A key part of the program is built around the keeping of a in which parents can keep notes on their at- home activities, observations of their children, and numerous other ideas, thoughts and feelings that relate to their personal growth and development during the program. The journal is used throughout the program in many different ways, and provides the parents with an on-going record of their experiences to which they can refer and add time and again, even after the Exploring Parenting program is completed.

Films are used to enhance observation and analysis skills. Recorded case studies give parents an opportunity to listen to and discuss the experiences of other parents involved in problem-solving situations. Brainstorming and role-plays are techniques through which parents are able to
share ideas and experience what someone else might be feeling in a given situation.

Sequence of Sessions

The twenty content sessions which comprise the total Exploring Parenting program represent a step- by-step process which parents can examine and assess themselves as individuals and as parents. A great deal of time and thought went into the development of the session sequence. The rationale for the selection of this sequence as opposed to other possible arrangements of the sessions is that each session builds upon the previous one. Techniques are introduced in earlier sessions which will be used in later ones.

Arbitrary rearrangement of the sessions can be detrimental to the effectiveness of the individual session and to the program as a whole. Therefore, it is strongly suggested that the curriculum be presented as outlined and that no deviations be made from the recommended pattern of session presentations. The twenty sessions are listed on the next page and followed with brief content summaries.

Session 1: Getting Involved in Your Child's World
Session 2: Responding to Your Child
Session 3: Dealing with Problems
Session 4: Looking at What You Do
Session 5: What is Development?
Session 6: Understanding Special Needs
Session 7: Child's Play
Session 8: Children's Art
Session 9: Learning More About the Artist
Session 10: Coping with Fear
Session 11: Dealing with Anger
Session 12: Living with Dependence and Love
Session 13: Exploring Your Values
Session 14: What About Discipline?
Session 15: Your Family and Others
Session 16: Single Parenting
Session 17: How Do You Cope?
Session 18: When You're Under Stress
Session 19: Keeping Children Safe
Session 20: Beyond the Front Door

Sessions 1-4 explore everyday problems in child rearing and introduce the learning techniques which will be used throughout the course.
Session 5 introduces the concept of human development and the patterns children follow in growing and learning.
Session 6 focuses on understanding and responding to children who have special needs as a result of developmental differences or disabilities.
Session 7 examines play, its importance in people's lives, how it changes with development, and how parents can support children in their play.
Sessions 8 and 9 examine children's art with emphasis on: what art means to a child; how to respond to and support children engaged in art activities; looking at children's art as an indicator of development; and considering what art can tell about a person his temperament and experience.
Sessions 10-12 give parents an opportunity to examine some emotions which are very difficult for both children and adults to deal with, to look at how reactions to strong feelings and coping mechanisms change with development, and to explore the different ways in which children and adults handle these feelings.
Session 13 helps parents to explore their values and to communicate them to their children.
Session 14 offers parents an opportunity to think about discipline in the broad sense of teaching children values and shaping their behavior.
Session 15 provides parents a forum for sharing their family with others through individual presentations of mini-histories of their families --the families they grew up in and the families they are raising.
Session 16 examines some of the problems and the possibilities for personal development faced by the single (unmarried) parent.
Session 17 focuses on the ways in which adults and children react to and cope with changes and problems in their lives.
Session 18 examines stress-producing factors in family relationships, ways stress can interfere with parents' ability to care for their children, and forms of support which can help parents deal with stress in their lives.
Session 19 provides information on factors which contribute to accidents in the home and steps parents can take to prevent accidents and help keep their children safe.
Session 20 examines the expectations which people outside of the family have for children and how these expectations affect the child and the family.

Curriculum Materials

Films, records and printed materials relating to each session supplement the session plans through out the program. Each session is planned for distribution during the group meeting and is three-hole punched for insertion into a binder which is provided for or participants. In this way, parents are not overwhelmed by receiving a bulk of materials all at once, but accumulate them from session to session as the program progresses. The leader will have the complete package of materials, including session plans.

Parents will receive information sheets and at home activities for each session. These sheets can be kept in a binder which can be added as each session is completed, so that by the end of the program, each participant will have a complete book of resource materials to which they can refer at any time. Each binder should contain extra sheets of paper or a notebook so that parents may keep their personal journal. Parents will also receive their own copies of two booklets -- "Doing Things" and "Picturing Development".

Group leaders will have the information sheets and booklets which parents receive, as well, as the items listed on the following page.

In addition to prepared materials, leaders will need to supply some art materials, and may wish to supplement various sessions with additional handouts or other instructional devices which are available to them.
LEADING EXPLORING PARENTING SESSIONS 

ROLE OF THE GROUP LEADER

The group leader's role is primarily that of facilitator and resource person. He or she is the one who keeps the group moving and supplies information, as needed, that is not readily available elsewhere in the session structure. The group leader will share this responsibility with a co-leader who has also been trained in the use of the curriculum, including parents who are interested in and capable of assuming a leadership role. By sharing the responsibility of leadership and changing roles during the course of the program, no one individual has to bear the full burden of planning and leading the sessions.
 
Every person has an individual leadership style. Some persons tend to be more directive than others, and are most interested in the delivery of content and information. Others are excellent at facilitating discussions and gaining participant input and involvement. Since Exploring Parenting is based on a close and open group rapport, leader ship style will have a very definite effect on the way in which the group operates. Therefore, leaders should try to be constantly aware of their own style and how it effects the group. It will help to adjust the styles and vary leadership techniques as necessary, so that every member of the group is reached.
 
