Escuela de Padres

For the last two years I’ve been working extensively with the youth of Poroto on everything from health promotion to environmental education, cultivating meaningful relationships and trust between myself and the adolescents of Poroto.  However, the amount of time students spend in school or personally with me is minimal.  Our root values and beliefs stem from our families and homes.  Despite behavior-change attempts or educational programs, if we don’t reach out to families and parents we’ll be fighting a losing battle against promoting positive lifestyle habits and practices.  

The thought of working with parents seemed overwhelming at first; not only am I 24 years old with no children of my own, but I also come from a very different culture, especially when considering familial trends and parenting styles.  What did I have to offer to these parents? Furthermore, even if I did have valuable information to share, who would listen?  I had planned on doing an Escuela de Padres series in my local school since arriving, but it took several personal encounters to give me real motivation to organize the project.

 A little over a year ago, I was working in the health post when one of my favorite teenage boys comes in.  He was crying and inconsolable, which was extremely atypical from his usual cheery demeanor.  I spoke to him in private with the nurse and after calming down he confessed he had misplaced his phone and his mom was going to hit him again tonight if he couldn’t find it.  He expressed this happens on a regular basis and he was terrified of going home.  On the outside, this boy seems well-adjusted, happy, at the top of his class; someone who I expect to overcome many of the obstacles in his life.  However, if he’s battling continual abuse at home, what long-term effect will that have on his self-esteem, confidence, and abilities? This is just one small example, but it helped me realize that no amount of sessions or education with youth can change the way parents communicate with their children.  I couldn’t leave Poroto without trying to engage actively with parents.

After this interaction and several similar encounters, I decided to coordinate with my local school and health post to organize comprehensive parent-education workshops for parents of both elementary and high school. Peruvian schools are technically mandated to have Parent Education sessions, but like dozens of other programs, they conveniently ignored this requirement.  I started by meeting with all the teachers and principal of the school to determine relevant issues and concerns that affect parents and their relationships with their children in Poroto.  After extensive brainstorming and planning we launched our program. Working with parents and captivating their attention isn’t easy, and I’ve heard a long list of failures with parent-related activities, so I was determined to ensure parents’ attendance and participation.  I solicited the support of teachers, the principal, and the health post to encourage parents to take advantage of these workshops, and we began about this time last year. 

Working with the nurse and psychologist from my health post we’ve been able to facilitate discussions on everything from adequate disciplinary practices, talking to your children about the changes of puberty/adolescence, preventing teen pregnancy, alcoholism, promoting nutrition, and dealing with domestic abuse.   The three of us have worked really well together, complementing each other’s knowledge and skill-set.  Johan’s professional knowledge of psychology and familial relationships gives credibility to our programs while my enthusiasm and non-formal education activities help parents feel comfortable to share and express their concerns.  I also know most of their children by name, so they’re more open to comment on personal anecdotes.  I’ve found myself smack in the middle of dozens of bizarre conversations with parents, tackling taboo topics and laughing through uncomfortable situations.  Never in my life did I think I’d be in a room full of Peruvian parents facilitating a session about talking to your kids about sex, but I’ve put aside my verguenza and jumped right in.  The Escuela de Padres program has not only allowed parents to learn new parenting techniques and diffuse tough familial situations, but also provided an outlet to share experiences and advice.  This program has also served to bridge the gap between the health post, school, and families, which I hope will make families feel more comfortable to seek out professional help and assistance when necessary.

Our attendance has been consistent and participation is active after a bit of encouragement.  The opportunity to work one-on-one with over 100 parents from my town has provided insight into a whole new realm of the community and its dynamics.  I may not have children of my own, but somehow these Peruvian parents have come to trust me and together we’ve shared many memorable moments.