JURNAL EMPATHY Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Vol. No. June 2025 DOI : https://doi. org/10. 37341/jurnalempathy. The Role of Interactive Education in Improving Emotional Relationships between Children and Parents at Kindergarten Cendani Lulu Habibah1*. Wijayanti Wijayanti2 Student of Nursing University Muhammadiyah PKU Surakarta Lecturer of Faculty of Health Sciences Muhammadiyah PKU Surakarta ABSTRACT Background: Children aged 0-6 years undergo rapid development crucial for their future, with parents serving as primary educators shaping their behavior and emotions. Parental involvement in education fosters social-emotional development, including emotion management and relationship Educating children and parents on prevention through innovative strategies, the Tree of Life is essential to address this. This activity aims to increase awareness and knowledge about violence prevention and strengthen parental roles in supporting childrenAos social-emotional development. Methods: The study involved 33 large-class students and 18 parents, using educational modules, questionnaires, and tools like Tree of Life and Aircraft Quiz. The implementation method includes the preparation of modules, outreach to children and parents, the use of interactive media such as the Tree of Life and Aircraft Quiz, as well as pretest-post test evaluation. ARTICLE HISTORY Received: January 24th, 2025 Accepted: July 3rd, 2025 KEYWORDS social-emotional development, tree of life, violence against children. CONTACT Cendani Lulu Habibah cendanilulu10@gmail. Department of Nursing. Universitas Muhammadiyah PKU Surakarta. Jl. Tulang Bawang Sel. No. Kadipiro. Banjarsari. Surakarta. Central Java 57136. Results: The Tree of Life, resembling an artificial plant with colorful leaves, effectively illustrated life and positive behavior. The community service program at Bakti Sawahan Islamic Kindergarten significantly improved children's understanding of violence, with pretest scores of 95. 6% and posttest scores of Parents' awareness of their role in preventing violence increased from 77. 2% to 91. Conclusion: The education program significantly improved knowledge of social-emotional violence among both children and The program is recommended to continue and be integrated into the curriculum to enhance children's socialemotional development and ensure a safe environment. Cite this as: Habibah. , & Wijayanti. The Role of Interactive Education in Improving Emotional Relationships between Children and Parents at Bakti Sawahan Kindergarten: violence against children. Jurnal Empathy Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 6. , 1Ae10. https://doi. org/10. 37341/jurnalempathy. INTRODUCTION Child abuse is a serious problem that requires quick attention. The 0Ae6 age group, known as early childhood, contains unique and distinctive traits. Children that fall within a specific age range, exhibit distinct traits, and are going through a significant and quick developmental process that may impact their future are referred to as "early childhood" . This issue is severe and needs to be handled right away, as evidenced by the fact that in February 2024, four out of 33 students at Bakti Sawahan Islamic https://jurnalempathy. com/index. php/jurnalempathy/ | 1 Kindergarten were victims of violence. Therefore, to lower the rate of violence and safeguard the destiny of future generations, parents and kids need to get thorough The majority of early life is spent at home. The family is the main setting in which children receive their education. Even if a child's biological development happens quickly, their family and surroundings nevertheless have a big social impact on them. Educating, mentoring, and nurturing their children until they are prepared to enter society is the main duty of parents. A mother and a father who are legally married make up the parents, who are members of the family . Parents are the primary and first educators for their children. Parents are the most influential figures in the lives of young children. Generally, education within the family is not structured and consciously directed, but rather occurs naturally and instinctively creates an educational environment. They are the individuals who are closest to and have the most intense contact with children during this important developmental stage . All activities and assistance aimed at promoting and guiding children's education and learning are considered as parental participation. Parenting, among other things, describes how parents are involved and communicate with their children. Parents help lay the groundwork for their children's behavior by acting as mentors and caregivers in the household. Children will always observe, evaluate, and imitate their parents' attitudes, actions, and routines. The ways in which parents show their authority, set rules, provide incentives and punishments, as well as pay attention to and react to their children are examples of parental attitudes . Emotion is an outpouring of feelings within a person. Children learn to manage their emotions gradually as part of the delayed emotional development process. One important component in a child's development is the child's ability to understand, manage, and control their emotions . The ability to feel, regulate, and express various emotions, both positive and negative, as well as to build solid relationships with peers and adults, and to actively explore and learn about their surroundings, are all components of social-emotional development . According to Law Number 137 of 2014 concerning the National Standards for Early Childhood Education (PAUD), children's social-emotional development has several achievements. First, self-awareness, which means that children are able to adapt to new environments, exercise caution towards strangers, and recognize and regulate their emotions. Second, a sense of responsibility towards themselves and others. Third, prosocial skills, meaning that children are capable of sharing with peers, playing together, and appropriately understanding and responding to the feelings of their friends . Negligence of parents or caregivers, physical, sexual, and psychological violence are all considered forms of violence against children. This violence includes proactive behavior or violations of caregiving patterns that harm children physically or This violence can occur in various places, including communities involving children, schools, homes, and organizations . According to the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), there were 087 reported incidents of violence against children in 2020, with most of these cases relating to parenting styles and family issues. Based