Talking about media - parent's evening in kindergarten - initiative office growing up well with media

Families with children – regardless of income – are very well equipped with media. This is also shown by the recently published KIM study 2016. Parents have an important role model function, especially when it comes to media use, and must be aware of this. The daycare center as an everyday meeting place makes it possible, also the Reaching parents who would otherwise not take advantage of media education advice.

This guide describes with helpful tips and information how to get to grips with parents well and successfully through the media.

Appointment and invitation

When choosing an appointment, pay attention to a time that is appropriate for parents and whether other important events may take place in parallel (street festival in the district, football game).

Welcome and introduction: reflecting on your own habits and needs

The aim of the “heroine clothesline” entry method is to make parents aware of the importance of media characters for children be sensitized, think about the functions of idols and deal critically with role models and prejudices. To do this, collect photos of media stars from TV newspapers and magazines. Glue the photos onto colorful A4 paper and hang them on a clothesline stretched across the room.

After the greeting and an overview of the evening, ask the parents to take two pictures of the leash: one person they like and one they dislike. The parents then present the selected celebrities to the group and give reasons for their selection. In the meantime, ask the other parents whether they share the opinion and also like the star. It quickly becomes clear how different the likes and dislikes are.

In this discussion, one can easily provoke: "How, do you like Stefan Raab? So that surprises me now! ”In the subsequent evaluation it can be made clear that an“ attack ”on the favorite stars can also be seen as a personal injury. The parents learn here how important it is to be sensitive and open to children’s preferences. In conversation with children, we learn a lot about the reasons for their likes and dislikes and about the issues that concern children right now.

Abstract: Information – motives for use, perception, impact

After this activating entry, the parents should receive basic information depending on the specific topic of the event. On the subject of "children and television" – television is still the leading medium of kindergarten children – that would be, for example, the role of media in children’s development, peculiarities of children’s perception, motives for media use and dealing with the question of the effects of media content. There are numerous materials that can be used for this.

Conclusion / discussion: Activate – rethink family media education

After the brief presentation of background information, it makes sense to carry out an activating offer again, such as a short app-test. It is important to give the participants the opportunity to exchange ideas and to allow questions.