Scenario Building-2

Creation of persona and scenario thereafter is essential to understand the project’s target group. It will help me understand how the target group utilizes my design, and the type of information they need most from my deliverable.

I had initially prepared a few scenarios and approached my guide. However the scenarios appeared incomplete. I was asked to understand my project with more clarity and there upon base my parameters for scenario building. I was also asked to look up the various intelligences an individual possesses and how it is utilized. Various questions had to be anwered such as— Who are children? What is their actual purpose? What do they want from education?

“Absorbent Mind” by Maria Montessori came to my aide. It made me realize that each child is a constructor of man he is to be. I got several insights on the psychic behind many behavior patterns of children. “You’re smarter than you think”-by Dr. Thomas Armstrong and “Children: How to manage them now that you’ve got them” were useful as they tried to explain children and their behavior in simple language.

Based on the above readings I reframed the scenarios. From amidst the various interviews I have had of parents, I observed that few incidents were repeating in many families. So I have taken up four problems which I found predominantly in my interviews.

Scenario One: Hearing impairment being a cause of worry for parents.

Nikhil is a five year old boy who suffers from hearing impairment and is assisted by hearing aid. His world revolves around abacus. He enjoys playing games on the computer. He loves his activity and puzzle books. Whenever his mother takes him to the children’s park near his house, he carefully observes everyone around. He also enjoys solving picture puzzles. Sometimes he juggles up the puzzle pieces and begins to solve them over and over again. Everyday his father drops him to school and his mother picks him. Occasionally when he meets his grandparents, he prefers to stay close to his mother. He is quite reserved and is mostly  occupied with the things he is fond of.

The environment around him:

He lives with his parents in a rented apartment. His grandparents stay in another city. The family belongs to middle income group. His father is afinancial analyst in a bank. He leaves for work at around 8.30 and returns home by 9 at night. Mother is homemaker. She used to work as an interior designer but had to quit as she discovered Nikhil’s illness. They feel their child needs special attention and therefore they try to be very patient with him. They aspire that Nikhil grows up like a normal being and lead a healthy life. At times his mother’s friend who lives next door pays them a visit. But that is seldom. Twice a year they take Nikhil to visit his grandparents. There is not much of neighbor intrusion. Usually in the evening mother takes Nikhil for a walk and plays with him in the Children’s park.

Problem:

In the month of April, when the news arrived from Kendriya Vidyalaya that Nikhil has got admission- his mother became extremely nervous. She was happy but at the same time worried. She was worried as to how would he be able to manage so many hours without her. Would teachers help him, would they understand his situation and give her son the attention he needs. Often she used to cry to herself about her son’s condition on leaving him all by himself in school.

Scenario Two: Child takes time to realize.

Meher is a four year old girl, who is very talkative and energetic. She loves to sing songs by herself and often requests her father to play her favourite music. She is stubborn to an extent and at times dictates. When a guest is at home, she starts singing and dancing and often has to be dragged to the corner to stop. She does not like it when she finds her mother frowning at her and often goes and sits in her balcony alone. Her father usually drops her to school and her mother picks her up.

                                                                

                                                                  The environment around her:

Meher lives with her parents. Her grandparents stay in another village near by. Her father is a sound engineer and works for All India Radio Mumbai. He usually leaves by 9 and returns home by 7-7:30. Her mother is a homemaker. Meher is slightly scared of her mother and enjoys her father’s company. Meher’s mom feels that it is essential for the child to love what it is doing and so she does not force her to color or solve puzzles. She lets her do things by her own will. She believes that gradually Meher will understand and learn by herself. Since she is the only grandchild-she is very much pampered by her paternal grandparents whom she meets once in two months. They love to splurge on her with toys and dresses.

Problem:

Meher had been fine for the first week of her school but later when she realised that she had to stay in school for quite some time she began to object to it. For four days she was fine but on Friday morning she had to be dragged for brushing- she started crying that she did not wish to go to school. She clung to the door. Her mother felt that Meher was acting very stubborn and shouted at her. This made her cry even more and so both the parents decided to let her stay back. However both parents remained baffled as to why all of a sudden she did not want to go to school.

Scenario Three: Scared of school route

Malay is a five year old boy. He loves to play with his father’s mobile because he finds the apps very interesting. He also enjoys playing games on computer. Moreover he is fond of watching birds and often asks about them. He is not only friendly with the neighborhood kids but also loves to play with the dogs and cats in his compound. He is keen of visiting zoo and aquarium. He loves to help his mother when she is pruning plants and watering pots in the balcony. Often after coming back from school he likes to decide the clothes by himself and also looks forward to wearing good contrast of colors. At times he fights with his elder brother. He loves to wear his elder brother’s t-shirts and caps.

