Addressing parenting and child stress : three workshops for parents of preschool children

ix, 145 leaves ; 29 cmThe intent of this project is to inform others about stress, parental stress, and highlight the negative consequences of stress on children by directly providing information to parents of infant and preschool children in the form of a psychoeducational workshop. Given that the early years of life have many critical periods of development and that during these years children are especially vulnerable to the exposure of stress, early intervention to reduce the damage from stress is of high importance. This project is comprised of two parts. Part 1 includes a literature review that guides and provides in-depth information to support Part 2 of this project. Part 2 of the project is a standalone manual for three workshops that counsellors and facilitators can use to educate parents about the impact of stress on children and equip them to recognize and reduce the impact of stress on themselves and their children. The workshop manual includes three comprehensive lesson plans, handouts, activities, and detailed facilitator instructions. The three workshops are titled Stress Management for Adults, The Effects of Stress on Children, and Nurturing Ourselves and Our Children. These workshops may be presented to parents independently or as a series. The last chapter of this project identifies the strengths, limitations, and areas of future research related to helping parents manage their stress and the stress of their preschool children