Education for Living

The Family Life Centre has been working with the schools in addressing many issues involving teenagers. You will see in our history one of our Founder Members, Joan Philips:

• Joan was appointed as South Africa's first school psychologist at Johannesburg Preparatory School for Girls (BARNATO PARK). Many schools followed the lead.
• Joan's courage and persistence resulted in her giving talks to children and teenagers about sex - after school hours. Society has adapted this to our schools today. This courageous step is the beginning of the work we do with our Education for Living programme in the schools.

Our Education for Living Department offers the following:

• Anti Bullying Programmes for all ages
• Life Skills from grades 5 to 7
• Preparing for Change - Grade 7s being prepared for High School
• Self Growth & Development Grade 9
• Relationship Workshop for grade 10
• Conflict Management and Problem Solving Techniques
• Emotional Intelligence - High School
• Time Management
• Self Awareness and Awareness of others

 

The Goal of the Education for Living Programme

The goal of the Education for Living Programme is to provide young people with the knowledge to make good choices in their own lives and the skills to create healthy relationships with themselves, their families, their friends and the opposite sex.

Through interactive workshops including the use of training tools such as charts, role plays, group discussions and sometimes video footage, we aim to empower young people in the decisions they will have to make both in the present and in the future.

 

Who Should Attend the Education for Living Courses and how are They Structured?

There are various courses offered to young people from ages 10 to 18, usually within their school environment. The course format is four 1 hour sessions facilitated by skillfully trained educators. We also offer full 2 day self-growth and development workshops for high school students.

Up to Grade 9, boys and girls are separated into different groups. We prefer to run small groups to promote easy, informal discussion.

Grade 5

The focus is on preparation for puberty. We discuss how to handle physical change, friendships, peer pressure and bullying. We stress the importance of self-esteem, having sound values, making good choices and developing life skills.

Grades 6 and 7

We discuss the physical and emotional changes occurring through puberty and the differences between boys and girls. We explore the stages of adolescence, reproduction, menstruation, conception, pregnancy, healthy sexuality and STDs including AIDS. Throughout the course we emphasise the importance of self-esteem, developing life skills and making healthy choices.

Grades 8 – 10

High school students are encouraged to participate via a workshop environment and are involved in planning the course content. This may include: stress, depression, peer pressure, temptation, addiction to alcohol or drugs, eating disorders, healthy sexuality, building confidence, handling fears, conflict management. The importance of managing emotions (emotional intelligence) and developing healthy relationships is emphasised. The students are assisted in formulating their own value system and beliefs

 

How are Parents Involved?

We offer a Parent evening prior to running the course in order to highlight course material and answer any questions or concerns that parents may have.

We also offer workshops and talks for parents which cover parenting skills and relevant issues, e.g. adolescent discipline guidelines, improving communication with your teenager, how to recognise potential problem areas, how to handle particular problems such as bullying (we allow parents a forum to get together and devise a charter), how to become a more emotionally intelligent parent.

The Family Life Centre is always looking for suitable volunteers whom we train and supervise.

 

Parenting Groups

The Family Life Centre offer workshops and talks for parents which cover parenting skills and relevant issues.

The workshops offer practical ways of helping parents interact with their children. It includes looking at goals of misbehaviour, communication skills, who owns the problem, promoting self-esteem, the difference between praise and encouragement, problem solving, family meetings, discipline issues, learning from consequences, moods, eating habits and sexuality. Parents feel supported through a mutual sharing of problems and brainstorming of ideas.

 

The Role of the Educator

Family Life Centre educators are there to deliver a structured but interactive course, which is fun and thought provoking, to answer any questions that are asked, to empathise with the participants and to normalise the anxieties that young people have during their different phases.

Our educators are aware that different communities may have different beliefs about relationships and sexuality. They respect individual family values and encourage the students to feel free to participate in a safe, non-judgmental environment. They are warm, committed people who believe that the work.

 

An Example of Course Content

1. Self-awareness - What’s happening to me, who am I and what do I believe is important in my life?
2. Peer relationships – Choosing friends and coping with peer pressure.
3. Family relationships – Methods of healthy communication and how to resolve conflict.
4. Puberty – The physical and emotional changes that occur. Male/Female reproduction, menstruation, conception, contraception, masturbation, pornography, wet dreams, sexually transmitted diseases (especially AIDS).
5. Communication – How do I make myself understood? Do I give clear messages and how do I make responsible sexual choices.

 

In Summary

Through the Education for Living workshops, Family Life Centre educators are helping young people to reach their individual potential by giving them the knowledge to make good choices in their own lives and the skills to create healthy relationships with themselves, their families, their friends and the opposite sex.

We also offer parents the opportunity to learn how to cope with changes and pressures of parenting an adolescent and discover better parenting skills.

 

Support Services

The Education for Living Department at Family Life Centre is happy to adjust or create any new material for schools with specific requirements. These workshops may be presented at the school or at an agreed-upon venue and at a time to suit participants.

Examples include:

• Workshops or once-off talks for pupils of all ages from Grade 5 to Post-Matric to address any specific need or behaviour requiring attention. Bullying is a common area of concern. Other possible topics may include peer pressure, child sexual abuse, physical abuse, physical or psychological addictions.
• Parent workshops or talks to cover parenting skills and issues, e.g. adolescent discipline guidelines, improving communication with your teenager, how to recognise and handle potential problem areas, how to become a more emotionally intelligent parent.
• Peer counselling (training students on how to counsel their peers).
• Step-Family issues.
• Divorce management for both pupils and parents.
• Pressure and stress management skills for teachers and pupils.
• Trauma and grief management.