The holidays are an exiting time of year for every child. Each religion has its own way of celebrating them, but generally special decorations adorn the house, family and friends will assemble, gifts will be exchanged and adults will be busy. Children will lose the routine of school and regular after school activities, as they enjoy the winter break. No matter how hard we try as parents, bedtimes are often overlooked and sweets are plentiful. We may be traveling to visit relatives or having them stay with us which adds more disruption to the normal routine. It’s all exciting and fun, but can also cause a great deal of stress.
A helpful piece of advice that a friend gave me last year is to brush up on your parenting skills before the craziness begins! Remind yourself of the fact that the kids will be happy, tired, exhausted, hungry, sugared-out, and wanting lots of gifts and all of this can be a recipe for disaster. This can be especially magnified if you’re traveling. Be ready to lower your expectations of their behavior and not take it too personally when other adults begin judging your abilities. Plan ahead and take a parenting class to help you improve upon the skills you already have.
Online classes are becoming more and more popular because they enable us to stay at home and learn the information on our internet based computer devices, according to our own schedule. High quality parenting classes are available that are designed and directed by licensed, practicing family therapists. Choose a class from a company that has a BBB rating of A+, and a 100% guarantee. Once you enroll, the class is immediately available and can be taken any time of the day or night. So, once you put the kids to bed and are ready for the latest in parenting skills training, just logon. You can drop in and out of the class as often as necessary and the computer program will hold your last spot.
Classes cover parenting styles, appropriate developmental behavior, setting boundaries and structure, and how and when to properly reward and discipline. Even if you feel like you are a seasoned parent and know how to raise your kids, parenting classes will give you new tips that you may not have thought about. Online parenting classes are also available in Spanish and for court related requirements. If you have been mandated to take a class due to a divorce or separation situation, you will receive a Certificate of Completion once you have successfully passed the final exam. This documentation is what needs to be shown to your judge to prove you fulfilled the requirement. Simply go onto the website and choose the length of class the court says you must take and you can often finish an online class more quickly than if you take one in a classroom. For example, a 10 hour co-parenting class can be finished at home on your computer over one weekend, while a schoolroom class might be set for one hour a week, over 10 weeks.
Take an online parenting course today to help you prepare for the holiday season and get 2013 off on the right track. Your family will be forever grateful!