Sources for Parenting Support and Information
We have all heard the expression that children do not come with a manual. However, there are many sources for parenting support and information to help us all along this journey.
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
A good parenting class focuses on positive parenting based on the most recent scientific developments in raising children today.
One of the most fulfilling volunteer opportunities that I had was coordinating parenting classes for individuals who had either lost custody or were in jeopardy of losing custody of their children.
There were tons of obstacles to overcome, but seeing parents willingly admit that they did not know how to be parents but open to learning and overcoming challenges was a life-changer.
We would even have expecting parents or individuals looking to become foster or adoptive parents to older children come through our program. I honestly believe that no matter what stage of parenting you are in, attending a parenting class can help open the lines of communication, reinforce parenting techniques you are utilizing and, perhaps, show you new ones that may benefit your family.
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
Does a parenting class really work? 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.
Welcome to our weekly Making a Happy Home post. One of my focuses this year is home life – specifically spending more quality time together, organization, cooking and pre-planning meals, and decorating. To help with that focus, I have this weekly post for all things home-life. If you’d like to contribute as guest poster with this series, feel free to email us at divaswithpurpose@gmail.com