DOs and DONTs
FACILITATOR Tool 21. PALS Contextualisation Tool
Tool 22. Terms and Definitions
Resource 1. Social Map
Tool 23. Service Mapping Template
Resource 2. Emotions
Tool 24. Services for Adolescents
Resource 3. Mindfulness and Meditation Activities
Tool 25. PALS Facilitator Competency
Resource 4. Respectful Communication
Framework
Resource 5. Good or Bad
Tool 26. PALS Facilitator Self-Assessment
Resource 6. Agree or Disagree
Tool 27. Personal Goal for Facilitators
Resource 7. Puberty
Tool 28. Seating Arrangements
Resource 8. Reproduction and Menstruation
Tool 29. Practising Self-Care
Resource 9. Stand Up If
Tool 30. Self-Care Plan
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Resource 10. Pregnancy Tool 31. Managing Bias
Resource 11. Contraceptives Tool 32. Considerations for Gender and Inclusion
Resource 12. Condom Use Tool 33. Adolescent Learning Strategies
Resource 13. STIs Tool 34. Impact of Violence on Adolescents
Resource 14. Image Box Tool 35. Responding to Disclosures of Violence
Resource 15. Stories of Violence Tool 36. Responding to Distress
Resource 16. Safety Plan Tool 37. Checklist for Facilitators
Resource 17. Marriage Statements Tool 38. Planning Template for Facilitators
Resource 18. Puberty Quiz Tool 39. Adolescent-Friendly Logframe
Tool 40. Types of Violence
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Module: Being a Parent
notes for the facilitator
In this introductory module, participants get to know each other and reflect on what being a parent
means to them. Key objectives for parents and caregivers include:
 setting a personal parenting goal;
 contributing to a safe and inclusive group environment;
 identifying personal self-care activities;
 practising positive ways to manage stress.
Parenting Session 1 focuses on introducing the programme and building a safe group
environment. The facilitator introduces the goals and themes of the programme and participants
reflect on their areas of interest. Participants identify a personal parenting goal that they work on in
the programme. The facilitator and participants jointly agree on group rules to make the group
sessions a safe space for everyone. Feeling safe and included within the group is essential for
parents – for some participants, the group sessions might be the only place where they can share
their experiences, worries or concerns. An important aspect of building a safe and trusted group
environment is introducing Plan International’s Code of Conduct which outlines the behaviours that
participants can expect from the group facilitators and other Plan International / partner staff.
In Parenting Session 2, parents and caregivers explore their strengths and challenges as
parents and identify positive ways of managing stress. In this session it is important to
acknowledge that being a parent is stressful, no matter what. In crisis situations, it can be even more
stressful. It is important to praise the efforts that parents make and point out their strengths and
accomplishments in raising children. In this session, parents reflect on different ways of reacting to
stress and identify positive activities that they can do to take care of themselves and manage stress.
The group will practise “taking a pause” and different relaxation activities.
After Session 2 the facilitator holds a module evaluation with the group. Participants reflect on the
learning from the first two sessions and give feedback on the topics and activities of the sessions,
including what they liked and what they would like to see included. The (co-)facilitator documents this
feedback and uses it to make adaptations as needed for the following sessions.
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Parenting Session 1: Getting to Know Each Other
DURATION TIPS FOR FACILITATORS
▪ 90 minutes ▪ Be open and listen: Allow participants
to talk freely. Ask them open questions

and find out how much they already
OBJECTIVES
know.
▪ Have a personal goal for the programme. ▪ Be respectful and supportive: Give
participants space to share how they

▪ Have access to a safe and inclusive space. are feeling openly, without judgment.
Let them know how you are there for
them.
MATERIALS
▪ Be patient: It might take a couple of
▪ Attendance list
sessions to build trust. Do not expect
participants to share or answer every
▪ Tool 7. Personal Goal (one copy per participant)
question.
▪ End on a good note: Check in with the

▪ Tool 8. Personal Goal Registration Form (one
group and close the session with
copy for the facilitator)
something fun!
▪ Flipcharts and markers
▪ Reporting: Remember to take
attendance of participants and fill out

▪ Ball
the facilitator report at the end of the
session.
▪ Pens or pencils (one per participant)
▪ Laughter and Play game manual
▪ Information about Plan International’s

safeguarding, PSHEA policy and Code of Conduct
PREPARATION
▪ Prepare an overview of the sessions in the

programme to present to participants.
▪ Print out copies of Tool 7 and 8.
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Session overview Session activity Time
In this session the group 1. Welcome and warm-up 10 minutes
members and the 2. Theme introduction: Introducing the programme 20 minutes
facilitators will get to know 3. Exploration: Personal goal 30 minutes
each other and the
4. Take-away: Group agreement 20 minutes
programme, set a personal
5. Closing 10 minutes
goal and jointly develop a
After the session: reporting and follow-up
group agreement.
Steps to follow
1. Welcome and warm-up
Time: 10 minutes
1. Welcome and introduction: Welcome participants to the programme and praise them for coming.
Introduce yourselves as facilitator and co-facilitator. Explain that in this first session we will spend time
getting to know each other, so that everyone feels comfortable in the group. We will also look at the
topics and themes that we will discuss in the next sessions and will think about what we would like to
learn in this programme.
2. Introduction game: Name Game with Ball. Instructions for this game can be found in the
Laughter and Play manual.
3. Introduce the theme of this session: Explain that this session is about getting to know each other
and learning more about the programme.
2. Theme introduction: Introducing the programme
Time: 20 minutes
1. Introduce the purpose of this programme: to organise regular sessions that create time and space
for parents and caregivers to come together, feel supported and share things that are important to
them. Explain that the programme will run in parallel to sessions for their adolescent children and that
in the sessions we will discuss how parents can support their adolescent children and build positive
relationships.
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2. Introduce the different topics of the sessions that will be covered. Ask if participants have topics
that they are particularly interested in. Alternatively, ask participants to discuss in pairs the topics of
their interest.
3. Explain that this programme runs in parallel to sessions for their adolescent children and that
sometimes similar topics will be discussed. Ask if participants have topics that they think are important
for them as parents.
4. Present Plan International’s Code of Conduct and explain the behaviours that participants can
expect from the facilitators and other Plan International staff members. Present the local mechanisms
that participants can use to report any concerns. Take time to answer any questions from the group.
3. Exploration: Personal goal
Time: 30 minutes
1. Ask the adolescents to spend a few minutes individually thinking about something they would like to
learn through this programme. Explain that this will be their “personal goal” for the programme.
2. Give each participant a copy of Tool 7. Personal Goal, and a pencil or pen. Give participants 15
minutes to write or draw their personal goal. The co-facilitator/community volunteer helps participants
who cannot write and who feel uncomfortable about drawing.
3. Once they have written or drawn their goal, ask participants to reflect on how far away they are
currently in reaching their goal. Explain that the three smileys (  ) show that (i) they have not yet
reached the goal; (ii) they have moved a little bit towards it; (iii) or they have already reached their
goal. Emphasise that it is okay not to be close to your goal yet; goal-setting helps us to learn
new things.
4. Praise participants for identifying their goals! Ask participants if they are OK if the facilitators read
participants’ personal goals to better understand their priorities, and to keep them until the final
session.
5. Collect the forms so they can be kept for use during the last session of the programme. After the
session, document all personal goals in Tool 8. Personal Goal Registration form and the participant
database.
6. Energiser: Name Impulse. Instructions for this energiser can be found in the Laughter and Play
manual.
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4. Take-away: Group agreement
Time: 20 minutes
1. Explain that it is important to create a safe space for the group session. Ask participants what group
rules they find important in order to feel comfortable and respected in the session. Agree with the
group on each rule before noting it down.
2. Ensure the following rules are covered:

 Come on time.
 Attend every session – if you cannot attend, tell the (co-)facilitator.
 Everyone has an opportunity to speak and participate.
 Respect each other by listening and paying attention to whoever is speaking.
 Share only what you feel comfortable sharing and only participate when you feel
comfortable in doing do.
 Accept and respect people with other views or opinions.
 What is shared in the group, stays in the group: treat the things that other participants
share in the group with respect and confidentiality.
 Always feel free to ask the facilitator questions before, during or after the session.
3. Ask the group how we can make sure everyone is reminded of these rules. What happens if
someone does not follow the rules? Avoid actual “punishments” but think of fun ways to remind each
other of the rules (e.g., sing a song, do a dance, etc.). Save the group agreement and display it in the
room.
5. Closing
Time: 10 minutes
1. Closing exercise: Energy meter. Instructions for this closing exercise can be found in the
2. Home practice: Ask participants to tell their adolescent children about the topics of this
programme.
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3. Q&A: Answer any final questions or reflections from the group before closing the session. Thank all
participants for their time and praise them again for coming to the session. Tell the group that if they
want to discuss something, they can come to the facilitators after the session.
4. Closing ritual. Ask the group how they might want to finish the session. What should a “good
ending” include? For example, it could be a closing game, song, yell or ritual that can be used to close
each session. If needed, give an example, such as a “special clap”, movement, or a traditional song
that makes the participants laugh and move, before the group decides on their own ritual.
After the session

After the session, the lead facilitator:
 completes the attendance and session report;
 follows up with individual participants on any issues that have come up during the session.
Optional: Follow-up activities

If after the parenting sessions, the (co-)facilitator conducts other activities with the parents/caregivers,
they can reinforce the learning from the session by:
 having a follow-up meeting with parents to discuss what they feel is most important for them to
share with other parents;
 explaining to parents more about the Life Skills programme that their children are part of;
 providing information about available services in the local area / community.
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Parenting Session 2: Supporting Ourselves in Stressful Times
OBJECTIVES and find out how much they already

know.
▪ Know ways to practise self-care.
▪ Be aware of stressors: Participants
might feel worried about themselves or

▪ Practise positive ways to manage stress.
their family, or experience a lack of
social support in their daily life.
MATERIALS
▪ Be supportive: Give participants space
▪ Attendance list to share how they are feeling and let
them know how you are there for them.
▪ Flipchart and markers ▪ End on a good note: Check in with the
group, highlight strengths and

▪ Rope for the closing activity capacities, and remind parents that
they can do simple things to take care
▪ Optional: Relaxing music of themselves and others. Close the
session with something fun!
▪ Optional: Resource 3. Mindfulness and ▪ Reporting: Remember to take
Meditation Activities attendance of participants and fill out
▪ Mats or chairs to sit on for all participants the facilitator report at the end of the
session.
PREPARATION
▪ Prepare calm, relaxing music.
▪ Contextualise the key messages and relaxation

exercises as required.

