It seems like this is the week for parenting classes. We received a bunch of calls from people who were either assigned the classes as part of a divorce, or because they were interested to find out how they work online. In almost every conversation, the client would comment that they don’t really need parenting classes; they already know what they are doing. It’s interesting because we readily take classes to learn new skills in school, in our field of work, for sports, cooking or art, but when it comes to one of the most challenging experiences we will face, we are hesitant to take the time. Maybe it’s because it seems intuitive or we can just talk to other parents to get help or there just isn’t another minute in the day to try to get to one more class.
While all this may be true, it’s interesting to consider that the new skills you learn in a few hours of parenting classes can help reduce the amount of time you waste nagging, yelling or fighting with your kids each day. Think about how much time is lost when you try to repeatedly stop a behavior that might be developmentally on target. Or when you try to eliminate the bad behavior by using a technique that just reinforces it. The reality is that parenting is a lifelong journey and learning how to better handle the different ages and stages and understand what is normal behavior to expect, can help you to modify your approach and create a better balanced home.
Parents generally choose to take a parenting class because they are frustrated with how things are going. A good class will help you find positive ways to get along better with your kids or with an ex-spouse. Topics cover how to better listen and communicate with your children, understanding what is appropriate behavior at each age and how to set those boundaries, realistic rewards and consequences for their behavior, how to raise respectful children with high self-esteem, and stress and anger management techniques. Taking the time to take a parenting program forces you to think about what behaviors you would like to change in your kids and exactly how you need to change your own behavior to make this happen.
Parents going through a divorce will often be court mandated to take a co-parenting class. Everyone knows that this is an extremely stressful time and separating parents often don’t get along. To try and help parent’s best deal with the change, these programs cover all of the above topics as well as ways to better communicate with your ex-spouse. This includes ways to avoid misunderstandings, the importance of modeling good behavior in front of the kids, and how to make the transition between two different homes as seamless as possible. In divorce situations it’s important to remember to put the children’s best interests before your own until things have settled down.
Now that you’ve gained some insight into why you should take the classes, consider how you will take them. Parenting classes are available as group sessions or can be taken online. Busy parents often like the online approach because you can purchase the program and take it whenever you have free time from your Wi-Fi connected computer device. This takes away the stress of having to get to a weekly class or finding a babysitter. When you have finished the online program, the client receives a Certificate of Completion in the mail just like they would if they went to an in-person class. It’s an affordable and convenient way to learn the new skills you need.