Are Parenting Classes a Good Idea?

We have all heard the expression that children do not come with a manual. However, there are many insightful ways to learn about parenting. So you might be wondering: are parenting classes a good idea?

Learning from Women of Your Past

You can pick up little tricks and tips from the women of your past. For example, you can learn an old remedy for stomach-aches or ear infections from your grandmother. You can also learn tips and tricks from your very own mother. Your mother can teach you so many things about feeding, diapering, and swaddling your baby. And, even your mother-in-law can teach you a trick or two on how to get baby trained to sleep through the night.

Chatting with Other Moms

You could easily find yourself sitting around the table drinking coffee for hours on end with other women who have children of similar age. These women can offer you insight to things that you never would have known. They can also offer you a listening ear and a sympathetic shoulder when necessary. You bring value to the table with these women as well when it comes to things you have learned the hard way.

Mommy and Me Classes

Mommy and me classes are an excellent way to bond and spend special time with your child, especially if it is an older first-born who is dealing with the birth of a new sibling. If you are fortunate enough to have someone watch the baby, you can make special memories in a mommy and me class.

Parenting Classes

Chances are if you mention parenting classes to an older adult such as your mom or your mother-in-law, they would not be as supportive as you would like. What is a parenting class?

A good parenting class focuses on positive parenting based on the most recent scientific developments in raising children today.

What can you expect from a parenting class? You can expect to gain knowledge that you did not have before in areas that were troubling to you. You can learn different techniques that help the child to behave better and lessen your agitation and frustration along the way. You can learn to positively connect with your child and learn to use positive parenting in most cases.

A good parenting class will cover many areas and how to overcome difficulties dealing with those areas. For example:

* Whining
* Disobeying
* Saying no
* Biting
* Tantrums

So in the end, are parenting classes a good idea? Each child and each parent is different and has his or her own personalities and style of parenting. The only way to know if a parenting class really works is to try one on for size. Do not quit after the first one either. Try many different types of parenting classes, from free ones at the library to ones that you pay for monthly. You never know what you might learn.