In this session the group members will 1. Welcome and warm-up 15 minutes
explore positive and difficult sides of 2. Theme introduction: Stand up if 15 minutes
being a parent, identify positive ways 3. Exploration: Dealing with stress 30 minutes
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of coping with stress and practise 4. Take-away: Taking a pause 10 minutes
“taking a pause”. 5. Closing 10 minutes
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Steps to follow
Time: 15 minutes
1. Recap: Welcome the participants and praise them for making it to the session. Ask participants if
they remember from the last session what this programme is about. Recap the types of activities and
themes that will be covered in this programme. Check if they have any questions and remind the
group of the group agreement, before continuing.
2. Opening game: Making connections. Instructions for this introduction game can be found in the
3. Introduce the theme of this session: Explain that this session is about what it is like to be a
parent, including the good sides, the difficult sides and what we can do to take good care of ourselves
as a parent.
2. Theme introduction: Stand up if
Time: 15 minutes
1. Invite parents to sit in a circle. Explain the exercise:

 I will read out a statement. Stand up if you agree with what I say.
 Stay sitting down if you do not agree.
Note: as an alternative for standing up, participants can also raise their hand if they agree.
2. Read out the following statements one by one:

Adaptation: Adapt
 Please stand up if... you have children
the statements to the
 Stand up if you have two children local context. Avoid
 Stand up if you have three children discriminatory
characteristics.
 Stand up if you have more than three children
 Stand up if you’re wearing something with the colour red
 Stand up if sometimes you are annoyed by your children
 Stand up if sometimes your children make you laugh
 Stand up if sometimes you feel worried being a parent
 Stand up if you like singing or dancing
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3. After the exercise, highlight that the participants have a lot in common, as caregivers and as
people, and that they also have their differences. That is all okay. It means that we can learn from
each other.
4. If working with mixed groups, divide the group in same-sex groups and work separately on the
same activity. Ask participants to reflect on the following questions:
 Can you think of proud moments as a parent; something you felt proud of or something
that you like about yourself as a parent?
 Can you think of challenges that you face as a parent, something that is difficult?
 Are there differences between the challenges that female and male caregivers face?
5. If working in same-sex groups, bring both groups back to the plenary and let them share some
reflections. Acknowledge what participants share and praise all parents and caregivers for the
tremendous job they do in taking care of their families!
6. In the conversation, highlight the following key messages:

 As parents we all face challenges.
 Despite some of the challenges we all face, we also have our strengths and proud
moments of parenting.
 When parents are very stressed, this can have an effect on children too. It is important to
reduce stress for yourself, because it will help you to reduce stress for your children.
3. Exploration: Dealing with stress
Time: 30 minutes
same activity, each with a facilitator. Tell the group that in stressful situations, parents and caregivers
are often so focused on taking care of their families that they do not take time to take care of
themselves. Ask the group if they recognise this situation. Be open and listen.
2. Start a conversation by asking the following question:

 What might parents do when they feel worried or stressed?
3. Write down the ideas of the participants on a flipchart. Praise participants for sharing their ideas!
4. Explain that there are many different ways to deal with stress, and that some of these are helpful,
while others are unhealthy or harmful. Ask participants which activities are helpful and healthy, and
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which ones are unhealthy. Let participants categorise the activities as
positive ways of dealing with stress or negative ways of dealing
with stress (like the example table below).
Positive ways of dealing with stress Negative ways of dealing with stress
Talking to a friend Drinking a lot of alcohol

Spending time with family Smoking a lot
Singing or listening to music to calm down Isolating oneself from family or friends
Exercising or playing a game Spending excessive time on social media
Writing down thoughts Arguing with others
Going for a walk if possible and safe to do so Fighting with others
Sleeping Using verbal violence
Making jokes Using physical violence
Thinking of something joyful Using sexual violence
Even crying can bring relief at times Self-harming
Helping others
Asking others to help you
Limiting reading negative news or social media

 When you feel stressed, try to find a positive activity that helps release tension in a way
that is healthy for yourself and others.
 Some people act in ways that harm themselves or others when they feel stressed.
However, there are many other, more positive, ways to deal with stress.
 It is okay to take time for yourself. Allow yourself time to be alone or take care of yourself.
Also allow your partner to take time for themselves.
 Do activities that give you joy – this can be exercising, singing, dancing, praying or talking
with a friend.
 Ask for support from loved ones. If your usual support system is not in place, try to find
out who else can help.
6. Energiser: Ask the group if they know a fun game, song, dance or short exercise that can help us
to relax and feel good. Invite a participant to facilitate the energiser with the group.
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4. Take-away: Taking a pause
Time: 10 minutes
1. Explain that when the stress becomes just too much, there are also things we can do to calm
ourselves down. It can help to give yourself a 10-second pause. For example, it can help to do
breathing or relaxation exercises.
2. Facilitate one or both of the exercises below or select an activity from Resource 3. Mindfulness
and Meditation Activities.
1) DEEP BREATHING
1. Find a comfortable position, sitting, standing or laying down on the floor.

2. Place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest.
3. Observe your own breathing for a few breaths.
4. Breathe in deeply and slowly through your nose, feel the belly expand. Hold for 1... 2... 3…
seconds (inhale slowly)
5. ...and breathe out deeply and slowly through your mouth, empty the belly and lungs. Hold for 1...
2... 3… seconds (exhale slowly).
6. Repeat a few times.
2) BODY SCAN MEDITATION
1. Find a comfortable position either lying down on your back with the palm of your hands facing
upward and your feet slightly apart, or sitting on a comfortable chair with feet resting on the floor.
2. Try to lie very still for the duration of the exercise, moving minimally if it becomes necessary to
adjust your position.
3. Start to bring awareness to your breath, noticing the rhythm of breathing in and breathing out. Do
not try to change the way you are breathing, just bring your awareness to how you are breathing
naturally.
4. Start to bring your attention to how you are feeling. How do your clothes feel against your body?
Are any of your limbs feeling particularly heavy or light? Note any parts of your body that are either
feeling no sensation or are feeling a lot of sensation.
5. Now start to pay special attention to your feet and toes and the way that they feel. Are they heavy
or light? Are they sensitive or not?
6. Start to bring this kind of attention to your other body parts, moving upward in sequence:
 Toes and feet
 Lower legs
 Knees
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 Thighs
 Pelvic region
 Abdomen
 Lower back
 Chest
 Upper back
 Hands
 Arms
 Neck
 Face and head
 The top of the head
7. Once you have focused on all the different areas of the body and you feel ready, slowly open your
eyes and acknowledge any sensations and new feelings you are experiencing.
3. After the exercise, ask participants to come back to the circle in a seated position. Ask participants
how the exercise(s) felt for them. Ask when these exercises can be useful for them. Let participants
share their thoughts and highlight that these short exercises can be done every day, at any time and
in any place.
5. Closing
Time: 10 minutes
1. Closing exercise: Follow the Wave. Instructions for this closing exercise can be found in the
2. Home practice: Ask participants to practise one of the positive ways of dealing with stress or a
relaxation exercise. Encourage participants to notice how they feel afterwards. Next session we will
hear how it went!
4. Closing ritual. Let the group lead their closing ritual, game or song that they have chosen to close
the session.
After the session

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 completes the session report;

If after the parenting session, the (co-)facilitator conducts other activities with the parents/caregivers,
they can reinforce the learning from the session by:
 repeating some of the relaxation exercises of this session;
 providing a space for parents to meet informally and give or receive support from other parents;
 playing the games of this session with the group.
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Module: Adolescent Development
Notes for the facilitator
In this module, participants will explore the development phase of adolescence and how they can
support adolescents in difficult times. By the end of this module, parents and caregivers will:
▪ know the changes that take place during puberty and adolescence;
▪ know how crisis situations can affect adolescent development and wellbeing;
▪ practise listening and praising skills to support adolescents in difficult times;
▪ practise positive ways to spend time with adolescents.
Parenting Session 3 guides parents to reflect on the changes that take place during puberty
and adolescence and learn how crisis situations affect adolescents. In this session, parents and
caregivers think back about their own adolescence and identify the different physical, emotional and
social changes that adolescents go through during puberty. In the session, parents learn that being an
adolescent is already a challenging time, and a crisis situation can make it even harder. Many
adolescents may feel overwhelmed, anxious or frustrated. While adolescents may become more
autonomous and turn to their friends if they have a problem, parental attention, love and guidance are
still very important for adolescents, especially in difficult situations. The session ends with a reflection
on what adolescents may need from their parents and caregivers in difficult times.
Parenting Session 4 builds on Session 3 and offers practical ways for parents to support their
adolescents, including through spending time together and listening to adolescents.
In this session, parents and caregivers reflect on the care and support they received from their own
parents or other important adults when they teenagers. Building on these positive memories,
participants explore positive ways of supporting their adolescents. Parents learn about the importance
of listening to adolescents and paying attention to their children. Participants identify positive ways of
spending time with their adolescents and how this can improve the parent–child relationship.
In this module, be attentive to context-specific gender norms. If appropriate and safe to do so in the
local context, encourage parents to reflect on their views on LGBTQI+ issues and promote positive
attitudes towards all adolescents regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Similarly,
address existing harmful gender norms. In some contexts, boys are taught to suppress strong
emotions such as anger or sadness or are expected to mitigate their feelings by using violence.
Emphasise that all feelings are normal and okay. Encourage parents to pay attention to adolescents’
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feelings and to listen to them. Be ready to provide parents and caregivers with relevant information on
available services and support.
After Session 4 the facilitator holds a module evaluation with the group. Participants reflect on what
they have done, learned and felt in session 3 and 4 and they have an opportunity to give feedback on
the topics and activities of the sessions. The facilitator also asks the group some questions about the
module to see if they remember important information from the session, such as available services
and support. The (co-)facilitator documents this evaluation and uses it to make adaptations as needed
for the following sessions.
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Parenting Session 3: Adolescent Development
▪ 90 minutes ▪ Be comfortable: Make sure that you are comfortable
with the content of the session in advance and can

talk openly about puberty.
OBJECTIVES
▪ Be open and listen: Allow participants to talk freely.
▪ Know the changes that take place
Ask them open questions and find out how much they
during puberty and adolescence. already know.
▪ Know how crisis situations can ▪ Use simple terminology: Use the local terms for
affect adolescent development and words such as “feelings” and different body parts.
wellbeing. ▪ Create a safe space: Talking about puberty or
human body development may be sensitive for some

MATERIALS
people so try to create an environment where people
▪ Attendance list feel comfortable about discussing these issues
openly.
▪ Resource 7. Puberty ▪ Be supportive: Give participants space to share how
they are feeling and let them know how you are there
▪ Flipcharts and markers for them.
▪ End on a good note: Check in with the group, remind

▪ Laughter and Play manual
them that they can take care of themselves and
others. Close the session with something fun!
PREPARATION ▪ Reporting: Remember to take attendance of
▪ Choose the appropriate version of participants and fill out the facilitator report at the end
of the session.
Resource 7. Puberty.
▪ Contextualise materials as
required.