on this data, violence against children is still quite high, and the majority of the perpetrators are family members, particularly the parents themselves . Based on the results of the observations, the https://jurnalempathy. com/index. php/jurnalempathy/ | 2 author concludes that education for parents and children is very important to reduce the incidence of violence. Therefore, this activity is focused on prevention initiatives using modern teaching techniques, including the Tree of Life. The purpose of this community service activity is to enhance the quality of emotional relationships between children and parents through interactive education, strengthen positive communication, and support both parents and children in understanding how to build healthy emotional attachments at the Islamic Kindergarten Bakti Sawahan. METHODS This community service lasts for five months, starting in April-August 2024. The research population consists of parents and students at the Islamic Kindergarten Bakti Sawahan. A sample of 18 parent respondents and 33 senior class student respondents is used in this study. The tools and instruments used in this research include educational modules and questionnaires. Additionally, it also uses the Tree of Life. Aircraft Quiz, banners, and feedback forms. Tree of Life is a learning tool shaped like an artificial plant that contains colorful and black-and-white leaves, used to depict life to children and the good behaviors that can serve as examples, whether they have experienced violence or not. Aircraft Quiz is an interactive learning method specifically designed for preschool children. This method uses airplane-themed games to help children answer questions related to pretests and post-tests about violence against children. With a fun and visual approach. This community service is carried out in three stages, namely the preparation stage, the education stage, and the evaluation stage. The preparation phase includes the development of educational modules, creation of pretest-post test questionnaires, design of learning media such as Tree of Life. Aircraft Quiz, banners, and feedback forms, as well as coordination with the school authorities. The implementation phase is carried out by providing interactive learning to children using the Tree of Life. The evaluation phase is conducted through the completion of pretest and posttest questionnaires to assess the knowledge improvement of both children and parents, collection of feedback forms to gauge participant satisfaction, and descriptive data analysis by comparing scores before and after the educational intervention. Ethical aspects are maintained by providing explanations to all participants regarding the objectives of the activities and requesting their consent to participate. The implementation team for community service consists of lecturers and students. The time allocation for each phase is as follows: April for preparation and coordination, from May to July for the gradual execution of education according to the class schedule, and August for evaluation, analysis of results, and the preparation of activity reports. RESULTS Tree of Life is a learning tool designed to resemble an artificial plant that contains colorful and black and white leaves, used to illustrate life to children and positive behaviors that can serve as examples, both those who have experienced violence and those who have not. https://jurnalempathy. com/index. php/jurnalempathy/ | 3 Figure 1. Tree of Life Aircraft Quiz is an interactive learning method specifically designed for preschool This method uses airplane-themed games to help children answer questions related to pre-tests and post-tests about violence against children. With a fun and visual Figure 2. Aircraft Quiz The results of community service indicate an increase in children's understanding of violence through violence prevention education using the Tree of Life method. There is a significant improvement in the understanding of students at the Islamic Kindergarten Bakti Sawahan about what violence is and how to recognize it. Observations show that children are becoming more open in expressing their feelings, which is one of the indicators of the success of the Tree of Life method. https://jurnalempathy. com/index. php/jurnalempathy/ | 4 Student Knowledge Score Student Pre Test Student Post Test Chart 3. Student Knowledge Diagram From Chart 3, we can conclude that there has been an increase in student knowledge of 33 students, with a pretest score of 95. 6% and a post-test score of 98. The increase in scores among the children is not very significant because their initial knowledge was relatively good, although some children who initially received low scores showed a very significant improvement. In addition to enhancing children's understanding, this program also yielded positive results in increasing parents' awareness of the importance of their role in preventing violence against children. Through educational sessions that included discussions and case studies, parents became more informed about the definitions, types, forms, methods of prevention, and ways to address violence against children. Parents are given guidance to strengthen communication with their children, so they can be more sensitive to behavioral changes that may indicate problems. They are also encouraged to create a safe and supportive home environment, where children feel comfortable discussing any issues they face. Chart 4. Parent Knowledge Diagram Based on image 4, it can be concluded that there is an increase in the knowledge of Parents by 18 respondents, with a pretest score of . 2%) and a posttest score of . 0%). Thus, there is an increase of 13. https://jurnalempathy. com/index. php/jurnalempathy/ | 5 Figure 5. Parent Education The Tree of Life method not only enhances understanding and awareness but also succeeds in strengthening the emotional bond between children and parents. In the educational process, students are given the opportunity to choose images of parenting experiences that they have encountered. Figure 6. Good Treatment The results of the observations show that students mostly choose images of treatment where parents treat their children well. Although some students chose images depicting violence by their parents. On the other hand, parents are more aware of the importance of providing consistent attention and support for their children's https://jurnalempathy. com/index. php/jurnalempathy/ | 6 Figure 7. Student Education This educational program was successfully implemented at the Islamic Kindergarten Bakti Sawahan, thanks to the active participation of students, parents, and After the program concluded, the school