Psychosocial Support Activity Guide for PTAs and Parents

The guide aims to support Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), parents, school staff, learners, and communities in engaging on critical topics for psychosocial support (PSS). PSS is defined as the processes and actions that promote the holistic wellbeing of people in their social world, including support provided by family and friends. The guide includes activity guides on key topics such as stress management, understanding feelings and emotions, child's rights, psychological first aid and learner pathway to help, and positive discipline. Each activity guide includes an introduction, brief background on the topic, activities, planning steps, and activity steps. The activities are designed to be completed in about one hour, with the PTA chair, secretary, or other person comfortable with reading and facilitating the session leading others through the activities. Stress management is one of the key topics covered in the guide. The activity guide on stress management aims to help parents understand what stress is, its causes, and how to reduce or manage it. The guide also provides learning objectives, planning steps, and activity steps for parents to lead stress and stress management activities for themselves and others in their family and community. The guide emphasizes the importance of recognizing and managing stress in adults and children, as it can impact relationships and overall wellbeing. By understanding stress and its causes, parents can better support their children in recognizing and reducing their stress. The guide also provides resources and activities to help parents manage stress, including recognizing the causes of stress, practicing relaxation techniques, and building resilience. The guide is designed to be used in the home or community, and it is recommended that the PTA chair, secretary, or other person comfortable with reading and facilitating the session lead others through the activities. The guide also emphasizes the importance of social distancing and following school safety procedures during meetings. The guide includes a table of contents with activity guides on various topics, including stress management, understanding feelings and emotions, child's rights, and positive discipline. Each activity guide includes an introduction, brief background on the topic, activities, planning steps, and activity steps. The guide is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 IGO license, which allows for free use, distribution, transmission, and adaptation of the work, including for commercial purposes, under certain conditions. The guide is intended to assist parents during the COVID-19 pandemic and as children return to school, to protect their families, cope with the challenges, help their children reintegrate back into the classroom, and grow as parents with their families and communities.