The environment around him:

He stays with his parents and an elder brother who is nine years old. Father is a graphic designer at an advertising agency whereas mother has been freelancing as illustrator. Father leaves home by eight and comes home by 10-11. Father has a very stressful life. He only gets off on Sunday. Malay’s mother does not put much restriction on him and lets him explore his environment by himself. She encourages him to spend time outdoors and also asks his elder brother to play with him. Since they stay in a colony, many children come to play in the evenings. While his mom goes to meet her friends from the neighborhood, Malay joins his brother along with his friends. He does not talk much but is a good listener. He often accompanies his grandparents to the temple on Saturdays. He enjoys their company.

Problem:

Since Malay’s school was nearby, his mom used to walk with him and drop him to school as well as pick him up. After three days of beginning his school- Malay refused to walk further. He began to wail out and cry loudly begging his mom to take him back. Again, the next day when his grandmother was taking him to a shop which lies on the same route, he began to cry asking his grandma to take him back. She tried explaining him that they are not going to school, yet he continued to cry till she had to return back.

Scenario Four: Difficulty in interacting with peers

Shayar is five year old. He is an aggressive child. He loves to play indoor games such as snake and ladders and carom, etc. He enjoys watching television and playing Angry Birds on his mother’s phone. He loves to hear his mom read him stories but feels too lazy to do it himself. He throws a lot of tantrums if his grandparents or parents leave him and go.

The environment around him:

He lives with his parents and grandparents. Father owns a business while mother is a teacher in the junior section of a reputed school. Father leaves home by 10 o’clock in the morning and returns by 7 whereas mother leaves home by 8:30 and returns by 1. Since he is the only child of his parents and the only grandchild he is very much pampered at home. Both parents feel that Shayar should open up and start talking to others. Whenever guests come home and he sees his mother talking to them and not paying him sufficient attention, he gets annoyed and runs about throwing things. Shayar’s family rarely interact with the neighbors.

Problem:

Shayar was looking forward to attend his new school and learn more. However after a few days the teacher noticed that he refused to share his things with others. He would also end up quarrelling with other children many a times and often came back home crying. At home he would not share what happened in school , leaving his parents uncertain of his behavior and well being in school.

Scenario Building

After going through the previous posts, my guide pointed out the information graphic done to show the problems which affect the child due to its surrounding relationships needed a more clear picture. Situations had to be created in order to understand what the child actually needs while undergoing the stress at school beginning phase. Scenario building was recommended. Also when thinking of the end deliverable it could serve as a reminder to parents requesting them to do certain things which could help the child. Examples of toilet training, food training and psychologically preparing them for school should be sighted out. The trainings are in a way manifestation of the relationships which a  child shares with its parents or the caretaker. 

Meeting Teachers-3

After seeking permission from Mrs. Ingrid de Rozario, the headmistress for Primary Section at St. Xavier's High School, I met three teachers who teach at the kindergarten department.

The scenario of parents posing a problem for their children is evident everywhere. Teachers have grown conscious of this fact and feel the parents today are increasingly insecure. While discussing it with the teachers, the question of faith comes in. How to trust your own child-that’s the new question. This leads to various other problems.  Each problem is very subjective in nature. Here's a list of the key issues I  could figure out after talking to them.

• Lack of Freedom: Parents cannot trust their children to do things by themselves. This results in restraining their movement and thoughts.
• Dependence: Due to lack of freedom, the child becomes very dependent. So when it starts its school, its not only that he is mentally unprepared, he is physically also unprepared which aggravates the mental health further. Lack of toilet training and eating habits can cripple the child's interaction in school. A case was shared where the five year olds were taken for a picnic and given food packets each. One child put his entire mouth in the packet because he didn’t know how to eat by hands. Later when his mother was called, it was found that she never let him eat by himself. She always fed him for the fear of him messing with his food.
• Fear of Competition: It’s the parents who fear that their child shouldn't lag behind in class and want him or her to stand apart. Each considers their child to be the best. This results in parents expecting from their children. Many a times, children fail to perform well in pressure, the reason being pushy parents.
• Mother's think they are the best mothers when they do everything for the child. This is a disaster situation for a child. Too much dependence or too much independence both have a negative impact. Parents should understand that.