In this session the participants will 1. Welcome and warm-up 10 minutes
reflect on the changes that 2. Theme introduction: My teenage self 20 minutes
adolescents go through during 3. Exploration: Adolescent development 30 minutes
puberty and what adolescents need
4. Take-away: What adolescents need 20 minutes
in difficult times.
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23
Sensitive session: additional facilitator notes
 In this session, participants are asked to reflect back on their own teenage self. Reflecting on our
lives can generate different emotions for people. Some people may remember their teenage
years with happiness but for others it may be emotional and even traumatic. Acknowledge this for
the group and remind people before and after the activity that it is good to talk to people if they
have feelings or thoughts that they need support with.
 Potentially sensitive topics will be discussed. Decide if and how to define and explain the term
“puberty” and different (reproductive) body parts, as well as “menstruation” and “periods”.
 When working with mixed groups, decide which activities will be done jointly and which activities
are better held separately in same-sex groups to ensure a safe space for all to participate.
However, make sure that all caregivers receive the same information about the key changes in
the bodies and minds of adolescents.
 Do not force anyone to participate in activities or share personal experiences during the session.
 Invite a health worker to be present for some or all of the activities in the session, if possible and
appropriate.
 It can help to do short “check-in” exercises in between activities to tune in with the group to see if
they feel comfortable or have any concerns. Make sure to address any concerns before
continuing with the session.
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Steps to follow
Time: 10 minutes
1. Recap: Welcome the participants and praise them for making it to the session. Ask participants
what they remember from the last session. Which activities did they try at home? Who tried one of the
relaxation exercises? How did it feel? Did they share it with others? Check if they have any questions
and remind participants of the group agreement before continuing.
2. Opening exercise: Listening to Sounds. Instructions for this game can be found in the Laughter
and Play manual.
3. Introduce the theme of this session: Explain that this session is about the changes that
adolescents go through as they change from childhood to young adulthood.
2. Theme introduction: My teenage self
Time: 20 minutes
1. Ask participants to find a comfortable place and position to sit in for the next few minutes. Ask them
to close their eyes and to visualise themselves as a teenager. Slowly, read out one by one the
following questions (note: the questions are meant to guide the visualisation; participants do not need
to answer these questions):
 Where are you?
 Who are you with?
 What are you doing?
 What makes you happy?
 What do you worry about?
 Who do you talk to about those worries?
 What kind of character are you? Quiet? Loud? Assertive? Shy? Sociable?
 What are the things that are changing for you during this time?
 Which people are there to support and guide you? What do they say or do?
2. Leave a pause as you finish the questions to allow people to process all of their thoughts. Give
participants time to share their memories of their teenage years, the main changes and the people
who supported them.
25
3. After sharing, praise the group for sharing their memories and highlight the following messages:
 Adolescents are going through a lot of changes during puberty and they may have many
questions or worries.
 Parents play an important role in providing information and advice to adolescents.
3. Exploration: Adolescent development
Time: 30 minutes
same activity. Draw a body map on a flipchart. Ask the group to discuss:
 What are the main changes in the bodies of adolescents? (physical changes)
 What are the main changes in the way adolescents think? (cognitive changes)
 What are the main changes in the way adolescents feel? (emotional changes)
 What are the main changes in the way adolescents interact with others? (social changes)
2. After 15 minutes, use Resource 7. Puberty to highlight the main

changes in thinking, the body, emotions and social behaviour that
occur during adolescence, such as:
 changing bodies
 wanting to be more independent from their family
 being more focused on themselves
 moving away from family and becoming closer to peers /
friends
 “mood swings” with frequently changing emotions.
3. Give participants time to react and discuss whether they recognise these changes.

 All adolescents go through these physical and emotional changes, whether they are a girl
or a boy.
 These changes may not occur exactly at the same time. For some they occur early and for
others they occur later. Typically, girls enter puberty one to two years earlier than boys.
 Adolescents can experience intense and rapidly changing feelings; one moment they can
feel happy, and the next moment they can feel upset. This is a natural part of their
development.
26
 Adolescents with experiences of violence, displacement or other crisis situations may
experience very strong feelings of sadness, grief, sorrow or anger. This is a normal
response to an abnormal situation.
5. Energiser: Ram Sam Sam. Instructions for this energiser can be found in the Laughter and Play
manual.
4. Take-away: What adolescents need
Time: 20 minutes
1. Ask participants to reflect on what adolescents need to grow up and become healthy adults. Ask
the following questions:
 What do adolescents need to grow up?
2. Let participants share and add the following points to complete the list:
 good food and nutrition
 safety, parental care and guidance
 positive role models
 friendships / positive peer relations
 learning how to communicate and solve problems
 opportunities to learn
 opportunities to express themselves and discover their talents, etc.
3. Divide participants into same-sex pairs to discuss the following questions:

 What do adolescents need from their parents?
 Do girls and boys have different needs?
4. After five minutes, bring participants back in the circle and let them share their reflections.
5. In the conversation, highlight the following key messages about adolescents’ developmental needs
using the metaphor of a house:
 Like a house that takes time to be built, young people and their brains are still developing
and changing until they are 24 years old.
 For a strong house, you need a strong foundation. The adolescent brain needs a strong
foundation of good nutrition (food), opportunities to learn and feeling safe and supported.
27
 As long as a house is not yet finished, support may be needed to hold the house together.
Similarly, adolescents – both girls and boys – continue to need our support and love.
 During a heavy rain or storm, a house might need extra support. Similarly, when
adolescents go through a difficult time, they might need extra support. If they go without
support, they may develop emotional or behavioural problems.
 Adolescents are resourceful and do not always need their parents to solve their problems;
they may just need guidance or love/affection.
6. Praise participants for sharing their ideas! Explain that in the coming sessions we will continue to
talk about how we can support adolescents. Ask participants if they have any questions and take time
to answer these.
5. Closing
Time: 10 minutes
1. Closing exercise: Lotus flower. Instructions for this closing exercise can be found in the
2. Home practice: Ask parents to share one aspect of learning from this session with their partner or
other adults, for example other adult family members or a friend.
4. Closing ritual. Let the group lead their closing ritual that they have chosen to close the session.
After the session


If after the parenting sessions, the group members come together for other activities, the (community)
facilitator can reinforce the learning from the session by:
 facilitating some follow-up discussions about parents’ and caregivers’ experiences with
adolescents during puberty;
28
 providing more detailed information to parents on puberty and menstruation and how they can talk
about this with their adolescents;
 playing the games and exercises from this session with the group.
29
Parenting Session 4: Supporting Adolescents in Difficult
Times
▪ 90 minutes ▪ Be open and listen: Allow participants to talk freely.
Ask them open questions and find out how much they
already know.
OBJECTIVES
▪ Use simple terminology: Use the local terms for
▪ Practise listening and praising
words such as “feelings” and “stress”.
skills to support adolescents in
▪ Be aware of stressors: Participants may have
difficult times.
experienced distressing events during their own
▪ Practise positive ways to spend adolescence or in their current life. Do not ask
time with adolescents. participants to disclose details about their personal
situation.
MATERIALS ▪ Be supportive: Give participants space to share how
▪ Attendance list they are feeling and let them know how you are there
for them.
▪ Laughter and Play manual ▪ End on a good note: Check in with the group, remind
them that they can take care of themselves and

others. Close the session with something fun!
PREPARATION
▪ Reporting: Remember to take attendance of
▪ Prepare some context-specific
participants and fill out the facilitator report at the end
example scenarios for the role
of the session.
plays.

practise listening and paying 2. Theme introduction: A joyful memory 20 minutes
attention to their children and 3. Exploration: Supporting adolescents 30 minutes
identify ways to spend time with
4. Take-away: Spending time together 20 minutes
adolescents.
30
Steps to follow
Time: 10 minutes
what they remember from the last session. Have they shared their learning with someone else, for
example their partner or a friend? Check if they have any questions and remind participants of the
group agreement before continuing.
2. Introduction game: Name and Movement. Instructions for this introduction game can be found in
the Laughter and Play manual.
3. Introduce the theme of this session. Explain that this session is about what we can do to support
adolescents in stressful times.
2. Theme introduction: A joyful memory
Time: 20 minutes
1. Ask participants to find a comfortable place and position to sit in for the next few minutes. Ask them
to close their eyes and to visualise themselves as a teenager. Ask the following question:
 What was a joyful time with your parents or other family members when you were young?
2. Leave a pause as you finish the question to allow people to process all of their thoughts. Give
participants time to share their memories of their teenage years, the main changes and the people
who supported them.
3. After sharing, praise the group for sharing their memories and highlight the following key
messages:
 For all children and adolescents, some of the best memories are time when their
caregivers show them love and attention, spend time with them, listen or praise them.
 Sometimes, adolescents may look or act like they do not need this love and attention from
their parents, but they do still need it.
31
3. Exploration: Supporting adolescents
Time: 30 minutes
1. Invite the group to sit in a half circle. Explain that in this activity we will experience what “listening”
really means through role plays. Explain briefly what a role play is.
2. As facilitator and co-facilitator, act out a scenario for the group about an adolescent and their
parent. Person 1 is an adolescent who tries to tell Person 2, the parent, a story or experience.
However, the parent is too busy to listen or does not seem interested in listening to the story.
Examples include:
 The adolescent got a good grade in school and wants to tell their parent about it. However, the
parent is too busy to listen.
 The adolescent learned something new and wants to tell their parent about it. However, the
parent is not very interested and does not listen.
3. After the role play, facilitate a short discussion with the group:
 What happened in the role play?
 What did the “adolescent” do?
 How did the “parent” react?
 What did the “adolescent” feel?
4. Divide participants in pairs. Ask the pairs to re-play the same scenario. Explain their assignment:
 Person 1 is the adolescent who tells something to Person 2, the parent, who does not pay
attention.
 Play for a few minutes and then swap roles.
5. Invite the parents to come back to the circle for a short reflection:
 How did it feel for the “adolescent” to not be listened to?
 How did it feel to not listen as a “parent”?
 Does this happen sometimes in real life?
6. Ask the pairs to do the same role play again, but this time, give the following instruction:
 Person 1 is the adolescent who tells something to Person 2, the parent. This time, the
parent really listens and pays attention to what the adolescent tells them.
 Practise for one or two minutes and then swap roles again.
7. Praise participants for their practice! Invite parents to come back into a circle for a reflection. Ask:
32
 What was the difference between the first and second role play?
 How did it feel for the “adolescent” to be listened to?
 And how did it feel for the “parent” to be listening and paying attention to your child?
 Does this happen in real life?

 In difficult times, listening and showing concerns for their feelings is extra important for
adolescents.
 Listening to adolescents and valuing their ideas encourages them to think for themselves
and solve problems.
 Encourage young people to express their feelings. Every person has their own way to do
this: some may want to talk, others prefer to play, write or sing.
 During uncertain times, it is important for all children, including the older ones, to spend
some time with their caregivers.
9. Energiser: Local song. Ask the group if they know a fun game, song, dance or short exercise that
they can do with their children. Invite a parent to facilitate it for the group.
4. Take-away: Spending time together
Time: 20 minutes
1. Bring the group back in the circle. Explain that one way to support adolescents in stressful times is
to spend time with them and to pay full attention to their children. Divide participants in pairs and ask
them to discuss the following questions:
 How do you spend time with your children?

