ROBERT MUGABE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

BACHELOR OF EDUCATION DEPARTMNENT OF

ECD .

Lecturer: Mrs Chivhenge

Question: Children and adolescents ability to resist negative peer pressure and
nurturing a responsibility to make healthy decisions and avoiding risk behaviours can
be enhanced by practising life skills. Critically analyse any 10 life sills and use
examples to explain how they can help children and adolescents to make informed
decisions.

Module: ECDP407

Programme: BED ECD pre-service level 4:2

Group 6

NAME s: Mugomba Iydah M184263

Mutukwa Julian M184522
Rubende Ashley M184234
Sabao Marilyn M M184583
Chinyemba Noren M184144
Toringa Modina M184550

Comments:
Introduction

Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable humans to deal
effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. Life skills empower young
people to take positive action to protect themselves and promote health and positive social
relationships. They can be utilized in many content areas preventing drug use, sexual
violence, teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS prevention and suicide prevention. It further
encompases critical thinking, effective communication skills ,empathy, coping with stress
and emotion skills, self-management, decision making, creative thinking, problem solving,
self-awareness and sharing skills. This presentation is going to critically analyse life skills
and explain how they can help children and adolescence to make informed decisions. Key
terms to be defined are children, adolescence, pèer pressure and life skills.

Definition of terms

Drew and Rankin, (2004) defines a child as a human being up to the age of 18. Children can
be defined as a young human below the age of puberty or below the legal of majority. In this
context the child is defined as a human being up to the age of 18 years. According to
UNICEF (2012) peer pressure is persuading or encouraging one another person to engage in
certain types of behavior. Peer pressure is a feeling that one must do the same things as other
people of one's age and social group in order to be liked or respected by them. Life skills can
be defined as the ability for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal
effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life (WHO,2003). Unicef (2005)
defines life skills as a behavior change or behavior development approach designed to
address a balance of three areas which are knowledge, attitude and skills. Adolescence is the
developmental period occuring between childhood and adulthood (WHO,1998). Adolescence
is a transitional period marked by substantial changes in physical maturation cognitive
abilities and social interactions.

Critical thinking skills

One of the most effective and long term way of dealing with HIV / AIDS is to make young
children aware of preventative behaviour thus reducing the risk of contemporary disease later
in life. It is therefore important to development critical thinking skills in children (Drew and
Rankin, 2004). HIV / AIDS education can help reduce children's vulnerability by producing
them with the knowledge to make positive decisions about themselves and to develop an
understanding for those who are infected or affected. As thinking individuals who are capable
of expressing themselves, children should have a say on matters and decisions which affect
their lives and communities which they are part of. Critical thinking is one of the life skills
that help children and adolescents to make informed choices. In order for one to acquire this
skill according to Berk (2007), “the individual must be skilled at evaluating the future
consequences of their present actions and the actions of others, there is need to determine
alternative solutions and to analyse the influence of their own values and of those around
them”. For example, children and adolescence can be given games followed by guided
desicions on what lessons could be learned. Through these games they are asked to think
about given situations analyze the impact it may have on themselves or others around them
and express their feelings about it. HIV/AIDS education empowers young children and
adolescence to reflect on many issues surrounding epidemic and to equip them with thinking
skills and life skills necessary to make responsible decisions in future. It is important that
young children and adolescence learn these concepts at an early stage which will lead to
positive choices at a later stage. Children learn attitudes, behaviours and values that have an
impact later in life with regard to reducing risk of HIV/AIDS. Lack of thinking skills lead to
make uninformed decisions. For example, having unprotected sex with multiple partners
without protection as a result of peer pressure. This implies that, as a teacher one should
engage learners in HIV / AIDS education earlier. The teacher should make use of varied
activities including rhymes like " apa pangu don't touch" whilst pointing at private parts.
Therefore, critical thinking is a crucial life skill that enables learners to make healthy choices.

