Returning to Learn: Former Students Become Wiser Parents
The school reopened its doors - not for children, but for their parents.
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Every Thursday afternoon, after a long workday, something quietly powerful unfolded inside the familiar classrooms of Gjorgji Sugarev Primary School in Bitola. For six consecutive weeks, the school reopened its doors - not for children, but for their parents.
Many of them had once sat in those same classrooms as pupils - children navigating school, friendships, and uncertain futures. Years later, they returned not as students, but as mothers and fathers - determined to give their own children stronger foundations.
Through a UNICEF supported parenting programme, implemented in partnership with the Institute Alternativa, they came to learn something many had never been taught themselves: how to build more positive and supportive relationships with their children.
A circle of honesty and hope
The final session carried a different kind of energy. Chairs were arranged in a circle, creating a space for openness and shared experience. Parents began as they always did, by introducing themselves and sharing how they felt.
“Optimistic.”
“Fulfilled.”
“Tired, but hopeful.”
Those words reflected not just the moment, but the journey of the past six weeks. Parents had practiced new approaches at home, learning to manage negative behaviour by focusing on what they wanted their children to do. At first, it felt unnatural. Slowly, it began to work.
Nurdžan: “When we joined the programme, we realized that we have very similar ways of behaving as parents. I understood that sometimes I need to put myself in the role of a child and take time to play with them, because household chores never end, but the time we spend with our children is very important,” said Nurdžan, a mother.
Parents were not just learning, they were changing. And they were starting to see the results – with many parents reporting improvements in their children’s behaviour after applying new approaches at home.
Building a “House of Support”
At the heart of the programme is a simple but powerful idea: raising children within a strong “House of Support.” A home where children feel safe, seen, and guided, and where relationships are built through everyday interactions.
Like any house, it is built step by step.
Parents learned to lay the foundations through small, practical actions: spending focused one-on-one time, noticing and praising positive behaviour, giving calm and clear instructions, and knowing when to pause.
At first, these actions seemed small. But together, they began to reshape daily life at home. Parents described fewer conflicts, improved communication and more frequent moments of connection.
For Nurdžan, the realization was profound:
“We are the window through which children see the world; what we say shapes them.”
Through the programme, she explained, parents were learning not to pass on the stress of everyday challenges to their children, but to manage it and create a more supportive home environment.
Role Play and Real Laughter
That learning came to life during role play. In one example, Tomislav took on the role of a child, while Nurdžan played the parent. Their exaggerated exchange - full of resistance and playful defiance - filled the room with laughter.
At the back, three children who had come along because their parents had no one to leave them with watched with delight, amused by the sight of adults acting like children.
But beneath the laughter was something deeper. Parents were stepping into their children’s perspective—testing new responses and reflecting together on what works in practice.
For Martina, the change was already visible at home:
“As a result of the programme, I now use praise much more with my child, which was not the case before.”
What once felt like abstract advice had become something practical and applicable in everyday life.
A Place Where Dads Matter, Too
The sessions also revealed a quiet but important shift: both mothers and fathers were present and engaged.
One father, Vladimir, attended the final session in place of his wife, who was preparing that night for a family celebration. But, as he explained, they experienced the programme together. After each session, they shared everything they had learned.
Tomislav spoke about what kept him coming back each week, even after long days: the positive energy in the room, and the sense that he would always leave with something useful to apply at home.
In this way, the programme reached beyond the classroom, helping to strengthen not only parent-child relationships, but also cooperation between parents.
The Power of Small Changes
When the group first met, one issue quickly surfaced: children’s excessive use of mobile phones. Parents struggled to know how to manage it.
What they discovered was simple, but transformative. Parents observed that as they spend more time connecting with their children —playing, talking, being present—children were less inclined to turn to screens.
Martina saw the difference clearly: “After I started getting involved in playing with my children, they no longer ask for the mobile phone.”
Parents began to apply the same approach to other challenges.
Larisa shared her experience:
“My son is in first grade and I had many problems getting him to do his homework. But as a result of the programme, I started applying what I learned here. Now we first spend one-on-one time, which he really enjoys, and then he sits down to do his homework.”
Again and again, the same lesson emerged: encouragement works better than punishment.
For Vesna, the collective learning made all the difference:
“I really enjoyed coming to the workshops because this is where we share what other parents are doing, and I try some of those things at home with my children.”
The Stone Soup Story and a Promise for Tomorrow
As the session drew to a close, the facilitator shared a story about a grandmother who arrived in a disconnected village and began making soup from a single stone. Curious, villagers each brought something - leeks, carrots, spices - until together they created something nourishing.
Over six weeks, each of them had contributed—experiences, ideas, support. Together, they had built something stronger than any individual effort.
Certificates were handed out, marking the end of the programme. Still, no one rushed to leave. Parents lingered, talking, laughing, already reflecting on how much they would miss their Thursday gatherings.
More Than a Programme
What began as a series of sessions had become a space of trust, learning, and belonging. Parents who once sat in these classrooms as children were now shaping a different experience for the next generation - one built on attention, encouragement, and stronger relationships.
School principal Biljana Temelkovska highlighted that she is very satisfied with the programme, noting that it has helped improve communication with parents and strengthens relationship between teachers, parents, and children—contributing to a more positive school environment.
As parents stepped out of the school that evening, it was clear that the journey would not end there. Plans are already in place to continue the momentum through follow-up support, regular check-ins, and peer connections.
Building on these results, UNICEF is working in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science to support the gradual expansion to other schools, strengthening the links between families and schools so that every child has the support to stay engaged and succeed in learning.
And while the sessions may have lasted just six weeks, the house they began building is one that will continue to grow - day by day, interaction by interaction - long after the programme ends.
