One-hundred and twenty rural farmers came together April 14th and 15th in one community in Bac Giang Province to learn about caring for and educating teenagers.
In our assessment of this community, we saw a real need for assisting parents and grandparents in knowing how to guide and communicate effectively with their young people. The culture is changing fast and with the internet and other new technologies, parents in rural areas need support to understand their children’s challenges and lives. Added to this, many parents work far from home leaving their teenagers for the grandparents to raise further widening the communication gap.
Conference topics included: understanding teenage physical and emotional/psychological development, characteristics of teenagers, how to care for and educate teenagers in light of this knowledge, as well as proper nutrition for healthy development.
Our consultant, Mrs. Ha Thi Thanh Van, listened to participant’s real-life situations and provided them information and skills to respond to each situation constructively.
Also, we know in the teen years that young bodies need more nutrients in order to develop well. However, many families did not know this and as a result failed to provide what was needed. Mrs. Van helped local people understand what was needed and to plan for making changes in their teenager’s diets.
Thanks, YWAM Mercy, for organizing these conferences. We are farmers. We just work hard in the fields and really don’t know how to talk with our children, especially at these ages. Now I am more confident in communicating with and caring for my children.