Effective communication skills

Communication skill is another life skill that helps children and adolescents to make
informed choices. This broadily describes the skills needed to get on and wok with other
people and particularly to transfer and recieve messages either in writing and verbally(). This
skill includes verbal and nonverbal communication, active listening and the ability to express
feelings and give back feedback. Prize, (2007) states that the communication skill involve
negotiation or refusal skills and assertiveness skills that directly affect one`s ability to
manage conflicts. Children and adolescence with effective communicatiin skills are able to
express themselves both verbally and non verbally, in ways that are appropriate to different
cultures and situation. This means being able to express opinions and desires, but also needs
and fears. And it may mean being able to ask for advice and help in terms of need. Children
may be engaged in activities like reciting memory veerses, poems and dramas to get rid of
shyness and fearness to gain courage and confidence to boost self esteem in order to clearly
express oneself. For example, if a child is suffering from sexual abuse, whereby a child is
asked to suck privare parts of an adult. In this case, the child should have the ability to narrare
the events as they happened. Teachers can engage adolescents in clubs such as girl guides and
boys scouts in these clubs coordinators must be friendly to their members so that they will
express their feelings without fear. HIV and AIDS education must be taught in the clubs so
that the children will be aware of the pandemic and ways it spreads, this will help to
minimize discrimination among adolescents and young children who were born infected with
the virus and those who are HIV negative. If a child have good communication skills he or
she will have assistance at an early stage. It is of paramount importance that children and
adolescence have communication skills so that they may be able to share ideas, new
knowledge on issues about HIV and Aids,that is, causes, preventative measures, behavior and
others (Fredricks,2002). Lack of communication skills leads to emotional stress and health
deterioration. As a caregiver, one should be approachable and be creative,engaging leaners in
a variety of activities that enhance communication skils. Therefore, communication is a very
important life skill which helps young children to say no especially at times of negative peer
pressure as this will help them to make informed choices.

Empathy skills

Empathy is the ability to listen and understand others` needs and express respect for those
around. According to Leary (2005) empathy is the ability to imagine what life is like for
another person even in a situation that will may not be familiar with. Lahey, (2007) posits
that the stability of the family, parenting style, types of family problems and conflicts in a
family will determine the type of stresses, conflicts and psychological effects on the
individual particularly on adolescents. These situations lead to unnecessary stress, anger
issues and low self-esteem resulting in, low academic performances, and disruptive behaviour
in school and at home. For example, a child who is a victim of domestic violence at home is
likely not able to show empathy on other peers of the same age because of the way of life that
he observe at home, therefore, caregivers should engage young children in games like,” tauya
kuzoona Mary,” as this will teach these children to have empathy on others. Another example
is of an adolescent who is sexual active and suffers from an STI, if that teenager is not given
proper counselling he or she is likely to spread the STI as a way of revenging the one who
infected him or her without having empathy for others and will end up being infected with
HIV in the process, therefore, adolescents should have guidance and counselling lessons so
that they will be taught different ways of handling situations they come across in life without
affecting anyone.Empathy help children and adolescence to umdersatand and accept others
who may be very different from them, which improves social interactions. It also helps to
encourage nurturing behavior toward people in need of care and assistance, or tolerance, as
the case with Aids sufferers whom may be stigmatised by the very people they depend upon
for support. Hence, empathy is a life skill that helps young children and adolescents to make
informed choices.

Coping with stress and emotions skills

Coping with stress and emotions is a skill that young children and adolescents should acquire
in order to avoid risk behaviours. It involves recognizing emotions in ourselves and others,
being aware of how emotions influence behaviour, and being able to respond to emotions
appropriately. Intense emotions like anger or sorrow can have negative effects to health if one
does not react appropriately. Coping with sress is about recognizing the sources of stresses in
life, recognising how this affect us and acting in ways that help to control our levels of stress
(Singh, 2003). This means taking action to reduce the sources of stress, for example, by
making changes to the physical environment or life style and learning how to relax. This
refers to skills to increase the internal locus of control, so that the individual believes that
they can make a difference in the world and affect change. Anger, grief and anxiety must all
be dealt with, and the individual learn to cope loss or trauma. For example, if the teacher
identifies unusual behaviors like bullying others,quiteness, confusion on a learner, the teacher
may help the child to cope with stress by providing guidance and counselling. When the child
manages to cope with stress he or she will be able to interact with others and develops
socially. If the learner failed to cope with stress and emotions he or she will develop
behàvioral disorders. Hence, coping with stress and emotions is a crucial life skill in HIV and
Aids.

