There is no doubt about it parenting is difficult. It is the hardest job many of us will ever have. Everything we do, every decision we make, every chosen battle will have an impact on the innocent lives we bring into this world. Times have changed dramatically since we were children, and often the methodology our own parents used is no longer deemed acceptable. Many of us have our own crosses to bear from the mistakes our parents made, and we do everything we can to be different for the sake of our children. Where our parents cut us loose to roam the neighborhoods, we don't let our children past the front yard. Our parents dropped us off at soccer practices and picked us up afterwards, we sit and watch every second from warm-ups to cool-downs. Our parents let us make mistakes and deal with the repercussions of our bad behavior.  We interfere to prevent anything wrong from ever happening. It is a different world, and it brings a new type of parent--the helicopter parent.

What is helicopter parenting? A helicopter parent is a fairly new term. It refers to a style of parenting where the mother or father is constantly hovering. The parent is never far out of reach of the child in every aspect of his or her life, but particularly when it comes to education. There are a variety of theories as to how the surge of helicopter parents began, and some research can tie the rise, with the increased use of cell phones. It means that parents and children never have to be out of touch for a single moment.

There are certainly good and bad aspects of being a so-called helicopter parent. In one respect, it keeps families close. A helicopter parent is familiar with almost every nuance of his or her child's life and can help to troubleshoot issues before they explode. It allows parents and children to keep open lines of communication in many aspects so that a lot of the self-esteem and self-confidence issues many of us experienced as children are not as severe. We have taken parenting to a whole new level by being considerably involved in our children’s lives.

On the flip side, helicopter parenting has seemingly created a generation of people who are not capable of problem solving. These children are growing up with very little responsibility for their own actions. They don't learn how to handle mistakes, and don't have any sort of social responsibility for themselves. It has created a society of children who always think somebody else will step in to solve their problems for them. The concern is that many of these children will never be able to stand on their own two feet to be a functioning and contributing member of society.

That being said, there is a fine line between nurturing your children and showing them unconditional love and hovering so closely they cannot learn to do things on their own. Online parenting classes are one way that you can learn how to properly be there for your children and let them know you will always support them, while giving them the space they need to grow and flourish on their own. By taking online parenting classes, you can gain the skills you need to help raise loving, competent, responsible children who are able to grow into mature and responsible adults.

If you are serious about the idea of adopting a child, whether the child is from another country or another state, you should consider taking some kind of parenting classes for new parents about to adopt or go through the foster-care system. Not only can this better prepare you for the huge life event of adopting a child, but it can also help you to raise your child to be a genuinely happy, confident individual.  Raising a foster child is never easy and there are inevitably going to be setbacks along the way.  However, by taking parenting classes you can prepare yourself to face these challenges and make the experience of raising this child a positive one! 

In many states, parenting classes for adoptive parents are mandatory prior to the adoption being finalized.  This has been the unfortunate result of some situations where adoptive parents were simply using their foster children or adoptive children as a way to exploit the government and receive money.  Taking classes will help to solidify your desire to raise and care for a child or children indefinitely.  They will teach you what to expect in different phases of the child’s life and make you consider your true devotion to this lifelong responsibility.

Online parenting classes are especially valuable to new foster care parents or parents interested in adopting children from the foster care system, because often times, children who have lived in foster care have been through a great deal of emotional stress.  They may feel like they’ve never been truly loved, feel unsafe or unstable because of different homes they’ve lived in, feel scared because they have lost their original parents either to tragedy or lack of interest.  These children have a lot they have had to deal with in their short lives and this can lead to tension between parent and child in their new adoptive homes.  This occurs even when the new parents have the very best intentions. 

For these reasons, it is vital to know how to handle potential emotionally charged situations in the correct manner. Knowing how to react to an adopted child's calls for help or attention is important in order to raise the child correctly, satisfy their needs and to get them past the stage of emotional distress that they are likely in over the entire adoption. Only in doing this can the child overcome these issues and become a part of the loving, stable family that you are striving for.

Online classes will offer strategies and tools needed to respond to the common situations that adoptive parents end up in within the first months and years after the adoption itself.   They are easy to register for, and can be accessed at your convenience from your home computer any time of the day or night.  A licensed therapist is available to answer any questions or concerns from 9a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday.  This will enable you to have any pressing questions answered immediately without having to drive to a classroom across town.  So if this is a life change you are considering making, be sure to sign up for a class online as soon as possible!

In an era where everything moves fast, coping with everyday errands is quite a struggle. If you want training or education, or  need to take a court-ordered class on successful parenting skills, you might feel overwhelmed with all the options available.  You could comb through lists of local classes in your areas, but often times they will not be in close proximity. Trying to find the right class at the right time to fit in your schedule can be an additional stress.  Furthermore, if you are going through a divorce and one parent needs to move to another state, online classes are the way to go.  

Institutions that provide online programs are an easy and enjoyable way to learn helpful parenting information on your own terms, and also at your own preferred pace. Online co-parenting programs may also offer individualized attention, and therefore parents like you can have direct connection with the licensed therapists and other parents in your same situation.  Online classes make the student in control therefore taking out a lot of the stress of having to hire babysitters and fit a classroom-based class into your schedule.

These courses are especially beneficial to divorced parents or those going through a divorce and are no longer residing together as a family in the same city or state.  Choosing the same course online will enable each parent to get the same exact instruction.  You can take the exact same class if you are residing in California as you would in Oregon.  In this way, you are both on the same page as opposed to going to two different classes that might introduce different parenting techniques and styles.  Having the same structure and guidance will help to manage the level of stress during this time. 

