Of course, when two people make the decision to get married and start a family, they never intend to someday end up getting a divorce. However, the sad fact is that today, about half of all marriages end in divorce. And even more tragically, a lot of the time, these divorces happen after the couple has already had children together. This puts parents in an extremely difficult situation as they attempt to work through the legal terms of the divorce, fight their own emotional battles as a result, and try to keep their children well taken care of. It can be a lot to handle. So if you are in the process of going through a divorce and are concerned about the well-being of your own children as a result, then you may want to consider taking some online parenting classes that are specifically aimed at divorce situations with children involved.

Understandably, one of the main concerns right now when it comes to your children is that they are going to be emotionally scarred for life as a result of yours and your spouse's decision to get a divorce. Perhaps your own parents were divorced when you were younger and you remember the emotional turmoil that you went through as a result. Either way, it is natural for any parent to worry about what their child is going to go through as a result of their biological parents separating for good. A lot of times, if not dealt with carefully, this can lead to stress, depression and anxiety in children. Children might feel that is somehow their fault that their parents are separating.  The occurrence of this varies with age; studies have shown that the risk of a child developing emotional and behavioral problems as the result of a divorce increase as the child ages.

For the benefit of everyone involved, there are parenting classes out there that can help parents tackle these issues of divorce and ensure that their children can still have the normal and happy upbringing that all parents want to be able to give their kids. For example, these classes can help with anything from having the initial difficult divorce talk with the child, to dealing with a high-conflict custody battle. In addition, these classes often teach conflict resolution that can be used to keep a civil relationship with your ex-spouse, at least in front of the kids, no matter what the terms of the divorce were.  When the parents have reduced stress levels, so will the kids.

And depending on the age of the children involved, these parenting classes can even help to target the needs of kids in each specific age group when going through a divorce. This is especially important for parents with children who are in their teens and bound to be more emotionally likely to suffer from depression and anxiety following a parent's divorce.

Overall, going through a divorce is never an easy thing to do. However, it is something that you can get through without scarring your children. In fact, you can use the divorce to solidify your relationship with your own children through the help of online parenting classes.  They are available as long as you have internet service at the touch of a button.  Just type in the name of your state, for example, Hawaii online parenting classes, and they will be available to you.  You can read through the material any time of the day or night and there are also live counselors to talk to if you have specific questions.  There are also support groups available as part of some of the courses.

A great deal has changed in the last 30 years in regards to technology.  When most parents of teenagers today were young, the popular computer game was Pong, a slow-moving table tennis game.   This generation of teenagers has so much more available to them.  There are Iphones, Ipads, Itouches, Ipods, personal computers, DS games, Xboxes and PlayStations to name a few.  Toddlers today can be seen playing games on their mother’s Iphone to pass the time shopping in the supermarket.   It is without a doubt that kids and teenagers need guidance and boundaries set to guide them on when it is appropriate to spend time on these luxuries.  Children need rules if they are to become independent, organized and disciplined adults.  Without setting specific guidelines on technological playtime, children and teens will be negatively affected by lack of sleep and exercise as they sit and are unaware of the surrounding environment.

A key lesson that you should seek to instill into your teenager' life is that of time management.   High school age children need to learn how to balance homework, sports, extra-curricular activities and maintaining friendships, as well as keeping up with the latest technology.   It is important to teach a teenager the importance of allocating a sensible amount of time to each of these activities.  One way of doing this is by introducing and maintaining a daily calendar.  All goals for the day should be written down with the amount of time it is expected to take to accomplish them.  Online and “screen” activity that isn’t related to school work, should be left for the end of the day, as a reward for accomplishing the necessary activities. 