Self-management skills

Self- management is a life skill that includes, self -esteem, self- awareness self- evaluation
skills and the ability to set goals. For example, caregivers can engage young children and
adolescents in activities such as group works so that they will appreciate each other during
their practices, this will motivate those who were born with HIV they will be aware that they
can set goals and achieve them because they are just like any other peer of their age, this will
also boost their self-esteem.This skill helps young children and adolescents in developing
attitudes and behaviour necessary for preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS. According to,
McWhirter, (2007) “self-management skills help young people with decision making skills
which is a goal oriented sequence of affective and cognitive operations that leads to
behavioural responses”. Absent of self management skills may affect learners as they fail to
achieve set goals like failing to complete given work. This implies that educators assist
learner to achieve set goals. Therefore, self- management is a skill that helps young children
and adolescents to make informed choices as they will be aware of their capabilities.

Decision making skills

Decision making is a lifeskill that also help children and adolescents resist peer influence.
Decision making according to UNICEF, (2012) is a choice that one makes between two or
more possible options .The process of making decisions entails reasoning, weighing each
option, which helps to deal with problems constructively rather than impusively.ECD
children can gain decision making skills through dramatisation.For instance, they can
dramatise a topic on sharing sharp objects.Children get to explore real life experiences in
regard to HIV/AIDS education where they are enlightened the importance of making good
decisions on everything rather than making decisions impulsively which will affect the rest of
their lives.In this case sharing of sharp objects with an infected person even those that are
beloved ones might get them infected with HIV.Adolescents can be given role plays, watch
or read stories about HIV/AIDS and peer pressure. Such type of activities give them
opportunities to look deeply and critically into problems or issues creatively weighing all
alternative options taking into account values,faith and beliefs. In the world of today children
and adolescents grow up surrounded by mixed messages about sex and adolescent pregnancy.
On one hand parents and teachers warn of the dangers of early and promiscuous sex,
STI/HIV/AIDS and on the other hand messages and behaviour from enternainers and peer
pressure contradicting those messages but rather promote the opposite behaviour .It is
through these life skills that children and adolescent fight these challenges and protect
themselves from teenage pregnancy, STDs, HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse and many other health -
related problems through effective decision making skills (Singh, 2003). Decision making
empowers both girls and boys to fully develop physically and emotionally and to help other
young people avoid risks and hardships through making healthy decisions. Failure to have
decision making skills might make them lack critical awareness in other people's views and
are likely to suffer from negative peer pressure influence. Educators should guide and help
children and adolescents in making important life plans.Thus desicion making is a life skill
that help children and adolescents.

Creative thinking skills

Creative thinking is an important life skill which helps children and adolescents in avoiding
risk behaviours. It contributes to both decision making and problem solving by enabling
learners to explore the available alternatives and various consequences of their actions or
non-action (Prize, 2007). It is the ability to formulate and come up with one's own
information with or without given alternatives. It involves the use of intellect, deductive and
inductive reasoning so as to formulate and produce better thoughts. For example, to
adolescents, the teacher can ask them to formulate their own rhymes, poems, or dramas on
how HIV/AIDS is spread and dangers associated with the infection. This means that, learners
can overcome peer pressure since they will be able to use their thinking skills and thus
reducing the spread of HIV. Creative thinking skills helps children and adolescents to look
beyond their direct experience, and even if no problems is identified, or no decision is to be
made. It informs young people not to be initiated in sex early in life either voluntarily or
forcibly. According to Leary (2005), creative thinking skills can help children and
adolescents to respond adaptively and with flexibility to the situations of their daily lives. The
dangers of not having creative skills is that children and adolescents may fail to reason
widely from situations they come accross in their lives. This implies that, teachers should
engage learners in activities which allow them for creative thinking, including reasoning and
formulating their own ideas and information. Therefore creative thinking skills are important
since they nurture learners to make informed decisions.