 What things do you do together?
2. After five minutes, bring the group back to plenary and ask the pairs to share their thoughts. Praise
participants for sharing their experiences!
3. Highlight activities that parents can do with their adolescents, which are possible and appropriate in
context such as: play games, cook together, organise a family outing, arts or crafts, go to places
together, exercise/play sports together, ask questions, talk to each other, tell stories, sing together,
make jokes, etc. If parents have indicated that they sing or dance together with their adolescents, ask
them to share the song or dance with the group and invite everyone to participate!
4. In the conversation highlight the following messages:
33
 Spending time together improves the relationship between parent and child.
 It builds self-esteem, as both the adolescent and the parent feel that they are valuable and
loved.
 Adolescents can learn skills from parents, and parents can learn about their children and
how to support them.
 Spend time together can just take 20 minutes, or be for longer – it’s up to us. It can be at
the same time each day so children or young people can look forward to it.
 Ask your child what they would like to do: choosing builds their self-confidence.
5. Explain that these activities are helpful for most adolescents. Some young people may require
additional support in case they experience high levels of distress that develop into mental health
problems. Mention locally available services and referral pathways, including:
● local (NGO) staff/social workers/trusted people who are available to support or advise;
● locally available services and referral pathways for mental health and psychosocial support, child
protection and gender-based violence (if applicable);
● local telephone or online helplines for children, young people and adults who need support (if
applicable).
5. Closing
Time: 10 minutes
1. Closing exercise: Circle of Praise. Instructions for this closing exercise can be found in the
Laughter and Play manual. After the exercise, highlight that praising is important for everyone!
2. Home practice: Ask participants to spent time with their adolescents or do an activity together
before the next session. Encourage participants to actively listen to their children.
the session.
After the session

34

If after the parenting session, the group members come together for other activities, the (community)
 repeating some of the key messages of this session;
 organising joint “team building” activities for adolescents and their parents/caregivers;
 playing the games of this session with the group.
35
Module: Positive Parenting
In this module, participants will practise positive parenting skills with adolescents in crisis settings. By
the end of the module, participants will be able to:
 practise making agreements with adolescents;
 practise peaceful problem-solving with adolescents;
 distinguish between helpful and harmful (gender) roles of adolescents;
 promote positive roles and responsibilities for adolescents.
Parenting Session 5 guides parents to reflect on situations of disagreements or conflicts with

adolescents. Parents and caregivers reflect on the differences between younger children and
adolescents when it comes to disciplining and learn how to problem-solve with adolescents. The
session shows how parents can involve adolescents in setting rules or routines and give them
responsibility to follow these rules. Participants practise making agreements and following up on
problems using consequences rather than punishments.
Parenting Session 6 highlights the different roles and responsibilities that adolescents have as
they grow older. In this session, parents and caregivers reflect on gender and age-specific roles of
adolescents, and how these may affect adolescent wellbeing and development. Parents distinguish
between helpful (positive, supportive) roles and harmful roles and reflect on how they can ensure the
tasks or responsibilities of adolescents are contributing to, instead of negatively affecting, their
wellbeing.
In this module, be attentive to context-specific gender norms such as child labour or child marriage
that specific groups of adolescent at risk of. Encourage parents and caregivers to reflect on both the
benefits and disadvantages of the roles and responsibilities of adolescents and reflect on ways to
reduce harm for adolescents and promote their health and wellbeing. Be ready to provide parents and
caregivers with relevant information on services in their local area and/or facilitate referrals.
After Session 6 the facilitator holds a module evaluation with the group. Participants reflect on what
they have done, learned and felt in sessions 5 and 6 and they have an opportunity to give feedback
on the topics and activities of the sessions, including what they liked and what else they would like to
see included. The facilitator also asks the group some questions about the module to see if they
remember important information from the session, such as available services and support. The
(co-)facilitator documents this evaluation and uses it to make adaptations as needed for the following
sessions.
36
Parenting Session 5: Problem-solving with Adolescents
▪ 90 minutes ▪ Be open and listen: Allow participants to talk
freely. Ask them open questions and find out how

much they already know.
OBJECTIVES
▪ Be aware of stressors: Participants may have
▪ Practise making agreements with experienced distressing events or a lot of problems
adolescents. in their personal life. Do not ask participants to
disclose details about their personal situation.
▪ Practise peaceful problem-solving
▪ Be supportive: Give participants space to share
with adolescents.
how they are feeling and let them know how you
are there for them.
MATERIALS
▪ End on a good note: Check in with the group,
▪ Attendance list
remind them that they can take care of themselves
and others. Close the session with something fun!
▪ Pens, sticks or other objects for the
▪ Reporting: Remember to take attendance of
small stick exercise
participants and fill out the facilitator report at the
▪ Laughter and Play manual end of the session.
PREPARATION
▪ Contextualise the stories if required.

reflect on challenges in parenting 2. Theme introduction: Challenges in parenting 20 minutes
adolescents and practise making 3. Exploration: Making agreements 30 minutes
agreements. Participants also
4. Take-away: Supporting one another 20 minutes
reflect on how they can team up
and support one another as
parents.
37
Steps to follow
Time: 10 minutes
what they remember from the last session. Did they spend time with their children? Let participants
share their experiences. Check if they have any questions and remind participants of the group
agreement before continuing.
2. Opening exercise: Small stick balance. Instructions can be found in the Laughter and Play
manual.
3. Introduce the theme of this session: Explain that this session is about collaborating with
adolescents and solving disagreements.
2. Theme introduction: Keeping it positive
Time: 20 minutes
same activity. Ask the group:
 What rules or routines are important for you as a parent?
 What rules or routines are important for your adolescent children?
 What are the reasons that adolescents do not follow the rules of their parents?
 How do parents and caregivers solve these disagreements?
 Who deals with these problems, the female or male caregiver? Why?
2. After 10 minutes, bring the group back to plenary and let participants share their reflections. Praise
3. Explain that it’s hard to feel positive sometimes but that there are ways to address adolescents:
 When our children are driving us crazy, we often say negative things to them.
 But children and teens are much more likely to do what we ask if we give them positive
instructions and praise them for what they do right.
38
4. Ask parents if they have examples of positive instructions or praise that they use with their children.
Let them share their experiences. In the conversation, highlight the following tips to keep it positive:1
 Say the behaviour that you want to see, using positive words; like “please put your clothes
away” or “please help me with the dishes” (not: “don’t make a mess” or “don’t be lazy”).
 Give teens a simple job with responsibilities and make sure they are able to do it.
 Speak in a calm voice and call your child’s name if they do not listen. Shouting will just
make you and your child feel stressed and angry.
 Praise your child when they are behaving well: always tell them when they did something
well. This way, they learn that this is a good thing that they can do again!
3. Exploration: Making agreements
Time: 30 minutes
1. Explain that now we will look at situations where parents and adolescents have different opinions or
disagreements.
2. Tell the story of Mabel and her son:

Mabel is mother of a 14-year-old son. She wants her son to clean up the kitchen, but he wants
to meet with a friend. She tells her son: “I know you want to see your friend. I am fine with that
but right now I am very tired and I really need your help with cleaning up the kitchen. So
please can you help me first with cleaning up? Then you can go to your friend after that.”
When her son has cleaned up the kitchen for her, she tells him: “Thank you son, I appreciate
you helping me. Have fun with your friend.”
3. Ask the group to reflect on this story and ask the following questions:
 What was important for the mother in this story?
 What was important for her son in this story?
 How did the mother handle this situation?
4. In the conversation, highlight the key steps of making agreements with adolescents:
 Say what you want from your child: Calmly explain to older adolescents how you feel and why
it is important to do what you ask them to do at this time. For example, say “I know this situation is
hard for everyone including for you. I am also tired and really need your help with cleaning up the
room. So please can you help me with maintaining the order here?”
 Listen to your child: Listen to what your child says they want from you (e.g., free time to play).
1
Adapted from Parenting for Lifelong Health (2020). Parenting for Lifelong Health: Covid-19 resources,
https://www.covid19parenting.com
39
 Make an agreement: Together, come to an agreement (e.g., first cleaning up and then free time).
Agree also on a consequence when they do not stick to the agreement (e.g., no free time).
 Praise: Do not forget to praise your adolescent when they keep to the agreement.
5. Divide participants in pairs and ask them to discuss a specific disagreement they had with their
adolescent and how their viewpoint differed from that of their child. Each pair practises the four steps
to come to an agreement. Each parent has a chance to play themselves, while the other parent plays
the role of their “adolescent” in the situation they choose. Then swap roles.
6. When all role plays have finished, invite everyone to sit down in a circle. Facilitate a plenary
discussion about the steps and ask:
 What was it like to do this role play?
 What agreement did you reach?
 What was helpful in reaching the agreement? What was challenging?
7. In the conversation, praise participants for sharing their reflections. Highlight that older adolescents
need to be addressed differently than younger children because they have different needs and
capacities:
 Adolescents become more independent and want more freedom as they grow older.
 Making agreements helps adolescents in their decision-making and autonomy. Rather than
telling adolescents what to do, it can help to establish rules and routines together.
 Following up on agreements is important to help adolescents to fulfil their commitments.
 If the adolescent does not fulfil the agreement, calmly remind them what has been agreed,
or ask the adolescent what was agreed upon.
 When the adolescent does not respect the agreement, find a suitable consequence.
 When adolescents do fulfil their commitments, make sure to praise them. Positive
reinforcement is very powerful.
8. Energiser: Special clap. Instructions for this energiser can be found in the Laughter and Play
manual.
40
4. Take-away: Supporting each other
Time: 20 minutes
1. Bring the group back in the circle. Explain that just like the activity with the sticks at the beginning of
the session, for parents it is also important to collaborate with each other. Divide participants in pairs
and ask them to discuss the following question:
 What are the things that we can do as parents/caregivers to support each other when we
are raising our children?
2. After five minutes, bring the group back to plenary and ask the pairs to share their thoughts.
3. In the conversation, highlight the following messages:

 As parents, communicate with each other to agree on rules and routines for the family.
Where possible, involve your children and listen to their points of view.
 It is important to equally divide parenting tasks as parents, including dealing with difficult
behaviour.
 When dealing with difficult behaviour, it is important to support each other as parents.
5. Closing
Time: 10 minutes
1. Closing exercise: Circle of Praise. Instructions for this closing exercise can be found in the
2. Home practice: Ask participants to practise making agreements with their adolescents.
the session.
After the session

41
 having individual or small-group conversations with parents to talk about challenging situations
with their adolescent children;
 practising making agreements with adolescents;
 playing the games and creative exercises from this session with the group.

42
Parenting Session 6: The Roles of Adolescents

and find out how much they already
OBJECTIVES
know.
▪ Distinguish between helpful and harmful (gender) ▪ Be aware of stressors: Participants
roles of adolescents. may have experienced distressing

events or experience a lot of problems
▪ Promote positive roles and responsibilities for
in their personal life. Do not ask
adolescents and prevent harm. participants to disclose details about
their personal situation.
MATERIALS
▪ Be supportive: Give participants space
▪ Attendance list to share how they are feeling and let
them know how you are there for them.
▪ Flipcharts and markers ▪ End on a good note: Check in with the
group, remind them that they can take

▪ Referral information for local services for care of themselves and others. Close
adolescents and caregivers/families the session with something fun!
▪ Laughter and Play manual ▪ Reporting: Remember to take
attendance of participants and fill out

the facilitator report at the end of the
PREPARATION
session.
▪ Gather context-specific information about the
roles of adolescents such as involvement in
(domestic) child labour, child marriage or other
harmful roles, as well as positive alternatives.

