Parents ABC launched to promote positive parenting as part of EU and UNICEF joint campaign

TBILISI, Georgia, 20 July 2022 – Educational resource on positive parenting “Parents ABC” was released today as part of the communication for social change campaign “Be a Positive Parent” which has been carried out by UNICEF with the support from the European Union. 

The publication was presented at a special event attended by representatives of the Government, the EU, UNICEF, parents, writers and psychologists who talked about the publication and the importance of positive parenting.

The interactive educational manual “Parents ABC” was developed for parents and caregivers and is very similar to a well-known Georgian alphabet manual “Mother language” (Deda Ena). It will provide useful tips to parents on how to handle challenges in relation with their children and how to build positive communication with them.

“I do hope that the “Parents’ ABC” will contribute to changing harmful social norms on using violent methods in children’s upbringing”, - Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia.

“Today’s discussion can further activate a dialogue on positive parenting between decision-makers, different professionals and parents themselves with the aim of building a better, violence free lives for children”, Khalil added.

The Parents’ ABC is available in printed and digital form on a web-based positive parenting platform called “Be a parent”. This practical, interactive, digital tool aims at promotion of positive parenting through educating on negative consequences of violence and methods of positive discipline.

The campaign “Be a Positive Parent” is part of the EU and UNICEF joint project “Strengthening Systems and Services for Child Protection in Georgia” and focuses on Guria, Imereti and Shida Kartli regions of Georgia with the aim of promoting positive parenting methods in these regions. The campaign works with parents and caregivers in schools and kindergartens, municipalities, and local communities and provides specificinformation and tools about positive parenting. Partners of the campaign are “Behavior Insights and Strategic Communication Team” (BISC Partners), NGO GCRT and Creative Agency “Leavingstone”.

Positive parenting practices provide guidance on how to handle emotions or conflicts in manners that encourage judgment and responsibility and preserve children's self-esteem, physical and psychological integrity and dignity. Too often however, children are raised using punitive methods that rely on the use of physical force or verbal intimidation to obtain desired behaviors. 

According to the UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey carried out in Georgia in 2018, around 69 per cent of children experienced any violent discipline methods. 31 per cent of children experienced physical punishment, 5 percent of children – severe physical punishment, like hitting or slapping a child on the face, head or ears, and hitting or beating a child hard and repeatedly. 66 per cent of children were exposed to psychological aggression.