Problem Solving skills

Problem solving skill is an analytical process used to identify the possible solutions to the
situation at hand (Price 2007). Problem solving is the process of identifying a problem,
developing possible solutions paths, and taking the appropriate course of action (Singh,
2003). For instance the teacher may engage learners in dramatic activities whereby they act
out the scenes on how the infected persons will take in the antiritovial drugs as prescrbed by
the doctor. This is done to supress all the infectious diseases associated with HIV/AIS. Good
problem solving skills empower young children and adolesence not only in thier proffessional
life.They grew up having knowledge about the importance of taking HIV/AIS drugs as
recommended by the doctor. Also problem solving enables learners to deal constructively
with problems in their lives. If problems are left unresolved can cause mental stress and give
rise to accompaying phsical strain.Failing to achieve problem solving skills will result in
defaulting or failer to take drugs conststantly. This implies that the teacher has to engage
learners in problem solving activies which will help them to deal with current problems and
being able to solve them. Hence, problem solving skills is imporant as it helps learners to
identify problems and how to solve them.

Self awareness skill

Self awareness skill includes our recognition of ourselves, character, strength and
weaknesses, desires and dislikes. It is also often a prerequisite for effective communication
and interpersonal relations.Self awareness is one aspect of emotional intelligence which is
considered to be of great importance in the clinical setting. According to Berk (2007) self
awareness is effective as it helps the child develop the ability to identify interests, abilities,
emotions and use appropriate methods to cope with stress. Self awareness is an weapon in
developing attitudes and behavior necessary for preventing spread of Hiv/aids (UNESCO,
2001). Acquiring self awareness skill empower girls to avoid pregnancy until they physical
and emotional maturity as they will be able to identify their needs and interests. Developing
self awareness can help us to recognise when we are stressed or feel under pressure. Children
and adolescence who lack self awareness skill end up copying their peer's behavior, attitudes
and views.As an educator, one can encourage children to play with peers of similar age, so
that they are not whelmed by the abilities of older children and forced to engage in early
sexual activities until they reach physical and emotional maturity.Hence self awareness helps
children and adolescents to avoid risk behaviours.

Sharing life skills

Sharing skills is the ability to expose hidden thoughts to other people (Berk 2007 ). If
learners are sexually abused they should be able to share information to the caregiver or
teacher. The ability to share information is important because the learner will release
emotional and social stress, hence getting medical help as well as guidance and counselling.
Learners infected with HIVand AIDS, can also share their life experiences with others while
educating others who are infected or affected. If one learner fails to cope up with sharing
skills, he/ she may suffer from emotional and social stress hence suffering from behavioural
disoders. One as a teacher has to engage learners in activies which enable learners to be able
to share the hidden information. Therefore, sharing skills are important they help learners get
a chance to be nurtured into having healthy decisions and thus avoiding negative peer
influence and risk behaviours.

Critique

However, some young children and adolescents are now influenced by media, they make
their decisions based on what they have seen on media, some of the entertainers on media
have a message that contradict with the life skills that these young people have received
therefore, some will be misled and end up engaging in premarital sex, drug abuse, teen
pregnancies and contracting STIs, HIV and AIDS. Berk, (2007) alludes that there is need for
caregivers to teach these young children and adolescents that what they see on media is not
the real picture but rather a make belief idealistic world, created by graphics, images and
make up. Therefore, parents and educators should have time to discuss with children what
they are enjoying most on the social media so that these children will not be controlled by the
media but rather real life events and experiences within their homes and communities.

Conclusion

In a nut shell, life skills are important in the lives of young children and adolescents as they
help them to cope with stress and emotion, develop critical thinking, communication,
decision making, empathy, self- management skills ,creative, problem solving, self-awareness
and sharing skills to make healthy choices thereby resisting peer pressure risky behaviours.
These life skills results in the acceptance of social norms that provide the foundation for adult
and social behaviour and also reduces the spread of HIV and AIDS.
References

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