In this session the 1. Welcome and warm-up 10 minutes
participants will reflect on 2. Theme introduction: Exploring gender roles 20 minutes
the roles of adolescents 3. Exploration: Helpful or harmful roles 30 minutes
and identify ways to
4. Take-away: Promoting positive roles for adolescents 20 minutes
promote positive roles
while preventing harmful
43
roles for adolescents.
44
Steps to follow
Time: 10 minutes
what they remember from the last session. Ask participants if they have practised making agreements
with adolescents? Let participants share their experiences. Check if they have any questions and
remind participants of the group agreement before continuing.
2. Opening exercise: Mirrors. Instructions for this exercise can be found in the Laughter and Play
manual. When participants have practised the game, add the following variations:
 Act out how a 15-year-old boy gets ready in the morning (washing, getting dressed, eating, etc.).
 Act out how a 15-year-old girl gets ready in the morning (washing, getting dressed, eating, etc.).
3. Introduce the theme of this session: Explain that this session is about the roles and expectations
parents have of adolescents, and how these expectations may be different for girls and boys.
2. Theme introduction: Exploring gender roles
Time: 20 minutes
1. Start by sitting in a circle. Ask the group to reflect on the mirror game (opening exercise). Ask the
following questions:
 Did you see any differences between the morning rituals of the girls and boys?
 What do girls do in the morning? And boys?
2. Explain that the participants will further discuss the typical daily activities of girls and boys. Divide
the group into four (same-sex) groups. Give each group one of the questions below to discuss:
Group 1: What are the typical activities of a 10-year-old girl?
Adaptation: If it is safe
Group 2: What are the typical activities of a 16-year-old girl? and appropriate in the
Group 3: What are the typical activities of a 10-year-old boy? local context, include
examples of
Group 4: What are the typical activities of a 16-year-old boy?
adolescents with non-
binary gender identities.
3. After 10 minutes, let the groups share their findings in plenary. Guide
a conversation by asking the following questions:
 What are the differences between the roles of younger and older adolescents?
45
 What are the differences between the roles of girls and boys?
 Why do girls and boys have different roles? Do you agree with these roles?
 Optional question: Have these roles changed during the crisis situation?
4. In the conversation, highlight the following messages about gender:

 Sometimes, the different activities that girls and boys do relate to the different bodies of
men and women (for example, females can give birth and males cannot).
 Other times, the different roles of girls and boys are not due to biological differences, but
because of the rules (social norms) in our communities that dictate what men and women
are supposed to do.
 We sometimes see that girls are given fewer opportunities to participate in activities,
sports or to move around freely, compared to boys.
 It is important to be aware of these roles and how they affect the wellbeing of adolescents.
3. Exploration: Helpful or harmful roles
Time: 30 minutes
same activity. Ask each group to think about the activities and roles of adolescents that they just
identified, and discuss the following questions:
 Which are positive and helpful roles that adolescents have – in the sense that they
contribute to their health, development and wellbeing?
 Which are harmful roles that adolescents have – in the sense that they can harm their
health, development and wellbeing?
2. In plenary, let the groups share what they consider to be helpful or harmful activities and roles of
adolescents. Give parents time to explain why they think roles are harmful or not.
3. Highlight the difference between helpful roles and responsibilities for adolescents of different ages,
and harmful consequences of roles such as working or being married at a young age. Highlight the
consequences for adolescents when they miss important developmental needs such as going to
school, having time to play and meeting with friends.
 Adolescents have growing capacities to help at home and contribute to the family. These
roles can teach them positive skills that they can be useful to them later in life.
 However, we must remember that their bodies and minds are still developing, especially
between 10 and 18 years, and well into their early 20s.
46
 When adolescents take on roles that are too heavy for them, physically or emotionally, this
can cause harm. For example, heavy labour, being married, giving birth or taking care of
young children have serious consequences for their health and wellbeing.
4. Energiser: Special Clap. Instructions for this energiser can be found in the Laughter and Play
manual.
4. Take-away: Supporting positive roles for adolescents
Time: 20 minutes
1. Bring the group back in the circle. Divide participants in pairs and ask them to think of what they
can do to ensure their adolescents undertake activities and roles that are healthy for them. Give the
pairs 10 minutes to discuss the following questions:
 What can we do as parents to prevent harmful roles of adolescents?
 What can we do to promote positive roles that benefit their wellbeing and development?
2. After 10 minutes, bring the group back to plenary and ask the pairs to share their reflections.
Acknowledge their inputs and praise participants for the ideas they came up with.
3. Ask the group if they know any good examples of parents who were able to support positive roles
for their adolescents (both girls and boys) such as going to school, developing new skills or
participating in family- or community-level activities?
4. In the conversation, highlight the programmes and services that are locally available for
adolescents and their families, and promote (girls’) access to education, recreational activities, safe
spaces, peer groups and other skill-building activities.
5. Closing
Time: 10 minutes
1. Closing exercise: The Rocket. Instructions for this closing exercise can be found in the Laughter
and Play manual.
2. Home practice: Ask participants to share the ideas from this session that they find important with
other parents, caregivers or family members.
47
the session.
After the session


 organising group discussions where parents can exchange their experiences in promoting healthy
roles for adolescents;
 playing games and exercises from this session with the group.
48
Module: Adolescent Health and
Protection
In this module, participants will explore how to promote the health and protection of adolescents. By
the end of the module, participant will be able to:
 understand the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of adolescents;
 feel confident in talking about SRHR with adolescents;
 understand existing protection risks for adolescents;
 identify ways to promote the safety of adolescents;
 understand the harmful impact of child, early and forced marriage;
 know positive alternatives for child, early and forced marriage.
In Parenting Session 7 parents reflect on how they can talk about puberty and sexual and
reproductive health with adolescents and how they can promote their access to information,
advice and services. Parents and caregivers participate in a quiz, to make sensitive topics more fun
and comfortable to discuss together. After discussing important aspects of puberty and sexual and
reproductive health and rights (SRHR) with each other, parents practise talking about SRHR with their
adolescents using real-life scenarios. If possible and appropriate, invite a local health worker for this
session and/or provide SRHR information or materials to parents and caregivers. Adapt session
content and methodology to the local context.
Parenting Session 8 highlights key protection risks affecting adolescents and guides parents
to identify ways to prevent violence against adolescents. In this session, parents and caregivers
identify (gender and age-specific) forms of violence and its consequences for adolescents. This is a
session where specific forms of gender-based violence (GBV) that are prevalent in the local context
can be highlighted. Parents jointly identify ways to keep adolescents safe from violence within the
family and community.
Parenting Session 9 explores parents’ attitudes towards child, early and forced marriage.
Building on Session 6 (looking at gender and age-specific roles and responsibilities of adolescents),
this session looks specifically at marriage. In this session, parents and caregivers reflect on the
advantages and disadvantages of child, early and forced marriage, and learn about the harmful
consequences and potential alternatives for marriage.
In this module it is essential that both the content and methodology of the sessions are adapted to
the cultural context and the crisis situation. Use simple language and avoid jargon. Make the
necessary adaptations to address sensitive topics, for example, by working in smaller or same-sex
groups, or by inviting a (local) health or case worker to co-facilitate the session.
49
After this module, the facilitator holds a module evaluation with the group. Participants reflect on
what they have done, learned and felt in the session 7, 8 and 9, and they have an opportunity to give
feedback on the topics and activities of the sessions, including what they liked and what they would
like to see included. The facilitator also asks the group some questions about the module to see if
they remember important information from the sessions, such as available services and support. The
(co-)facilitator documents this evaluation and uses it to make adaptations as needed for the final
session.
50
Parenting Session 7: Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive
Health
▪ 90 minutes ▪ Be comfortable: Make sure that you are
comfortable with the content of the session
OBJECTIVES in advance and can talk openly about

health issues.
▪ understand the sexual and reproductive
▪ Be open and listen: Allow participants to
health and rights (SRHR) of adolescents;
talk freely. Ask them open questions and
▪ Feel confident in talking about SRHR with find out how much they already know.
adolescents. ▪ Be supportive: Participants may be
scared or confused. Give them space to

MATERIALS share how they are feeling and let them
know that you are there for them. Do not
▪ Attendance list
judge.
▪ Resource 18. Puberty Quiz ▪ Create a “safe space”: Talking about
sexual and reproductive health may be

▪ A prize for the winning team of the quiz sensitive for some people so try to create
an environment where people feel
▪ Laughter and Play manual comfortable about discussing these issues

openly.
▪ Local health and SRH referral pathways ▪ End on a good note: Check in with the
group, remind them that they can take

PREPARATION care of themselves and others. Close the
session with something fun!
▪ Contextualise the role play scenarios as
▪ Reporting: Remember to take attendance
required to ensure they are relevant and
of participants and fill out the facilitator
appropriate in the local context.
report at the end of the session.
▪ Prepare information about different SRHR
services in the direct area.
▪ Decide whether to use Resources 10 to 13 or

invite a health worker to provide additional
information.
▪ Read the additional facilitation notes.
51
In this session participants 1. Welcome and warm-up 10 minutes
will reflect on their own 2. Theme introduction: My teenage self – part 2 15 minutes
experiences as an 3. Exploration: Puberty quiz 30 minutes
adolescent, test their
4. Take-away: Talking about SRHR with adolescents 25 minutes
knowledge on SRHR and
practice talking to
adolescents about SRHR.

 In this session, participants are asked to reflect back on their own teenage self. Reflecting on our
lives can generate different emotions for people. Some people may remember their teenage
years with happiness but for others it may be emotional and even traumatic. Acknowledge this for
the group and remind people before and after the activity that it is good to talk to people if they
have feelings or thoughts that they need support with.
 Potentially sensitive topics will be discussed. Decide if and how to define and explain the term
“puberty” and different (reproductive) body parts, as well as “menstruation” and “periods”.
 When working with mixed groups, decide which activities will be done jointly and which activities
are better held separately in same-sex groups to ensure a safe space for all to participate.
However, make sure that all caregivers receive the same information about the key changes in
the bodies and minds of adolescents.
 Invite a health worker to be present for some or all of the activities in the session, if possible and
appropriate.
 It can help to do short “check-in” exercises in between activities to tune in with the group to see if
they feel comfortable or have any concerns. Make sure to address any concerns before
52
Steps to follow
Time: 10 minutes
what they remember from last session. Ask participants if they have had a chance to share their
insights from the session with a friend or family member. Let participants share their experiences.
Check if they have any questions and remind participants of the group agreement before continuing.
2. Opening exercise: Lotus Flower. Instructions for this introduction game can be found in the
3. Introduce the theme of this session. Explain that in this session we will talk about sexual and
reproductive health of adolescents. Explain that sexual and reproductive health remains an important
issue in any emergency setting. Often there is an increase in the number of unintended pregnancies
and unsafe abortions during times of crisis. It is important to remember that essential health services
continue to be delivered – often in different ways – and also that it is important to encourage open
communication with adolescents about their sexual and reproductive health and about issues that
may be concerning them.
2. Theme introduction: My teenage self – part 2
Time: 15 minutes
1. Ask the group to sit in a large circle. Explain that you are going to lead them through a visualisation.
Invite participants to close their eyes if they feel comfortable in doing so and to take a few seconds to
settle themselves. Ask participants to think about themselves when they were 15 years old.
2. Slowly, ask one by one the following questions – take your time and pause between these
questions to allow participants the chance to reflect:
 Where are you?
 Who are you with?
 What are you doing?
 What makes you happy?
 What do you worry about?
53
 Now think about the first time you learned about body development, relationships or sex...
where were you at that time?
 Who or where did you receive the information from?
 What that person comfortable talking about these issues?
 Was the information you received helpful?
 What else would you have liked to know?
3. Ask participants to slowly open their eyes and shake their arms or stretch to return to the present.
Encourage participants who are comfortable to share their reflections from the visualisation. Ask
participants to keep their memories of their adolescence in mind as they participate in the session.
4. Guide a short discussion by asking the following questions:

 We all know that there are many changes that take place during puberty. Do you
sometimes talk about these changes with your own children?
 If yes, what do you talk about? If not, why not?
 What is easy to talk about with adolescents? What is difficult to talk about?
 What are some questions or concerns that you have as a caregiver?
3. Exploration: Puberty quiz
Time: 30 minutes
1. If working with mixed groups, divide the group into same-sex groups Variation: Create small
and work separately on the same activity. Explain that the group will do a groups of three to four
participants to ‘compete’
“quiz” game to learn what information is important for adolescents to
against each other to
maintain their health and hygiene, and to practise how we will talk with correctly answer the
adolescents about bodies, menstruation, sex and contraception. questions first.
Note: Ask the group what topics they would like to discuss, and where possible, tailor the quiz to their
information needs and priorities. Select a maximum of 10 questions.
2. Use Resource 18. Puberty Quiz and start by asking the questions in Part 1 on puberty and
menstruation one by one. Let the group answer them and keep the “scores” of the correctly answered
questions. Use the facilitation notes to provide the correct information.
3. Continue with Part 2 of the Resource 18. Puberty Quiz and ask the questions one by one. Let the
group answer them and keep the “scores” of the correctly answered questions. Use the notes to add
correct information. At the end, give the group who has won the quiz their prize. Praise all groups for
their active participation!
54
4. After the quiz, ask participants to think about reasons why accessing this information might be
difficult for young people. Use the following questions to guide a short discussion:
 What factors might limit young people’s access to information about health and
relationships?
 What might make the information that young people receive less trustworthy?
5. Check-in exercise: Thumbs up/down. It is recommended to do a check-in with

participants to see how they feel after this activity. Instructions for this check-in activity
can be found in the Laughter and Play manual. If there are participants who do not
feel comfortable, do this “check-in” again for the question whether the session should
continue or not, whereby participants can give a thumbs up or a thumbs down.
Address any concerns that participants may have before continuing the session.
6. Energiser: Crazy Chicken. Instructions for this check-in activity can be found in the Laughter and
Play manual.
4. Take-away: Talking about SRHR with adolescents
Time: 25 minutes
1. Explain that we will now look at how we might actually have conversations with young people on
some challenging topics. Acknowledge that talking to children about relationships and sex can be
sensitive and that it can help to feel prepared for these conversations.
2. Ask for two volunteers to do a role play. Explain that one person will be the
parent, the other will be a young person aged between 14 and 17 years. The Variation: Let
participants
rest of the group will be observers. Ask the pair of volunteers to think about
identify situations
the language, starting points and approach to beginning a conversation to that they would
address the topic in their role play. During the role play, the rest of the like to practise in a
role play.
participants take notes of things that really helped or did not help with the
discussion, for example, language that was used, the approach taken or the body language used.
Note: if this is difficult for parents, the facilitator and co-facilitator can first do a role play before inviting
the parents do a role play.
3. Select one of the scenarios below.
Scenarios for role plays:
55
 Your 17-year-old daughter comes to you very upset and tells you that she is pregnant.
 You find a condom in the pocket of your 15-year-old son/daughter’s clothes. (Participants
select either son/daughter and consider whether this makes any difference to their response,
and if so why.)
 Your 16-year-old son comes to you very embarrassed and tells you that he is experiencing
pain when urinating and also has a discharge.
 A new teenage girl has moved next door and you have noticed that your son is spending lots
of time talking to her. They seem to be getting very close.
 Your 14-year-old daughter is very upset. After much probing, you find out that she has shared
a photo of herself in her underwear with a boy and that he has shared it with all of his friends.
 Optional for settings where HIV is prevalent: Your 17-year-old son is HIV-positive. He returns
home from the health clinic without his supply of antiretroviral therapy (ART). He is upset
because the youth clinic was closed, so he had to go to the health clinic where there was a
long queue. He says that he was afraid his friends would see him.
4. After two to three minutes, stop the role play and ask the role players how the conversation went for
them. First ask the person who played the role of the “parent” what went well and what was hard.
Then ask the “adolescent” what they liked or did not like in the conversation. After that, ask the
“observers” (the rest of the group) to share their reflections and suggestions on how to improve the
conversation.
5. Ask for two new volunteers to play the role of a parent and young person and to discuss one of the
other scenarios. Praise participants for their participation!
6. Afterwards, in plenary, ask participants to share quick reflections on some of the things that they
think helped and hindered the conversations. Write the “do’s and don’ts” on a flipchart.
7. In the conversation, highlight the following tips:

 It is important to keep having discussions with young people about their sexual and
reproductive health.
 There might also be topics that are particularly challenging for us as parents e.g.,
masturbation, exposure to pornography, disclosure of (first) sexual activity. We need to
understand these are within the context of adolescent development and talking about
these things can help young people to stay healthy and safe.
 Listen to your adolescents, even if you do not agree with their ideas, actions or opinions.
 Show that you are listening by nodding or by saying: “I hear you”.
 Show empathy and acknowledge their feelings. For example, say: “I understand that was
difficult for you”.
56
 Show your child that you love them. Even if you are mad at them, remember to tell them
that you care about them.
8. Share information on sexual and reproductive health services within the local context, particularly
where and how young people and adults can access information, supplies and/or services, including:
● available services and focal points for health including sexual and reproductive health;
● locally available services and referral pathways for child protection and gender-based violence (if
appropriate) and explain how protection concerns can be reported.
9. Check-in exercise: Thumbs up/down. Instructions for this check-in activity can
be found in the Laughter and Play manual. Address any concerns that
participants may have before closing the session.
5. Closing
Time: 10 minutes
1. Closing exercise: Hand Head Heart. Instructions for this closing exercise can be found in the
2. Home practice: Ask parents to start a conservation with their adolescents about one of the topics
that were discussed in this session.
4. Closing ritual. Let the group lead their closing ritual that they have chosen to close the session.
After the session


57
 encouraging parents to exchange tips and good practices with each other on how to talk to
adolescents about SRHR-related topics;
 giving hand-outs to parents with key information about SRHR and services;
58
Parenting Session 8: Protecting Adolescents from Violence
▪ 90 minutes ▪ Sensitive topics: In this session, potentially
sensitive topics will be discussed. Decide if and
OBJECTIVES how to define and talk about the terms related to

violence.
▪ Understand existing protection risks for
▪ Be open and listen: Allow participants to talk
adolescents.
freely. Ask them open questions and listen to
▪ Identify ways to promote safety of their concerns.
adolescents. ▪ Be supportive: Participants may be scared or
confused. Give them space to share how they

MATERIALS
are feeling and let them know that you are there
▪ Attendance list for them.
▪ Be aware of stressors and protection risks:

▪ Resource 14. Image Box Participants and/or their children may experience
violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation. Do not
▪ Local child protection and/or gender- ask participants to disclose details about their
based violence referral pathways personal situation. Be ready to respond to a
disclosure of violence.
PREPARATION
▪ End on a good note: Check in with the group,
▪ Select the relevant images from the
remind them that they can take care of
“image box” of the types of violence themselves and others. Close the session with
that occur in the context. something fun!
▪ Invite a case worker to the session who ▪ Reporting: Remember to take attendance of
can provide information about the participants and fill out the facilitator report at the
available protection services for end of the session.
children and adults in the community.

In this session parents 1. Welcome and warm-up 10 minutes
explore the impact of 2. Theme introduction: Safety and violence 20 minutes
violence on young people’s 3. Exploration: The impact of violence on adolescents 30 minutes
lives and how they can
4. Take-away: Protecting adolescents from violence 20 minutes
protect their children from
59
violence. After the session: reporting and follow-up
 In this session, potentially sensitive topics will be discussed. Decide how to define and explain the
terms “violence”, “abuse”, “sexual violence”, etc.
 It is likely that one or more members of the parenting group will have experienced some form of
non-consensual activity, which is potentially ongoing, and they may need support. Be ready with
information about local services that can help them.
 When working with groups with mixed experiences (for example, groups with a mix of male and
female caregivers), decide which activities will be done jointly and which activities are better held
separately to ensure a safe space for all to participate.
 Be aware of gender-based violence (GBV) referral mechanisms in your area and core concepts
for GBV and child protection.
 Notice who seems disengaged, visibly upset or aggressive among the participants and respond
directly if this happens.
 Have a case worker present for some or all of the activities in the session, if possible.
 It is recommended to do short “check-in” exercises in between activities to tune in with the group
to see if they feel comfortable or have any concerns. Make sure to address any concerns before
60
Steps to follow
Time: 10 minutes
what they remember from the last session. Ask if they have been able to have a conversation with
their adolescents about sexual and reproductive health. Let participants share their experiences.
Check if the group has any questions and remind participants of the group agreement before
continuing.
2. Introduction exercise: Follow the Lead. Divide the group into (same-sex) pairs. One person
closes their eyes or gets blindfolded, and the other person will give them directions. Explain how this
works:
 Tapping on the back – means move forwards
 Tapping on right shoulder – move right
 Tapping on left shoulder – move left
 Hands off the back (no hands) – stand still
Each pair must make sure that the blindfolded person can move around safely and does not bump
into a wall, object or another person. Swap roles after two or three minutes. After the activity, bring the
group back to sit in a circle.
3. Introduce the theme of this session: Explain that this session is about our safety and what
makes us feel safe and unsafe.
2. Theme introduction: Safety and violence
Time: 20 minutes
1. Ask participants to reflect on the opening activity and ask the following questions:
 How did it feel to lead?
 How did it feel to be led?
 What made us feel unsafe during the game?
 What helped us to feel safe?
2. If working with mixed groups, divide the group into same-sex

groups and work separately on the same activity. Ask each group: Adaptation: If there are
parents or caregivers in the
group who may identify as
other than female or male,
61 ask them which group they
Plan International | 2022 wish to join.
 Can anyone think of risks or dangers that exist for young people in this community?
 What are the places in the community that are unsafe for adolescents?
3. In the conversation, highlight the following messages about violence as a key safety risk:
 Violence can be an important reason that young people can feel unsafe – it can take place
in families, at school, at work and in the community.
 Violence often happens in a situation where one person has more power than another
person and uses this to harm their body or their feelings. For example, this can occur
between adults and children, but it can also happen between older boys and younger boys,
or between women and men.
 Very often, the abuse and violence that young people experience is perpetrated by
someone they know – including in their family.
 In times of stress, parents may develop bad behaviours: they may drink more alcohol,
smoke or use drugs. As a result, violence in the family and community may increase.
3. Continue the discussion to highlight specific forms of violence that affect girls and women. Ask:
 What are some specific forms of violence that affect girls and young women?
 Why do you think this mostly affects girls and young women?
 Which people are committing violence?
4. In the conversation, highlight the following messages about gender-based violence:

 While boys and men can also be victims of (domestic) violence, the vast majority of
survivors of violence are girls and women.
 Violence can be physical (hitting, slapping, kicking), emotional (calling names, bullying,
threatening, shouting), sexual (unwanted touching or kissing, forcing someone to remove
their clothes, forcing someone to have sex) or economic (withholding money or resources,
child labour).

participants to see how they feel after the first activity. Instructions for this check-in
activity can be found in the Laughter and Play manual. If there are participants who
do not feel comfortable, do this “check-in” again for the question whether the session
should continue or not, whereby participants can give a thumbs up or a thumbs down.
3. Exploration: The impact of violence on adolescents
Time: 30 minutes
62
1. Continue working in same-sex groups to discuss some common forms
of (gender-based) violence in the community and the consequences of this Adaptation: It is
important that the
for young people. Use Resource 14. Image box to show the group facilitator only uses
different forms of violence that occur in the local context: physical violence, images of the protection
risks/forms of violence
child labour, physical and emotional violence, sexual abuse, child
that exist in the local
marriage, child recruitment, or female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). context.
2. Ask for each picture:

 What do you see in this image?
 What type(s) of violence do you see?