Setting goals early on is very important. Everything your teenager does should be aimed at achieving a certain goal so they don’t feel like the hard work they are putting into a particular activity is a waste of time.  The goal should be something that is achievable so that they aren’t left discouraged or stressed.  Rushing through activities should also be addressed.  Some children and teens will race through academic projects in order to get to their "screen time".  Discuss up front that this will not be tolerated.  If assignments are incomplete or hastily finished, "screen time" will not be available until all work is finished properly.  This may seem strict in the our current parenting environment, however, this tactic will be beneficial in the long run.

Focus and discipline should be taught by modeling and through positive communication.  The more conversation you have with your children, the more comfortable they will feel to open up to you about problems, life, friends, everything.  Often times, children and teens will “escape” from their daily problems by burying themselves with online activity.   With a warm, balanced relationship, your kids will feel less need to spend endless hours entranced with their electronics and will be interested in spending more time hanging out with the family and talking about the social issues that arise daily.

Teaching your children how to make daily schedules, keeping an open and positive forum for communication and teaching goal making skills, will help your children and teens to maintain healthy schedules.

Sadly, newborn babies do not come with parenting manuals. The good news is that there are now parenting classes available online that teach about parenting a newborn, all the way through their teenage years. Online classes give new parents an outline of where to begin, what to expect, and then as the child gets older, successful discipline techniques.

ONLINE PARENTING CLASS OBJECTIVE

Usually, a parenting class helps a parent to have a better understanding of his role. New parenting classes typically provide basic information about infants, their safety and needs. Teen parenting classes,  focus on teaching discipline and building trust. No matter which age bracket your child belongs, online parenting classes can help you become the best parent as you learn parenting strategies and build confidence while staying close to your children and raising them as good members of the society.

Parenting classes can also help you teach your middle school and high school aged children to stay away from drugs. Through participating in several sessions, you will be able to learn how to guide them through peer pressure and their tween and teen years.  Also discussed is how your job as a parent is to be a positive role model for your kids. Your behavior will set the tone in the household and young minds will learn the difference between right and wrong without you even having to say a word.

WHO SHOULD TAKE CLASSES?

You should consider taking online parenting classes if you fall on the following categories:

1. You are planning to have a child. If you want to become a parent, you must take note of the fact that it will seriously have an impact on your lifestyle. If the baby is a bit of a surprise, a training course would be suitable for you.

2. You have several children. As the size of your family increases, you will realize how each child differs from the other. Taking a parenting class will give you a chance to interact with fellow adults that have the same issues and problems and parents are encouraged to exchange ideas, tips, and support each other.

3. You are having a hard time dealing with your child. Some kids can really be challenging.  If you are unsure how to deal with one of your children, a parenting class can provide certain resources that will give you the answers you are looking for.

4. You have limited parenting experience. This is the case for new parents who didn’t grow up with siblings, never babysat and who grew-up without much support and  guidance from their own parents. With a parenting class, you will be exposed to many parents of all ages where you can get useful ideas and advice from as well as the direction of a licensed therapist.

5. You have a blended family. Spouses that have children from their past relationships are common these days. Combining families can be chaotic at first.  Parents in this situation should learn how to establish a healthy parenting foundation to get their new family off on the right foot.

6. Parents who are adopting can often take these courses to satisfy court requirements.

PARENTING TIPS

* Teach your kids to be nice, courteous, and respectful to others by initiating the manner yourself.

* Do not give everything your children desire, unless they have worked hard for it.

* Try volunteering in a community work with your kids so that they will realize that world is not just all about their needs, and helping others is a good thing to do.

* And most importantly, you can love your children with all of your might, but if you want them to become well-rounded and productive children, you cannot always be their friend - you have to be a figure of authority and a confident parent to them.

Preparing kids to go off to college and successfully live on their own can be extremely difficult. In the modern world, there are so many distractions that can prevent your teenager from concentrating in class and managing their life responsibly.  Parents should be aware that after 18 years of being taken care of at home, kids are not always thoroughly prepared to make it on their own.  Sometimes parents find it worthwhile to take classes to learn successful parenting techniques to positively guide your children through life lessons.  We all know that often kids won’t listen to their own mother or father, however, these classes teach parents skills they might not otherwise employ. 

