Parents-Adolescents Relationship

I.

Background All adults, particularly parents have gone through adolescents period. However, it is

sometimes difficult for parents and adults to understand the world of adolescent. Melgosa (2000) define adolescence as the transition between childhood and adulthood. According to McMahan (2009), adolescent is a term used to single out a particular segment of life span that divided into three different phases or stages. These stages are early adolescence that lasts from around 11 to 14, middle adolescence from the age of 15 to 18, and late adolescence extends from around 19 to 22 or later. They are also going through some changes in terms of their biological, physical, psychological and emotional. Thus, these changes and transitions create instability, stress, and confusion for them in order to search for their personal identity. In relation to that, adults in general or specifically parents and care-takers are facing some challenges in raising their children effectively. The way they relate and communicate to their adolescent children should be differ from the earlier stage of the children. The challenges also become much greater since the world also change rapidly nowadays. Todays life is extremely different from their teenage life. Therefore, I believe that support group for parents who are facing some difficulties and challenges in bringing up their adolescent children are very much needed. Hence, this proposal is designed to organize counseling program which focus on implementing and improving the relationship between parents and their children.

Parents-Adolescents Relationship

II.

Objectives To offer the parents medium to share their difficulties and hardship in bringing up their adolescent children. To enable parents have better understanding about the different across several developmental stages of childhood and adolescents. To help parents identify their parenting styles with their adolescent children. To enhance their awareness which promote them a better understanding and ways in relating to their children.

III.

Rationale Conflict between young people particularly adolescents with their parents is not a

contemporary issue. The generation gap as mentioned by Melgosa (2000) creates conflict between them since at the age of adolescents or teenagers; they are searching and finding their own identity. They tend to explore several alternatives that best suit for them and this sometimes differ from their parents values, ethical principles, morality, and religion. Thus, this group support program tries to make parents aware of the issue so they will understand better about their childrens rebellion and so on. According to Barber, Stoltz, & Olsen, (2005) as cited in Hafen and Laursen (2009), minimal involvement and lack of parental affection by parents in the lives of children have link to adolescents conduct problems and depression. Parental involvement with children lives is basically related to their parenting and communication styles with the children. Hence, this support group aims to have the parents recognize their parenting styles in order to improve their relationship with their adolescent children.

Parents-Adolescents Relationship

IV.

Target Group The program is organized for parents who are having difficulty in their relationships

with the adolescent children. This kind of guidance and psycho education group designed for the following participants: Age Gender Race Religion : : : : 35 years old and above Both male and female Malay Islam Varieties ( from low to high socio-economic) Parents with children at the age of middle and late

Family Background :

Specific Population :

adolescents. They are reported to have children, who are hostile, rebellious, confront with family and misbehave at school or college and outside.

V.

Group Size Since this support group will be conducted as closed-group, therefore it is not suitable

to conduct with a big number of populations. The group will consist of 6 to 10 individuals who are voluntarily joint the session.

VI.

Time and Duration The support group will be conducted in eight separate sessions, in which each session

will last approximately from 50 to 60 minutes. The duration of meeting will be held once a week in order to allow the participants to carry out homework given between the sessions.

Parents-Adolescents Relationship

VII.

Techniques and Methods Issues Identified Difficulties in understanding the behaviour and emotion of teenagers. Misscommunication between parents and children. Proposed program Improve relationship between parents and their teenagers. Methods Suggested Group Support Group activities The program will be conducted in eight different sessions using Malay language as the medium of instruction. Remarks

Affected individual Parents with troubled or problematic adolescents.

VIII.

Procedures Content Introduction. The leader introduces about her and gives welcoming remarks to all the participants. The leader mentions about the objectives of the program and outlines the procedures, confidentiality as well as the ground rules of the session. The participants get to know each other. Activities The participants will be asked to introduce their name and mentioned all of their children in according to the birth order with their age as well. After all participants have introduced themselves, each of them will be given a piece of card. They will be asked to write down their nick name, address, phone number, and draw genogram indicates their children from the oldest to the youngest. All participants have to repeat the names of all the participants in the group.

Session First Session

Parents-Adolescents Relationship

They have to identify which of the children that they are going to discuss for the rest of the discussion.

Before end the session, they will be given with a set of questions (pre-test) to be completed and submitted in the next session. (Please refer to Appendix A).

Second Session

Perceiving childrens behaviour.

Members will be asked to share their presenting problem. The discussion will be centred on the behaviour of the children and how they react to the situation.