 Does this mostly affect girls, mostly boys, or girls and boys equally?
 Are there specific groups of young people who may experience this type of violence?
 Who uses this type of violence?
3. Divide the group into smaller groups of three to four participants. Give each group one image of
gender-based violence (e.g., physical violence, sexual abuse, child marriage, etc.). Ask them to
discuss the following questions:
 How might this young person be feeling?
 What might they be thinking?
 How could this experience affect their life in the future?
5. After 10 minutes, bring the groups back to sit in a circle. Let them share their reflections on the
consequences of the form of violence they discussed.
6. In the conversation, highlight the following key messages about the consequences of violence:
 The consequences of violence may be both visible and invisible.
 The bodies and minds of adolescents are still developing; therefore, violence, abuse,
neglect and exploitation can have an even higher negative impact on young people’s lives.
 Violence can have serious and long-lasting consequences that are physical (pain in body,
injuries), sexual (sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy as a result of sexual
violence, or difficulty enjoying sex later in life), emotional (fear, anxiety, low self-esteem,
difficult to eat, sleep or concentrate) or social consequences (discrimination, social stigma
or exclusion).
7. Check-in exercise: Thumbs up/down. Instructions for this check-in activity

can be found in the Laughter and Play manual. If there are participants who do
not feel comfortable, do this “check-in” again for the question whether the session
63
should continue or not, whereby participants can give a thumbs up or a thumbs down. Address any
concerns that participants may have before continuing the session.
8. Energiser: Zip, Zap, Boing. Instructions for this check-in activity can be found in the Laughter
and Play manual.
4. Take-away: Protecting adolescents from violence
Time: 20 minutes
1. Bring the group back to sit in a circle. Explain that the topics that were discussed today might not
always be easy to talk about, especially for people who have experienced or witnessed violence.
2. Divide participants into pairs and give them 10 minutes to discuss the following questions:
● What can we as parents do to keep our adolescents safe from violence inside our home?
● What can we do to keep our adolescents safe from violence outside our home?
3. After 10 minutes, bring the group back to plenary and ask the pairs to share their reflections. Praise
participants for their ideas!
4. Highlight the things that parents can do to keep their children safe from violence inside the home:
 It is important to use non-violent ways of handling disagreements in the family; between
children and adults, but also between adults.
 A young person is never to blame for the violence that happens to them. As parents, we
always have a choice not to use violence against our children.
 Keeping girls at home to protect them can seem like a good idea, but can be harmful as it
isolates a girl from her friends and prevents her from developing skills that she needs later
in life.
5. Acknowledge that it can be very difficult to talk about violence with adolescents. Emphasise that it
is important that parents and caregivers establish trust with their children; it is important that
parents/caregivers encourage their children to confide in them in case something uncomfortable has
happened in or outside the home:
 A young person is never to blame for the abuse or violence that happens to them.
 If something uncomfortable has happened, young people may not want to discuss it with
anyone. However, it is important that they have someone whom they can trust.
64
 Create a good relationship with your adolescents, so that they feel comfortable about
discussing violence that they may be experiencing.
 Encourage your children to come to talk to you in case something bad has happened to
them; together you may be able to find a solution or get support.
 Teach children that they have the right to say “no” when something uncomfortable
happens, such as an unwanted touch or a sexual activity.
6. Explain that there are various services available locally for young people and adults who have
experienced (sexual) violence, abuse, mental distress or other concerns. Mention locally available
services and referral pathways, including:
● locally available services and referral pathways for child protection and gender-based violence (if
applicable) and explain how protection concerns can be reported;
● available services and safety focal points for health including sexual and reproductive health;
● local telephone or online helplines for children, young people and adults who need support (if
applicable).
Optional: Invite a case worker to talk about specific types of support and services available for
survivors of specific, prevalent types of violence in the community. For example, case workers who
can provide support to girls and women who are at risk of child or forced marriage, survivors of sexual
violence, or FGM/C.
5. Closing
Time: 10 minutes
1. Closing exercise: Hand, Head, Heart. Instructions for this closing exercise can be found in the
2. Home practice: Encourage participants to reflect on the things they have learned in this session
and share this with a friend.
the session.
65
After the session

 encouraging parents to develop messages for other parents on the impact of violence on
adolescents and how it can be prevented in the community;
66
Parenting Session 9: Marriage
▪ 90 minutes ▪ Be open and listen: Allow participants to talk
freely. Ask them open questions and listen to
OBJECTIVES their concerns. Do not force anyone to

participate in the discussions or activities.
▪ Understand the harmful impact of child,
▪ Be supportive: Participants may be scared or
early and forced marriage.
confused. Give them space to share how they
▪ Know positive alternatives to child, early are feeling and let them know how you are
and forced marriage. there for them.
▪ Be aware of stressors or protection risks:

MATERIALS
Participants might have experiences with
▪ Attendance list child, early and forced marriage. Do not ask
participants to disclose details about their
▪ Resource 17. Marriage Statements personal situation. Be ready to respond to a
disclosure of violence.
▪ Local child protection and/or gender-based ▪ End on a good note: Check in with the
violence referral pathways group, remind them that they can take care of
themselves and others. Close the session
PREPARATION
with something fun!
▪ Contextualise Resource 17. Marriage ▪ Reporting: Remember to take attendance of
Statements as required. participants and fill out the facilitator report at
▪ Where possible and relevant, invite a case the end of the session.
worker to explain more about the available

services in the community for girls at risk
of child marriage and girls who are already
married.

In this session parents reflect 1. Welcome and warm-up 10 minutes
on the perceived benefits 2. Theme introduction: Marriage 20 minutes
and disadvantages of child, 3. Exploration: Who is ready to marry? 30 minutes
early and forced marriage.
4. Take-away: Discussing marriage with adolescents 20 minutes
Participants reflect on
67
harmful consequences and After the session: reporting and follow-up
alternatives to child, early
and forced marriage.
68
 In this session, potentially sensitive topics will be discussed. Decide how to define and explain the
terms “marriage”, “child/early/forced marriage”, “violence”, etc.
 It is likely that one or more members of the parenting group will have experienced some form of
non-consensual activity, which is potentially ongoing, and they may need support. Be ready with
information about local services that can help them.
 When working with groups with mixed experiences (for example, groups with a mix of male and
female caregivers), decide which activities will be done jointly and which activities are better held
separately to ensure a safe space for all to participate.
 Do not force anyone to participate in activities or to share personal experiences during the
session.
 Be aware of gender-based violence (GBV) referral mechanisms in your area and core concepts
for child protection and GBV.
 Notice who seems disengaged, visibly upset or aggressive among the participants and respond
directly if this happens.
 Have a case worker present for some or all of the activities in the session, if possible.
 It is recommended to do short “check-in” exercises in between activities to tune in with the group
to see if they feel comfortable or have any concerns. Make sure to address any concerns before
69
Steps to follow
Time: 10 minutes
what they remember from the last session. Ask participants what they remember from the previous
session, especially on the different types of violence, how to protect adolescents, and the referral
pathways. Check if the group has any questions and remind participants of the group agreement
before continuing.
2. Opening exercise: Energy Meter. Instructions for this check-in activity can be found in the
3. Introduce the theme of this session: Explain that this session is about marriage and the future
vision we have for our adolescent children.
2. Theme introduction: Stand up if
Time: 20 minutes
1. Invite parents to sit in a circle. Explain the exercise:

Adaptation: Adapt
 I will read out a statement. Stand up if you agree with what I say.
the statements to the
 Stay sitting down if you do not agree.
local context.
Note: as an alternative for standing up, participants can also raise their
hand if they agree.
2. Use Resource 17. Marriage Statements and read out the statements one by one. When the
caregivers have given their answer, use the facilitation notes to ask follow-up questions. Note that this
activity is not aimed at telling parents they are “right” or “wrong”, but rather to explore their opinions
about marriage and their expectations regarding their adolescents getting married.
3. After the activity, guide a short discussion with the group. Ask the following questions:
 How has your own experience of marriage influenced how you think about marriage?
 Have your views about marriage changed? Why?
4. Explain that in this session the group will talk more about their adolescent children and marriage,
including reasons to get married and reasons to delay marriage.
70
participants to see how they feel after the first activity. Instructions for this check-in
activity can be found in the Laughter and Play manual. If there are participants
who do not feel comfortable, do this “check-in” again for the question whether the
session should continue or not, whereby participants can give a thumbs up or a
thumbs down. Address any concerns that participants may have before continuing
the session.
3. Exploration: Who is ready to marry?
Time: 30 minutes
1. In plenary (or if more appropriate: in same-sex groups), start the discussion by asking:
 What is the ideal age for girls to get married? Why?
 What is the ideal age for boys to get married? Why?
2. Tell the group four different scenarios. For each scenario, ask whether they think the young person
is ready to marry or should wait:
 12-year-old Mariam’s father wants her to marry an older man who has promised a year’s
salary to the father for the marriage.
 18-year-old Jamila, who has a healthy relationship with her fiancé, wants to wait until she
has finished her studies and has a job before getting married.
 15-year-old Asma loves her 16-year-old boyfriend, who says he will leave her if she does
not promise to marry him.
 20-year-old Mara just came back from college and her boyfriend of two years asks her to
marry him.
3. Guide a short discussion about these four scenarios. Ask:

 Which girl or girls would be better off delaying marriage?
 Why could her decision to marry now be harmful?
4. Divide the participants into small groups of three to four participants. Ask them to discuss the
following questions.
 What are some positive sides of marriage for your adolescent (girls)?
 What are some negative sides of marriage for your adolescent (girls)?
5. Bring the groups back into the circle. In plenary, let groups to share their experiences.
71
Facilitate a discussion by asking the following questions:
 What are the main reasons why girls get married before the age of 18 years?
 Who decides if and when girls get married?
 What are your adolescent children’s views on marriage?
 Do you know of any girls who delayed their marriage until they were older? How did they
decide this? Are there benefits of delaying marriage for the girl? And for the family?
 What are some alternatives to child marriage?
6. Highlight the following key messages about child marriage:

