According to the National Parenting Education Network, “Loving may be instinctual, but skills are developed. Even before becoming a parent and throughout your journey, you can continually learn skills and gain insights. These empower relationships, support growth and development, and create family well-being, even during difficult transitions.”
As parents, we can all benefit from parenting education, no matter your culture, family background, location or financial status. Parenting education programs often start by supporting you to think about your values. What kind of parent do you want to be? What are the wishes or hopes you have for your child? What are you already doing that is supporting these goals? What else could you do?
Parenting programs also focus on helping you think about parenting practices and behaviors, such as:
- Developing and practicing positive discipline techniques
- Learning what is reasonable to expect your child to do based on age
- Developmental milestones
- Promoting positive play and interaction between parents and children
- Locating and accessing community services and supports
You can also learn about your child’s temperament, which will help you choose strategies that will work best for them.
Through a parenting education program, you can learn about the needs of your children, as well as your own needs as a parent, including:
- How to best support children of different ages and stages of development
- Developing strong and healthy relationships with your children
- Activities for every stage of development that help children become healthy and successful physically, emotionally, socially and academically
- Healthy ways to cope with the stress of parenting
- The importance of caring for yourself in order to be the parent you want to be
In turn, children:
- Feel confident and safe
- Build strong relationships
- Are emotionally stable
- Are more successful in school
- Decrease their chance of:
- substance abuse
- teen pregnancy
- dropping out of school
In Lane County, parenting education programs are offered in a variety of settings: in-person classes and workshops, online, individual counseling sessions, facilitated groups, or home visits.
A parenting program, such as Triple P Online (TPOL), offers parents the opportunity to receive support and education from the comforts of home on their own schedule. Triple P Online is an online course for parents and caregivers of children ages 2-12, comprising 12 modules introducing different skills to help families thrive. Information is delivered in video format with activities to customize the program to your family.
Group-based parenting education, led by a professional Parenting Educator, is another way to receive support. Parenting groups, such as those offered at Parenting Now, can help reduce feelings of isolation by connecting you with families who have similar aged children. During a parenting group, you might, for example, learn you are not the only one having a hard time getting your child to sleep or be able to find someone for a playdate.
Individualized parent support programs, such as Healthy Families Lane County, can begin before your baby is born until your child is 2 years old, and will support you to set your family up for success as well as connect you with community resources, answering questions like:
- Where can I get support with infant feeding?
- Who can I contact with concerns about my baby’s development?
- How do I get my baby to sleep through the night?
- How do we integrate this new baby into our family?
Many local resources—including counseling services, help with basic needs, and more—can be found at Parenting Now’s Resources for Families website. For a list of family-friendly activities and other parenting classes, visit the LaneKids’s website.
When you can reduce isolation and get more support, resources and information, your stress as a parent goes down. Parenting education programs support parents by equipping them with the skills and confidence they need to handle parenting challenges and build strong relationships with their kids. Parenting education, in whatever form you choose, supports you to be the parent you want to be so your family will thrive.
This article is brought to you by Parenting Now Parenting Educators and authors Amanda Bedortha, Claire Davis, and Lynne Grilley.
Triple P – Positive Parenting Program
Are you interested in receiving more parenting advice? Triple P Online – Positive Parenting Program could be for you! This online parenting program allows you to take a parenting class in the comfort of your own home! Triple P Online now includes a guide for parenting during COVID-19.
If you live in Lane County, you can get Triple P Online for free by filling out the form below. A staff person from Parenting Now will send you an access code within 24 hours and you’ll be able to start using the program right away! For more information about the program visit the LaneKids Triple P homepage.