In considering individual leadership style and the kinds of adjustments that may need to be made, the following questions may serve as a useful guide:

The leader's role is important in keeping the group moving, maintaining open and creative discussions and clarifying points of information. It is important for the leader to remember that her role is primarily as described above - - that of a facilitator - - one who keeps things moving with ease. The leader is not a teacher, not an "expert", not an individual with all the answers. The leader is not responsible for the outcome of the sessions. She is a part of the group -- leading and learning with the parents.
 
BEGINNING THE PROGRAM
 
It is strongly suggested that group leaders plan to begin Exploring Parenting with an introductory session. This session will serve as a get acquainted and orientation session. Parents who have signed up for the program will have an opportunity to meet one another, to meet the group leaders, and to find out what Parenting is all about. Group leaders should share with the parent group the three main goals of the program and the list of sessions. You may want to make copies of these to distribute to the parents as the start of their Exploring Parenting notebooks.

Group leaders should structure the Introductory session in whatever way they feel most appropriate for them and their particular group of parents. It is important to remember that the orientation session will set the tone for the sessions to follow. The feeling that "all of us are going to be exploring and learning together" must be given from the very beginning. Parents must be made to feel that they are joining this group as equals, that they are all "experts" when it comes to their children, and that the group leaders are learning right along with them.
 
You will find, as you get into the program, that strong and mutual trust, respect, and support will build within the group, providing a unity and cohesiveness that will be difficult to break. It is the closeness of the parent group, combined with the duration of the program and the importance to parents of the topics discussed, which makes such a unique and rewarding experience. Setting the correct tone at the very beginning is critical to the success of the entire program.
 
USING INDIVIDUAL SESSION PLANS
 
The detailed plans which have been outlined for each session will help the leader to plan and prepare for the session in advance. Each plan provides some background information on the topic and the underlying themes of the session The goals and agenda for the session, as well as the session activities and the materials needed are listed on one sheet for easy reference by the group leaders.

It is important to remember that the session goals only are to be shared with the parent group. These are followed by recommendations for leading a discussion on the at-home activity for the previous session. Then the various activities for the session, with detailed suggestions for leading the group through each one, are outlined. Most sessions have a suggested at-home activity, followed by a brief summary and evaluation of the session. The goals stated at the beginning of each activity are there to provide the group leaders with guidance in terms of what the activity is designed to achieve, and are only for the group leaders use.

You should read the entire curriculum (session plans and information sheets) before planning any sessions, so that you are familiar with all of the materials and have a feel for the total program. Before each session, go over the session plans and activities for that session with your co-leader and decide together how you will conduct the session. You should also preview any supplementary materials, such as films and records, at least twice before using them with parents.

USING PARENT MATERIALS

The session plans and activities are supported by information sheets and booklets for the parents. These materials are given to the parents to keep and, along with their journals, provide parents with a record of their experiences in Exploring Parenting.

Information Sheets

The information sheets are used during the sessions and provide the parents with reference and resource material for future use. Refer to your session plans as a guide for using the information sheets in each session. Be thoroughly familiar with the sheets and related activities, so that you can conduct the activity with ease.

Do not give out all information sheets at once. Pass out only the sheets for each activity as you come to it. Otherwise, parents will be so involved in looking at the rest of the sheets that you will lose your group. Read aloud long passages, and let the group follow along. Have the parents put completed information sheets in the appropriate place in their binders before moving on to the next activity.

Booklets

The two booklets which are included in the program are introduced during the sessions and are used in two activities. However, they are primarily for the parents to use at home in observing and working with their children. It will be helpful to review each booklet with the parents when it is distributed, and to explain to the parents what the purpose of the booklet is and how it can be used.

Doing Things is a resource booklet filled with ideas for activities which parents can share with
their children using simple materials generally available to parents at little or no expense.

Picturing Development is a reference booklet for parents to use as they watch their children grow and develop. It is intended to help parents know what the normal patterns of development are and what to expect of their child at various stages in their development.

After introducing the booklet, allow parents to skim the entire booklet before getting into any discussion about it. Be prepared to answer any questions parents may have concerning its utilization.

SETTING GOALS AND EVALUATING PROGRESS

Each session has one or more goals stated in the session plans. These goals are shared and discussed with the parent group. They alert the group to ideas to think about as they go through the session activities. At the completion of the session, parents should review the goals, determine the extent to which the goals were achieved, and evaluate their progress in relation to the session.

Evaluation techniques should be informal and brief, and yet provide enough feedback to the group leaders for them to be able to determine the degree to which the goals of the session were achieved, how the parents felt about the session in general, how group process is developing and what changes need to be made when planning future sessions.

If evaluation (feedback) forms are used, the group leaders should review them together while the session is still fresh in their minds. Once feedback has been reviewed decisions can be made about the planning and conduct of future sessions. The sample feedback sheets on the following pages very simple techniques to get the information leaders need from the group. Group leaders will develop evaluation techniques of their own on the basis of their needs and the needs of their group.

TECHNIQUES FOR LEADING AND LEARNING

Discussion A successful Exploring Parenting session provides opportunities for parents with different experiences to learn from one another and to use one another as resources in considering problems. Group discussion is one important means of providing an opportunity for this sharing to take place. However, all too often consist of simply asking people to respond to particular questions. This type of interaction is extremely limited, as it tends to involve only one person at a time interacting with with the leader instead of the whole group. As a format, it results in a series of fragments rather than a growing conversation, and omits thoughtful reactions that build on the experiences and feelings of the entire group.

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