 According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, “child or early marriage” is
defined as marriage that occurs before the age of 18 and is harmful to girls.
 Girls who marry young are often pulled out of school and miss important years of their
education. Because of this, they will have limited knowledge, skills and experience that are
important later in life and for healthy relationships.
 Girls married at young ages tend to have larger age differences with their husbands than
those who marry later. Often, they have very little information about “adult relationships”.
This can be traumatic for young girls.
 Childbearing is frequently expected after marriage, with first births being the riskiest for
adolescent mothers. Pregnancy at this time is very dangerous, and doctors recommend
that girls finish puberty and adolescence before attempting to have children.
be found in the Laughter and Play manual. If there are participants who do not feel
comfortable, do this “check-in” again for the question whether the session should
8. Energiser: Ram Sam Sam. Instructions for this check-in activity can be found in the Laughter and
Play manual.
4. Take-away: Discussing marriage with adolescents
Time: 20 minutes
1. Bring the group back in the circle. Explain that it can be difficult to talk with our children about
marriage, especially if we have different opinions. Highlight that it is important for parents to
understand how their children view marriage. Divide participants into pairs and give them 10 minutes
to practise talking to their adolescents to find out their views on marriage.
72
2. One parent will play the “parent” while the other plays the “adolescent”. The “parent” will start a
conversation to find out the view of their “adolescent” daughter or son. Ask them to ask the following
questions and listen carefully to the response:
 How do you view marriage?
 How do you view your education or work?
 What do you think is a good age to get married?
3. After 10 minutes, bring the group back to plenary and ask the pairs to share their reflections. Praise
Adaptation: Adapt
4. Highlight that talking about marriage with adolescents is a good practice
the key messages to
and that it is important to listen to the views of girls and boys. Highlight the
the local context.
following key messages:
 Being forced to marry, especially to a husband who is older, puts girls in a relationship
where there is an unequal distribution of power and puts them at risk of domestic violence.
 Many girls who are forced to marry, risk getting divorced or being abandoned.
 For many girls, getting married is not a guarantee for economic security. It limits their
opportunities to develop skills and generate an income.
 Completing education increases girls’ chances of having a good future.
be found in the Laughter and Play manual. If there are participants who do not feel
comfortable, do this “check-in” again for the question whether the session should
Address any concerns that participants may have before closing the session.
5. Closing
Time: 10 minutes
1. Closing exercise: Hand, Head, Heart. Instructions for this closing exercise can be found in the
2. Home practice: Encourage participants to reflect on things they learned in this session and share
this with a friend.
73
the session.
After the session


 encouraging parents to continue discussions about marriage and what they wish for the future of
their adolescent children;
 providing additional information about local services and support available for families who wish to
delay marriage for adolescent girls;

74
Module: Our Future
In this final module, participants will think about their future. By the end of the module, participants
will:
 be aware of their own strengths and capacities;
 have a positive outlook on the future.
Parenting Session 10 is the final session in which parents and caregivers reflect on their personal
goal attainment, give and receive praise from the group, and celebrate the end of the programme. The
final session is about celebrating parents’ and caregivers’ progress individually and collectively as a
result of the programme. Parents and caregivers reflect on their progress towards their personal goal
and think about what steps they still need to take to achieve their future goals.
After completion of the parenting programme cycle, a social event can be organised where
parents and caregivers and their families, including adolescents, celebrate the end of the programme.
This event could be organised with the parents/caregivers and their adolescents and could include, for
example, a shared meal, an exhibition of the artworks made by adolescents wo participated in the life
skills programme, or a friendly competition with games, music or dance.
75
Parenting Session 10: Looking Ahead
▪ 90 minutes ▪ Be open and listen: Allow
participants to talk freely. Ask

them open questions and find out
OBJECTIVES
how much they already know.
 Be aware of own strengths and capacities.
▪ Be supportive: Give participants
 Have a positive outlook on the future.
space to share how they are
MATERIALS feeling and let them know how
you are there for them.
▪ Attendance list
▪ Be positive and encouraging:
Encourage participants to think

▪ Tool 7. Personal Goal (bring back the forms completed
about ways to stay connected
by participants in Session 1)
with one another after the
▪ Tool 8. Personal Goal Registration Form (completed programme ends.
with the goals of all participants) ▪ End on a good note: Check in
with the group, remind them that

▪ Pens or pencils (for each participant)
they can take care of themselves
and others. Close the session
▪ Coloured pencils, crayons or paint
with something fun!
▪ Flipcharts (one per person or one big sheet made out of ▪ Reporting: Remember to take
attendance of participants and fill

8 to 12 flipcharts for the group)
out the facilitator report at the
▪ A chair or materials to make a “special” seat end of the session.
▪ Materials for the end of programme celebration (e.g.,

food, refreshments, certificates, etc.)
PREPARATION
▪ Bring the personal goals of all participants.
▪ Prepare a chair or other type of “special” seat.
76
▪ Prepare the celebration.

In this session the group 1. Welcome and warm-up 10 minutes
members reflect on the 2. Theme introduction: Vision of the future 20 minutes
future, evaluate whether 3. Exploration: Personal goal reflection 30 minutes
they reached their personal
4. Take-away: Praising chair 20 minutes
goal, and provide and
receive feedback from other
group members.
Steps to follow
Time: 10 minutes
1. Welcome and introduction: Welcome participants to the programme and praise them for coming
to this final session of the programme. Ask participants what they remember from the last session.
Ask participants if they have had a chance to share the learning from the session with a friend. Let
participants share their experiences. Check if they have any questions and remind participants of the
group agreement before continuing.
2. Introduction game: Group’s choice. Ask the participants what game or exercise they would like
to do in this last session. Let participants lead the activity.
3. Introduce the theme of this session: Explain that this session is about celebrating one another
and thinking about our future.
2. Theme introduction: Vision of the future
Time: 20 minutes
1. Ask the group to sit in a large circle. Explain that you are going to lead them through a visualisation.
Invite participants to close their eyes if they feel comfortable in doing so and take a few seconds to
settle themselves. Ask participants to think about a future for their children.
2. Slowly, ask one by one the following questions – take your time and pause between these
questions to allow participants the chance to reflect:
 Where are they?
77
 What are they doing?
 Who are they with?
 What do they say or do?
 How do they feel?
 How do you feel as parent?
3. Ask participants to slowly open their eyes and shake their arms or stretch to return to the present.
Encourage participants who are comfortable to share their reflections from the visualisation.
4. Highlight that the participants as parents/caregivers have played and will play an important role in
supporting their adolescents to grow up and become healthy and happy adults.
3. Exploration: Personal goal reflection
Time: 30 minutes
1. All participants sit in a circle. Give each participant the Tool 7. Personal Goal that they developed
in the first session. In this activity they will individually reflect on their goal and assess their progress
towards achieving their goal. Explain the exercise:
 Look at the goal you set at the beginning of the programme and decide for yourself to what
extent you have reached your goal: not at all, partly or fully.
 Mark on the form how close you feel to your goal now. Also think about why you feel this
way.
2. Let participants find a quiet place in the space where they can individually reflect on their personal
goal. Walk around in the space to help participants out where needed. Support participants who
cannot write or draw by discussing their goal with them one-to-one.
3. After 15 minutes, bring the group back to sit in a circle. Ask who would like to share something that
has changed for them as a result of their participation in the sessions. It is okay if they do not want to
share. Do not force anyone to share their personal goal.
4. At the end of the activity, collect the forms so that the (co-)facilitator can record the goal
achievement in the Tool 8. Personal Goal Registration Form. Tell participants that they will get their
goals back at the end of the session.
5. Bring all participants back in the circle. In plenary (or same-sex groups) gather for a reflection on
the participants’ goals and the changes they experienced in the programme. Ask the following
questions:
78
 How do you see the relationship you have with your adolescent children? What has
changed?
 How do you see your own social relations, for example, with your partner, family members
or members of this group? What has changed?
6. Energiser: Design a Celebration. Circle up and tell participants what “Celebration” means to you
and make a movement (for example, say: “celebration means: eating my favourite food, mmm”, or:
“celebration means dancing” and make a dancing movement). Invite the group to respond by making
the same movement. One by one, participants share something they do when they celebrate. It could
be their favourite song, or dance move, or a quality they would like to bring (joy, love, silliness!). The
whole group acts out the celebration. Repeat until all participants have had a turn.
4. Take-away: Praising chair
Time: 20 minutes
1. Invite one participant to sit on a chair in the middle of the group. One by one, all the other group
members including the facilitators will say one positive thing about that person. One person (facilitator
or a participant) writes down all the qualities on a piece of paper for each participant to take home.
2. When all participants have been in the “circle of praise”, end with a big round of applause for
everyone!
3. Highlight that we all have our unique qualities. Sometimes we are not aware of these qualities until
our friends point them out to us. Emphasise that we often see our own characteristics, or those we
strive for, in others.
5. Closing
Time: 10 minutes
1. Closing exercise: Group’s Choice. Ask the participants what game or exercise they would like to
do in this last session. Let participants lead the activity.
the session.
3. Celebration! Celebrate the final session of the programme with a social event, joint meal or other
celebration. Provide each participant with a certificate of completion of the programme.
79
After the session
80

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PALS

A 10-SESSION PARENTING CURRICULUM FOR PARENTS AND

First published 2021 – Text © Plan International 2021

Illustrations © Hazel Mead 2020/2021. All rights reserved.

▪ Have access to a safe and inclusive space

▪ Know ways to practise self-care

▪ Know how crisis situations can affect adolescent

▪ Practise listening and praising skills to support

▪ Practise positive ways to spend time with adolescents

▪ Promote positive roles and responsibilities for

▪ Feel confident in talking about sexual and

▪ Know positive alternatives for child, early and forced

▪ Have a positive outlook for the future

MONITORING AND TOOLS

▪ 90 minutes ▪ Be open and listen: Allow participants

to talk freely. Ask them open questions

participants space to share how they

▪ End on a good note: Check in with the

attendance of participants and fill out

▪ Laughter and Play game manual

▪ Information about Plan International’s

▪ Prepare an overview of the sessions in the

▪ Print out copies of Tool 7 and 8.

1. Welcome and warm-up

2. Theme introduction: Introducing the programme

3. Exploration: Personal goal

2. Ensure the following rules are covered:

After the session

Optional: Follow-up activities

▪ 90 minutes ▪ Be open and listen: Allow participants

to talk freely. Ask them open questions

OBJECTIVES and find out how much they already

might feel worried about themselves or

group, highlight strengths and

▪ Laughter and Play game manual

▪ Prepare calm, relaxing music.

▪ Contextualise the key messages and relaxation

Session overview Session activity Time

1. Welcome and warm-up

2. Theme introduction: Stand up if

1. Invite parents to sit in a circle. Explain the exercise:

2. Read out the following statements one by one:

 Stand up if you’re wearing something with the colour red

 Stand up if sometimes you are annoyed by your children

 Stand up if sometimes your children make you laugh

 Stand up if sometimes you feel worried being a parent

 Stand up if you like singing or dancing

6. In the conversation, highlight the following key messages:

3. Exploration: Dealing with stress

2. Start a conversation by asking the following question:

Talking to a friend Drinking a lot of alcohol

5. In the conversation, highlight the following key messages:

1. Find a comfortable position, sitting, standing or laying down on the floor.

2) BODY SCAN MEDITATION

After the session

Optional: Follow-up activities

▪ practise listening and praising skills to support adolescents in difficult times;

▪ practise positive ways to spend time with adolescents.

▪ 90 minutes ▪ Be comfortable: Make sure that you are comfortable

with the content of the session in advance and can