In many cases the Joint Family system is also considered a problem.  Due to grandparents or relatives intervention parents many a times feel that they have no say for their child. Another interesting observation which one of the teachers came across was parents who are in professional field may not have the time to spend with their children but in many cases they are the ones who are quick to analyse what their child needs or where he lacks. Whereas mothers who tend to spend more time at home often tend to worry more than necessary. The teachers were concerned about the teaching pattern at home also. They felt that more importance should be given to understanding the subject than by hearting it. Parents often neglect these issues and this weakens the basis of education in children. 

Meeting Teachers-2

Meeting Teachers-2

I next headed to the primary section of Udgam School, a C.B.S.E affiliated
school. Udgam School for Children was founded 47 years ago in a small building by Mrs. Sarojben Carvalho. Eventually the school grew and it was necessary to shift to a bigger premises. As an international university preparatory high school committed to excellence, Udgam School seeks to educate students to be accountable, productive, and ethical citizens with the skills to think innovatively, reason critically, communicate effectively, and respect peoples of other cultures.

Mrs Hina Desai who teaches at the nursery shared some of her experiences on her involvement with parents and her role in handling both children and parents. I started off by explaining her about the project telling her about a guideline or a structure that can be developed for parents which can be useful for them to handle their kids while beginning school. Mrs. Desai then questioned me “ Do you really think that parents really read all guidelines.” I told her that what if such material is available to parents at the time of admission, to which she replied that yes that could be possible and appreciated the idea. She also suggested that personal counselling of parents or an interactive workshop of parents and teachers can also be held for that.

Mrs. Hina Desai

I had several key questions in my mind and I thought I should directly talk about the scenario.

Q. What should parents do when their child begins school?

A. At the time of admission the background of child can be deciphered. So the    
    teachers could have an interactive session with the parents and address their     
    questions at the initial stage itself. The parents should understand the role   
    they are supposed to play by initiating education of their children. They 
    should think of ways in which they can support both the child as well as the  
    school.

Q.What problems do children commonly face while beginning school?

A.Children are very insecure when they begin with school. Parents too feel 
    insecure. Children don’t know what a school is. Once they realize that at the  
    end of the day they go back home, which normally takes about 15 days then 
    they start feeling comfortable. But in special cases such as a disabled child, 
    more love, affection and encouragement is needed. They should have special 
    classes for them. However society is not always ready to accept a disabled 
    child in the institution which further causes a restrain on its education.

Q.How open our children with their parents?

A.Children do take time to share what happens in school with their parents. In 
    such case the parents should not try to force the child to speak out. Give 
    children time to understand what is happening around them and then let them 
    come on their own and share. However these days, parents have also become 
    careless and at times forget to get the child involved and motivated towards 
    school. Their own busy schedules dilute their attention for their children.

Q.How should parents make their child feel comfortable? What all can they 
    possibly do?

A. Motivation and warmth are the key ingredients for a child to feel comfortable 
    anywhere. Parents should tell them about school, about the enjoyment in 
    school and about new things they can learn. Parents should talk cheerfully 
    about school as though befriending school and their child. At the same time 
    also be strict, in case the child throws tantrums on going to school. The child 
    shouldn't always be spared because then it would not take things seriously. If 
    it doesn’t like anything it would want to refuse but it’s the duty of parents to 
    make the child realize the importance of school, and the morals it carries with 
    itself.

Q.What is the role play of siblings?

A.Siblings generally tend to be very protective of their younger brothers or 
    sisters. It does play a very critical role for a child whose sibling is already 
    studying in that school. It becomes much easier. Usually siblings tend to 
    encourage their younger ones. At times they even try to scare them off but in 
   such cases teachers do take initiative to explain to the elder ones to motivate 
    the younger ones.

Q.Has the working pattern of parents affected the child?

A.Children belonging to parents, where both are working are highly insecure. 
    Parents should be encouraged to spend time with them as much as possible.  
   There was a case when this little boy was having cough and cold yet his mother 
   sent him to school. While leaving for home, his mother had come to collect 
   him, instead of his nanny. The teacher questioned his mother about the child’s 
   cold. The mother told that he didn’t have cold until he reached school and 
   that he has been pretending. The teacher knew that it was a genuine case of 
   cold and asked the mother not to forcefully send the child to school just 
   because she herself doesn’t have time. Later when the child was asked 
   whether he liked staying at home he said that he didn’t like it because 
   whenever he fell ill no one gave him medicine and his parents were always 
   working. This kind of treatment by parents can have a long lasting effect on 
   the child. It might cause severe insecurity and affect him mentally as well as 
   physically.

Q.Is the growing trend of nuclear families affecting the child?

