Do I Really Need A Parenting Class?

Ask yourself these questions:

What kind of values do I want my children to have?

What kind of a Relationship do I want to have with my children?

Am I parenting well?

Who are the people that around my children?

Parenting definitely does not come with a manual. We get “lessons” from all sorts of people – mums, in–laws, sisters, workmates, friends, Dr Phil……… you name it. The list is long and endless. These sources will advise you on everything from birth through to adulthood. It’s quite overwhelming and pretty scary especially for parents who have children approaching their teen years.

As parents, there is no reason to worry, especially if you enroll in a parenting class, become an intentional parent and understand your role as a parent. These classes help you deal with daily parenting issues, learn your child’s temperaments, create a village around your child with parents with similar values and with strong references to spiritual guidelines. Parenting classes can also give you better insight into your child from a holistic perspective and will let you discover your parenting style to enable you become a better parent.

Parenting classes are generally held over 10 weeks and involve discussing parenting skills, child development, discipline, communication, asking questions in a safe setting and gaining resources from trained facilitators. Advice offered ranges from how to deal with the 2 year old potty training, sleeping habits, how to avoid teen rebellious years, discussion on money, promiscuity / intimacy and drugs and how to take advantage of the window of opportunity to start talking to your child.

The classes provide the affirmation one needs as a parent to make appropriate decisions regarding your children. They also provide the opportunity to talk to other parents who may be facing similar issues and learn from others who have already dealt with similar situations with a positive outcome. Parenting classes are tailored in such a way that they help one understand why the challenges they face are present and to discern if what one is experiencing is normal or may require professional help.

In addition to the key aspect of understanding your child, a parenting class allows one to make new friends who may have children in the same age group as your child, enabling play dates, and opportunities for the older children make new friends to socialize with.
Regardless of the age of your children, or your family situation, attending a parenting class helps one become a more confident parent, assists to develop a better relationship with your children and helps bring up children who are kind, respectful, productive and influencers in their sphere of interest.

I will encourage all parents to source for and seek out parenting classes and attend. The outcome will be very beneficial for the family. These classes are normally offered in some churches (you may search online) and by some mission groups.

Roselyn Kigen is the CEO at Phinix Ltd. She is a parenting coach with plenty of experience in facilitating parenting classes. She is also a career mentor and currently writing a module for parents with teenagers, on “Raising your Teen to achieve there God given purpose”. She is found on twitter @roselynkigen

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