Each of the group members will describes the behaviour of the children that create problem for them. They also have to describe the way they react to the behaviour of the children through role-play.

The leader will help the group members to have better understanding about teenagers behaviour at the particular stage.

They will be asked to roleplay the new reaction that they supposed to do when facing the situation.

Third Session

Perceiving childrens emotion.

Members will be asked to share their presenting problem. The discussion will be centred on the emotions of the children and how they react to the situation.

Before discussing about the emotion of the children, members will be given with a piece of a paper to draw three different emoticons that always associate to them. They have to share it with the rest of the members.

Then, they will be given another

Parents-Adolescents Relationship

paper to draw three different emoticons showing the emotions that associate with their children. They will discuss on how they try to match their emotion and childrens emotion. They will be given notes on Erik Erikson psychosocial development. They have to complete their reading between the sessions. Fourth Session Perceiving childrens emotion (Continue). The participants will be asked to share what they have learned from the reading and compare with their reaction towards childrens emotion. The participants will be asked to role-play like what they have did during the second session. Each member will be asked to critique based on their understanding from the reading. The leader will help them in delivering the right manner in facing and matching with adolescents emotional. Fifth Session Stages of human development. The discussion will be focusing on the stages of human development. They will see the generation gap between them and their children. Sixth Session Parenting styles. The participants will discover their The participants will be asked to share the different and the gap exists between them and their children. The leader will give the group members handout regarding to the human development and discuss the issue. The group members will be given with a set of questionnaire

Parents-Adolescents Relationship

parenting styles in bringing up their children.

with regard to parenting styles. (Please refer to Appendix B). The leader will provide notes on parenting styles and explain to the group members about each parenting styles and emphasize on the strengths and weaknesses of the styles. The group members will be asked to observe their parenting style between the sessions and write the reflection. The reflection will consist on their opinions about the appropriateness of the styles used and their views on the best style to be used.

Seventh Session

Parenting styles (Continue).

The discussion will be based on the homework given in the week before.

Each participant will be asked to read out loud the reflection that they write between the sessions while the rest have to give responses and feedbacks.

The leader facilitate in terms of sharing the better way in relating to the children.

Last Session

Termination of the group session.

The discussion will be focusing on the application and consolidation of learning.

The group members will share between them on how to transfer what they have learned in the session into practice.

They also review what they have learned and how they have learned from the session.

They also will review the experience that they gained from the

They will be given post-test to

Parents-Adolescents Relationship

group. Evaluation of the group sessions.

be completed during the session. Then the leader will bring out the pre-test that they have completed during the first session. Then, they will discuss the improvement or changes that they made based on their answer to the questions. (Please refer to Appendix A). They will be asked to give final remarks before end the session. The leader will help them in dealing with feeling of separation.

Parents-Adolescents Relationship

IX.

Evaluation The participants will be given with pre and post test. Pre test will be given during the

first session and the post test will be given during the final stage. The questions are adapted from Dr. Julian Margaret (2000) in her book, To Adolescents and Parents. The set of question can be referred to the Appendix A.

X.

Resources Resources Cards with the size of 3inch 5inch. Pens Sets of questions (pre-test) (Please refer to Appendix A)

Session First Session

Second Session Third Session

Drawing pads Crayon Reading material: notes on Erik Erikson psychosocial development.

Fourth Session Fifth Session Sixth Session

Reading material: notes on the human development. Sets of questionnaire on Parenting Styles. (Please refer to Appendix B)
Notes on parenting styles

Seventh Session Eight Session

Sets of questions (post-test) (Please refer to Appendix A)

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XI.

References

Corey, M.S. Corey, G. Corey, C (2007). Group, process and practice (8th Ed.). Wadsworth, USA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Haniza Rais. (2010). Counseling Internship & Practicum: Guidelines for Student Counselors. (CSS-INSTED) IIUM. Harfen, C.A. and Laursen, B. (2009). More Problems and Less Support: Early Adolescent Adjustment Forecasts Changes in Perceived Support From Parents. Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 2, 193-202. Retrieved from ProQuest Social Science Journal. McMahan, I. (2009). Adolescence. Boston: Pearson. Melgosa, J. (2000). To Adolescents and Parents. Spain: Editorial Safeliz. Anonymous. (n.d). Parenting Style Questionnaire. Retrieved on 3rd of March 2011 from http://www.comprehensivepsychology.com.au/PARENTING%20STYLE%20QUEST IONNAIRE.pdf