A.Yes definitely it is. Nuclear families generally comprise of the parents and the 
   children and grandparents to some extent. The trend of having a single child 
   and also living in flats has moulded the child’s behavior. Parents while away
   for work often instruct their nannies to not let the child out. So he basically   
   gets constricted to his tiny flat. The only means of entertainment are 
   television or books, This results in him being shy and introvert. Such children 
  feel scared when they immediately come to school. They are not used to see 
  hundreds of other kids. They are not used to talking. All this causes phobia in 
  child’s mind. 

   In case of grandparents also there are diverse situations. Many grandparents 
   feel that whatever they couldn't give their children, they will give it to their 
   grandchildren. By means of doing so, they often pamper them. Whereas in 
   some cases, the mother-in law are aware that their interference in their 
   grandchild’s life will not be liked by their children or their daughter-in-law. So 
   they often keep silent and not pay heed to how the grandchild is being 
   treated. Even if they wish to they are scared. Thus the child is helpless as he 
   has no one to approach. All this can lead to psychological problems. Even if 
   the child ended up growing normally, if his school beginning years are not 
   taken sensitively, the child may start bed wetting, thumb sucking or 
   stammering.

Q.What about fathers in today’s scenario?

A.Fathers have become more supportive knowing that their wives are also busy. 
   Of late more and more fathers turn up for the PTA meetings.

Q.What would you suggest the young generation when it comes to dealing 
    with kids and their education?

 A.“Please,please give time to your children.”

      Often a mother’s stress is transferred to the kid. So a mother should try and  
      be calm. They should be patient with their children. They should meditate if 
      they feel that their schedule is erratic and they bash their children 
      frequently. Basically both parents need to control their emotions while 
      talking to their children.

Understanding the existing scenario

Meeting Teachers-1

Prior to that day I had spoken to Mrs. Himani and scheduled an appointment.

She has been in the profession of educating playschool children for the past eleven years and currently heads Cocoon, a playschool and a nursery. I began by explaining my purpose to see her and then went on to explain the project. Interacting with tender aged children as well as their parents has given her a wide experience of the numerous situations that occur and how the children, parents and teachers deal with it at their own levels. She felt that every child is unique and each of them should be treated so. No one solution is good enough for a problem faced by these children. 

Beginning with education consists of familiarizing with the environment and the people around, understanding the why and how of things happening around us. Children initially do take some time to adjust with the new surroundings. In most cases ten days are minimally needed after which he begins to enjoy school. He or she will become active in what goes on at the school. However the time junction where the parents take their child out from home for school still remains crucial for parents to handle. They may enjoy school but the phase where they are to leave the house still remains troublesome. Many parents find it very hard to handle their children not because the child is being stubborn but because they themselves are afraid to detach themselves from kids. This usually happens in cases where mothers are homemakers.

Also with changing times many women too have decided to go out and work. Many scenarios have emerged out of this. The child could be left in care of his grandparents or his maid or his siblings or any relative. In each case the behavior possibility is manifold. In a case of nuclear family, when both parents are working, often the aspect of guilt comes in where parents feel that they are not devoting enough time to their children and in turn over pamper them. Whereas there are some parents who do time shifts so that when father is not available the mother is and vice versa. One can’t really generalize the situation.

School beginning is one of the first big changes in a child’s life. Even though a child can put his feelings to words he feels stressed. In such a scenario parents often forget about the fear in their child’s mind and force him to school. There are two things parents should keep in mind:

1. They should not push their child a lot, give him his space.
2. They should never compare its growth to others.

Parents should give their children time to settle before beginning to question them about what is happening in school. The children should come by themselves and talk about it. The conversation ended with Mrs. Himani mentioning a memory of hers when her daughter was born. She said that one of the first lessons she learnt as a mother was to be patient and not compare her child’s capabilities with any other because every child is unique.

Proposal Feedback

After a few corrections the proposal was signed in on the final draft. Thereupon the research strategies were discussed. 

User study: The task here was to identify situations when kids are sent to school and what are the possibilities in which they behave and the ways in which the parents respond.  On the basis of my past experiences as well as listing down how my family members and friends recall their school going times various scenarios had to be identified.

Literature: Books on Relation between parents and children and also on understanding the problems faced by children and their psychology have to be referred in order to get a better view.

Meeting professionals and parents: Skimming information from people who work closely with children especially of the age group of 4-6 years would be beneficial. Principals and teachers of preschool and junior schools could give valuable insight on how kids conduct themselves at the initial stages. Moreover interactions with parents and conducting Focus Group discussions could be highly informative in knowing the existing behavior and how to steer the circumstance in a better way.