After the preparation of the pilot, the Parental counseling sessions took place on July 16 and 18 in Ummulong Village’s CHC in Thadlaskein Block. Both sessions started at 1:00 PM, with an approximate duration of 150 minutes in the first session and 165 minutes in the second/final session, including a 30-minute lunch break each day. Twenty-five mothers participated in the first session and twenty-three in the second session. No fathers showed up.
The results were fantastic. The activities performed during the sessions showed that mothers internalized various concepts explained by the counselors. For example, mothers seemed more aware of the importance of communicating sensitive topics with their children. Through group presentations and role plays, they highlighted the importance of active listening and employed some tips that the counselor recommended when having difficult conversations, like getting close to the teenager or avoiding getting angry with him/her, and being kind and not judgmental.
We delivered a short pre-post survey to parents to measure if there was a change in parents' behaviors through counseling. The post-survey included questions about the most important things they learned, how they will practice those concepts at home, and if their knowledge and attitude toward adolescent sexual health changed after the counseling sessions. Mothers recognized the importance of parents being closer and more friendly to their children for their family and kids' well-being. Moreover, mothers plan to understand and open up conversations on complex topics by talking to their kids. They will encourage the talks, even more, when they notice a specific change in their kids' behavior, showing them not to be afraid to hide things from their mother. Finally, some of the mothers expressed that with all the tools and strategies learned, they felt empowered to talk to their kids about relationships, alcohol, and sex in the future.
Finally, mothers also dispelled myths and cleared misconceptions. One of the counselors, seeing the low contraceptive understanding among mothers, decided to add an explanation of each method and how it was used. During the session, an unaccounted effect was also achieved: mothers themselves learned about the different contraceptive methods available. "Nobody taught us this before" was the reaction of one of the participants to the exhibition of condoms, IUDs, and pills. Other mothers expressed that they now understand that it is not necessarily bad that teenagers engage in romantic relationships, as opposed to their initial beliefs.
At the end of the day, I was thrilled to see the mothers understand the importance of healthy reproductive health and be involved in the activities with passion. That made me hope for a future change where women decide over their bodies, and opportunities for the most vulnerable are close to their hands.
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