It is beneficial to your child to educate them on how to manage finances, plan their time, make friends, and make useful decisions.  The following are tips to raise an independent child who can successfully take care of themselves once they are off to college.

Helping kids plan their time

Time management is a key element in everyday life. While at college, your child will be expected to attend classes, do homework, spend time in the library, and possibly participate in sports and other school related activities. They will also want to go out with friends, stay up late, attend parties, etc. Your child has to learn to create a balance between school work and personal life. In order to achieve this goal, you need to show them how to make a time table. Talk about how many hours they require to sleep, and the effects of oversleeping. Tell them the impacts of not doing homework or attending classes, and show them how manage study skills.  Discuss that they will also need time to interact with friends, enjoy their hobbies, and relax.

Helping kids manage their finances

Financial management skills are important. It is good to teach your child how to budget for their funds. Teach them to draw a long term budget that can last a semester in order to avoid running short on cash too soon. Teach them to avoid impulse buying as this will leave them penniless within a very short time. You can start during their senior year of high school by giving them money and watch their habits in order to ensure that they are spending wisely. Teach them to make a list of all things they wish to buy and then prioritize what is necessary and what is desirable.  Remember you are the role model they imitate, so demonstrate it with your spending habits.

Helping kids make solid decisions about issues in life

Life is full of challenges, and so kids need to be prepared to face the challenges through education, counseling and awareness.  If you are religious, take them to your spiritual center for advice on good morals. Let them attend teen seminars and workshops in order to learn how to handle different issues in life and how to make decisions.  Educate them on legal issues so that they can know their rights and how to respect the rights of others. Teach them the steps to take in case someone violates their rights. Let them know that crime is punishable by law, and so they should avoid any criminal acts in order to stay safe and free.  Be a role model for your children.

Bullying is a hot topic in the news today.  The whole idea has been taken up a notch from the days of stealing a lunchbox.  With today’s technology, we are hearing more and more about various incidents around the country of cyber-bullying, kids coming to school with weapons and making other serious threats in person.  When you detect that your child has been bullying others, or you are hearing about it from the school or other parents, it’s time to utilize other resources easily within your reach before the problem escalates.  Online parenting classes can give parents the tools and instructions they need to help stop their child from displaying such bad behavior.

According to statistics gathered by bullyingstatistics.org, about 56% of students have witnessed bullying at school, while another 71% report that bullying is an ongoing problem. Also, 2010 figures have estimated that around one in seven children, from kindergarten to the 12th grade, are either bullies or the victim of bullies.

One of the main goals of parenting classes is to help identify the problem, figure out where the behavior is stemming from, and then effective techniques to redirect the child’s bad behavior in a more positive way and remedy the problem.  Moreover, among the most important lessons and skills that are taught, are how to discipline your child properly, how to prepare them for school, and how to help them interact in complex social environments. Each of these lessons will not just help your child's well-being, it can also help him or her to understand how to properly interact in society.

Raising a well adjusted, empathetic, confident and stable child is the surest way to prevent bullying tendencies among children.  Online classes are convenient for parents to take at their computer at home and can be dropped in and out of at their convenience.  One can sign up for a class that best suits their needs, starting with a 4 hour class up to a 10 hour advanced parenting course.  Here is a sample of what you are in store for:

 How bullying develops and how it can be prevented

How to detect signs of mental and emotional stress

How to create family rules that can prevent the rise of bullying

How to set an example for your children

How not to be too lax or too harsh in discipline

How to develop your child's empathy

How to build a more stable connection with your child

How to teach your child about bullying

How bullying can potentially affect your child's life later on in his or her life

Each of these lessons is vital in making sure that you are able to raise a well-adjusted child who is not prone to bullying, and who can cope with the problem when it does arise.  You can take a Delaware parenting class online or from any of the 50 states!  They are convenient, low-cost and will benefit the family for years to come.