Parenting Classes

Almost everyone agrees that all children should be born with an instruction manual. However, they are not and the need may exist for some parenting classes along with way to help with discipline as well as giving praise.

According to Deborah Fox in the Positive Parenting newsletter, simplicity and continuity are the ideal ways to halt a power struggle between parents and children. Most of time a power struggle is caused by the parent who believes in holding their authority over the child. Simply proclaiming “Because I said so.” Does not really deliver a message of open communication and cooperation.

The child may tend to take that phrase and twist it to come back as they didn’t do a particular chore because they weren’t specifically what to do. It can turn into a battle of “Simon Says” in which neither parent or child will win.

Often parents fall into the fight or flight mode and either stand and fight for the completion of their most recent direction, or flee the scene ignoring the entire situation.  This may teach the child that if they disagree with something they can simply walk away.

During cases of divorce, a judge my include parenting classes for one or both parents. Occasionally this bring issues between the parties to the table, making reconciliation possible, but most often it allows the children to feel less bitter about the break up of the marriage. Kathryn Kvols writes in Redirecting Children’s Behavior how to understand children’s behavior as well as improving communications. Her inputs through parenting classes have helped open the doors of communications between parents and children.

However, failure to recognize the need for, and implement parenting classes can lead to a family cycle or arguing and discourse. Parents who, as children, were raised in a confrontational environment will most likely repeat the behavior with their own children, as it is the only one they know.