Often the court will mandate that parents going through a divorce take a co-parenting class.  You might have already raised 4 kids together with some in high school and think this is a ridiculous request.  However, taking refresher courses of any type can always be mind-opening,  and new techniques may be introduced that weren’t discussed when your kids were young. 

Online parenting classes will teach parents stress management, assertive communication, the importance of boundary and limit setting and how to properly reward and discipline your child.  For newly divorced parents, there is an emphasis on making a co-parenting plan.  The challenges of co-parenting and the need for teamwork is focused on in order to establish a strong parenting relationship in this new situation. 

Having one parent move out of state after a divorce can be a very stressful situation for the children involved.  If you can do anything at all to help ease the anxiety of this new living arrangement, it would be to be on the same page as to how you are going to parent your children going forward.  Taking co-parenting skills classes with or without a court-order, will only benefit the family.  The children will see that the two of you are doing your best to communicate, agree on things and take care of them and will help alleviate their fears about what the future is going to look and feel like. 

Let’s face it, parenting can be a challenge.  One can be highly educated, financially well-off, and a have a huge support network and still find it difficult to raise children.  Most parents are conscientious and want to do what is best to help their children develop into smart, stable and well-behaved individuals.  Parents have different styles of parenting or raising their kids often based on how they were raised.  Sometimes they try to go the opposite path that their own parents took, or they respect the way they were raised and want to stick with the same rules and tactics.

With time, theories of parenting have been evolving. Diana Baumrid developed a famous theory of parenting styles. In her view, parents fall into three main categories. These are Authoritarian, where parents tell children what to do; Indulgent or Permissive, where children are allowed to do what they want to do; and the Authoritative style where rules and guidance are given without the parent being overbearing. She believed that parents need to develop rules of parenting while at the same time being affectionate.  Since her analysis, a fourth style has been described as Uninvolved parenting.  In this case, the parents make few demands, have low responsiveness and offer limited communication.  What parenting style do you most simulate? 

Many theorists consider the Authoritative style of parenting to be the most ideal. The Authoritative parent has high expectations of the child's behavior but at the same time gives the child the chance to express views about those expectations.  This contributes to raising a more confident child with more leadership ship and communicative skills.

So, what is your parenting style? Which style among the four main ones do you apply to your daily child-rearing? These are some of the questions that parents might consider and ask themselves. There are many online classes on parenting that offer a wide-range of information on parenting.

Online parenting classes offer the help that parents need while raising their children from birth to adulthood. Parenting does not always come naturally, and the online resources help to complement other traditional methods of parenting, such as advice from friends and family and reading books. Children will always present different challenges as they grow.  Sometimes taking a 4 hour refresher class with a new second or third baby, or when your child is hitting their teens, or for adopting a child, can be helpful. 

Online parenting courses help individuals to understand the different parenting styles that are common. The online classes help parents to understand the expectations of child behavior at different stages of growth. They also advise parents on the best suggested ways of handling behavioral problems from toddlers to teenagers and how to manage your own anger when they are getting the better of you.  In addition, students will learn how best to discipline their children without being overbearing. Finally, just like a traditional classroom setting, online classes also give you the opportunity to talk with other parents and share their experiences.  

Bringing a child into the world is one of the most profound experiences that parents will ever undergo in their lives. The best way to bring up a child with good behavior is to start early on in their formative years. "Train up a child in the way you wish them to grow and they will never depart from it" is a Biblical phrase that comes in handy in parenting. One technique that has proven successful is called Positive Parenting.

Psychologists have designated three main types of parenting: Authoritarian, Permissive and Authoritative.  Authoritarian is whereby parents enforce strict rules with no input from children, there is more emphasis on bad as opposed to good behavior and punishment is usually severe. Children here rarely receive rave reviews for good behavior and may tend to have a low self-esteem or may turn out to be very aggressive later in life.

Permissive behavior is where parents let the children have a free rein; rules made are not consistently adhered to. The parent gives a lot of freedom to the child without proper guidelines on what is right or wrong. Children may find it very hard to follow rules in a different environment like school. The parent is also unable to appreciate good behavior or correct bad behavior; they leave it to the child to sort themselves out.

Authoritative parenting is where the parents set rules and involve their children in making of the rules. They reinforce good behavior by rewarding it, while correcting in a positive way the repercussions of bad behavior. They monitor their child’s behavior closely while finding opportunities to "catch" good behavior as often as possible. Parents communicate in a clear manner what is expected from the child so they understand the difference between good and bad behavior.

The authoritative parenting is a good example of positive parenting. As a result children grow up with appropriate behavior ingrained in them, they are able to fit in any environment and perform exceptionally well in whatever they undertake. They also demonstrate traits like honesty, respect, and integrity, and are unlikely to break rules and regulations. Benefits of positive parenting are immense in molding children to live up to their full potential and become worthy members of society.

Positive parenting involves rewarding good behavior, correcting bad behavior in a loving manner, pointing out to the child how that behavior can cause hurt to other people. It also gives the children an opportunity to make choices for themselves with assistance from the parents. Communication is also emphasized to allow children to express themselves.

Positive parenting also takes into consideration the personality of the child as no child is alike, some are born introverts and others extroverts. Positive parenting will ensure that each needs of the child are taken care of without resorting to comparing them. It brings out each child's strengths and improves on their weaknesses to create a balanced personality. 

Children who are beneficiaries of positive parenting are easy to spot. They get along well with other people irrespective of their backgrounds, rarely get into trouble with authorities, excel in their chosen fields and eventually become responsible members of their societies. To learn more about these parenting skills, parents should take courses early on.  Online classes are ideal for new parents because they offer the convenience of not having to leave your own home, they are low-cost, and are interesting and informative!