plans to continue using the Tree of Life method in daily learning activities and integrate it into the curriculum. To maintain the sustainability of the program, the school will conduct periodic evaluations to ensure that the material provided remains relevant and is understood well by both parents and DISCUSSION The social and emotional development of children is very important for their future success. Therefore, it is essential to make efforts to foster children's social feelings from an early age. Considering that emotional awareness can give children the opportunity to identify and express their own emotions as well as the emotions of others, teaching these skills to them is very important. A child's ability to accurately and thoroughly identify, report, or express their own feelings is known as emotional The activities performed by the human body externally are known as emotions, and the resulting reactions can be pleasant, also known as positive emotions, or unpleasant, also known as negative emotions . The Role of Parents in Early Childhood Parenting is to build a strong emotional A child's emotional foundation is formed during the critical early years . Ae8 A child's brain, especially the part related to emotions, develops rapidly during this time . In order for children to develop a strong emotional foundation, it is very important for parents, educators, and other caregivers to provide appropriate stimulation and attention to them. Building a strong emotional foundation in early childhood is very important because it affects how they develop in the long term in many aspects of life. The emotional development of young children can be hindered by a lack of emotional support from parents, educators, and other caregivers . A lack of emotional support can make it difficult for children to control their emotions and form positive social bonds . A child's cognitive, linguistic, social, and physical growth depends on a strong emotional foundation . According to Mariana . , children who have a strong emotional foundation are more ready to: . Control their emotions. Build healty relationship. Manage stress and challenges. Achive success inlearning and life. Attain happines https://jurnalempathy. com/index. php/jurnalempathy/ | 7 and well being. The social-emotional development of children is a critical period during which they acquire social skills, form bonds with others, and understand basic emotions. A child's emotional foundation is established throughout their life through this process, which consists of several important stages. The social-emotional development of young children is influenced by a number of Daily education is primarily provided by parents or family, but engagement with peers is also important. The development of children's social skills and interpersonal interactions is greatly impacted by their contact with peers and family. Children who are not engaged with others at school or at home may find it difficult to interact, particularly in terms of developing empathy and sensitivity to the feelings of others . Acceptance and self-esteem are fundamentally the foundation of good emotions. The affection experienced by children from their close ones is one way to show this. will be difficult for children to have positive emotions if they do not feel this love . Children feel that the people around them love them and feel noticed when they are accepted and appreciated in their environment. This can lead to healthy emotional The role of parents in guiding early childhood children develops essential social Important social skills include leadership, collaboration, and communication . Cooperation is an important skill that enables children to collaborate with others to achieve common goals . Cooperation is seen in daily activities during infancy, such as sharing toys, playing with friends, and completing group projects. Early childhood education about cooperation can begin by encouraging children to share toys with their peers, involving them in cooperative group games, or engaging them in simple tasks like cooking or crafting. Children gain appreciation for the roles of others and the value of teamwork in achieving goals through these activities. Speaking, listening, and understanding others are part of communication. These skills can be developed in young children through various interactive exercises . For example, parents can encourage their children to share their daily experiences, listen carefully, and show interest in what they say. Developing communication skills can also be achieved through reading narrative books. Discuss the story with the children after you finish reading it, find out their opinions about the plot and the characters, and encourage them to share their feelings. Children can also enhance their speaking and listening skills through role-playing in a fun and instructional environment. To help children recognize undesirable behaviors and guide them towards more constructive ones, parents play an important role. Furthermore, parents have the obligation to introduce their children to the environment. A child's growth is greatly influenced by both parents. The parenting patterns applied by both parents can impact the child's physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development . Inappropriate parenting can lead to problems in a child's personality in adulthood . CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS Education about violence and its prevention is important to be conducted for children and parents to build a strong emotional foundation and create a safe The community service program at the Islamic Kindergarten Bakti Sawahan using the Tree of Life method and Aircraft Quiz can improve the knowledge of children and parents regarding violence. This community service activity is https://jurnalempathy. com/index. php/jurnalempathy/ | 8 recommended to be integrated into the school curriculum and to expand the target audience to parents, teachers, and the community to create an environment that supports children's growth and development. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Our gratitude is directed to the director of the Ministry of Education. Culture. Research, and Technology for his support through the community service grant 2024. We would like to thank our supervisor Wijayanti. Kep. Ns. Kep for guiding the community service program, and to the principal and teachers at TK Islam Bakti Sawahan who facilitated this activity from planning, implementation, to evaluation. also express our thanks to the PKM team involved in this activity and to all parties who have helped ensure the smooth execution of the event until publication. REFERENCE