Parenting Workshops Help Parents Help Themselves

Parenting is one of the toughest jobs and many parents need help in managing their family life. Parenting workshops offer parents the opportunity to learn new strategies and concepts about parenting that they can use in their everyday family life.

Parenting workshops, like any other workshop, include different sessions on different topics such building strong relationships between children and parent, between siblings or between children; early childhood parenting such as dealing with children’s fears, helping parents adjust with separation, or starting school.

Many parenting workshops also help parents deal with children who have learning and/or emotional difficulties. These workshops are especially helpful because parenting children with special needs can be twice as hard so many need all the help they can get to manage their family life well.

Parents of adolescents and teenagers also experience a greater deal of frustration and stress because, as we know, children at this age bracket tend to distance themselves from parents, question authority, and are naturally curious and impulsive. Parenting workshops that help parenting teenagers educate parents to help them understand what their teens are going through and how to best approach or communicate with them.

Families who are going through a conflict such as separation or divorce can also get counseling through parenting workshops as well as education about children’s right and family law. Moreover, parenting workshops not only increase parents’ knowledge and skills on raising their children but at the same time develop confidence in them as parents and reduce everyday stress.

Aside from discussions and presentations on important parenting issues, parenting workshops feature videos and other media resources on a variety of parenting topics. Many parenting workshops are free but there are also groups that organize workshops for a fee and by request, customized to the needs of a specific group, for instance, single parents.

Generally, parenting workshops are conducted once a week for four to six weeks, depending on the organizer. If there is no one else to look after the child while the parent or parents attend the workshop, they can look for those that offer child-minding services.

Before attending parenting workshops, you can check the specific content of each session to make sure they will be useful to you and also check the qualifications of the people providing the workshop. The organization should be composed of qualified professionals who are well-trained in family and/or child development and, ideally, parents themselves.

Milos Pesic is a single father and expert in the field of Parenting who runs a highly popular and comprehensive Parenting web site. For more articles and resources on parenting, teen parenting, step parenting, parenting classes and much more visit his site at:

=>http://parenting.need-to-know.net/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Milos_Pesic

Co-Parenting After Divorce - Learning How to Parent With Your Ex-Spouse After Your Divorce

As a divorced parent, it's essential to grasp the fine points of co-parenting. Some of you may thinking, "What the heck is co-parenting?" It's a term created to describe divorced parents continuing to parent their children together.

This is a lot easier said then done. Divorced parents are rarely the best of friends. Downright dislike isn't too off the mark for a lot of couples. Part of the conflict you experienced in your marriage could have included differing parenting styles. Well, just because you're divorced doesn't mean you don't have that conflict anymore! If anything, it can intensify because there's a lot more you're angry about now.

While both of you have separate homes, remember your children have to travel between these. They have to understand what is expected from them in both situations. Irregardless of the negative feelings you may have toward your ex, it's important that the two of you find SOME way to work together when it comes to raising your beautiful children.

The following are things to consider in creating an effective co-parenting plan:

1) Accountability in each home is essential

2) It's not important that your rules be identical in each household, but common themes make it easier on your children.

3) Agree not to bad mouth the other parent's parenting choices in front of the children

The goal is for the two of you to work together. This can be challenging when you're both hurt and angry at one another. Be sure to never use your children and parenting them as a way to "get even" with your ex. It's only your children who get hurt.

For more great information on life after divorce, I'd like to invite you to visit us at http://www.RemarriageSuccess.com

If you like this article, why not get more? Sign up today for our free Tip of the Week at http://www.RemarriageSuccess.com/tip.htm - You will receive several great articles and resources in each issue.

If you are having a difficult time managing your anger at your ex and it's interfering with your ability to co-parent, learn how to move forward with our special report, "I'm Just So Mad! Dealing with the Anger of Divorce." Get all the details about this resource at http://www.RemarriageSuccess.com/somad.htm

From Alyssa Johnson at RemarriageSuccess.

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The Advantages of Attending Parenting Classes

Parenting can be the toughest job in the world, indeed it is. Even the smartest ones give up on finding the perfect equation for the perfect relationship with your kids. You know why? Because there is no such thing as perfect, there are only ideals and appropriates.

If you are a newbie in the world of parenting, it will be as twice as hard for you. Let’s be honest, all of us wants to be the best parents for our child and who wouldn’t. However, most of us are still uncertain if our so-called way of parenting is correct. If you want to learn a lot of helpful strategies to cope up with the staple challenges of parenting, then help is on the way.

Parenting classes are all the rage of today. Some even take classes even if the baby is still on its way. Parenting classes are facilitated by expert instructors that give out lessons to aid moms on the need. They give out helpful information on different aspects of parenting. If necessary, they will even require some parents to undergo structured parenting program that will teach them a step by step approach on parenting.

The only misconception about parenting classes is that some parents think that it can change their ways of raising a child. What you need to remember is that, these lessons only serve as your guide and the implementation of such all depends upon you. But when the time comes that a real change is required in your usual parenting technique, your instincts will tell you so and you will know it.

If you think that only problematic parents take parenting lessons, you are absolutely wrong. What you don’t know is that even healthy families tend to scout for help if they need it. If you’re one amongst the big majority who want to attend but just don’t have the time to attend parenting classes, you are just in luck because parenting classes are well established on the web. You can just easily take online courses in the comforts of your own home. How’s that for a class?

Parenting is truly the hardest job one could ever have and to note all of these are a lifetime commitment. Parenting classes are mere supplementation for those who wants to seek help from experts. There is no right or wrong way in parenting, however there will always be what we call as the acceptable way.

Milos Pesic is a single father and expert in the field of Parenting who runs a highly popular and comprehensive Parenting web site. For more articles and resources on parenting, teen parenting, step parenting, parenting classes and much more

visit his site at:=>http://parenting.need-to-know.net/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Milos_Pesic

It's time for parents to take back control

When I talk to parents about parenting, I get the sense we are in the midst of a struggle. Is parenting harder today? Why is it harder? How can we make it simpler?There is a difference in family life today versus 50 years ago. Fifty years ago, families were influenced more by church, neighbors, community and the time they spent together.

Today, there is more influence on families coming from outside their homes and neighborhoods by TV, the computer and other media outlets. Information keeps bombarding families at lightning speed. For two working parents, time together has become restricted. And children are participating in more activities outside their immediate neighborhoods than they did 50 years ago.Meanwhile, our homes have become self-sufficient entities.

We can be connected to the world, friends and relatives from a chair in front of our computers. With the emphasis on TV, computers and the Internet, the time and the necessity to be involved with other families has decreased.At the same time, marketing to children is in full swing, empowering them to influence family decisions. Parents' authority has diminished, and kids know it. Kids are in control. Even the messages obtained from computer games and TV give children the feeling of having it all and deserving it.

How can parents win any struggle in this era of the empowered child?Parents do have power and need to exert the right to be in control of their house and their kids. Here's how:

* First, recognize that what your child gets from you is a privilege. You can control the number of privileges your child earns, and yes, they should earn them. Too many kids get things without earning them just by saying, "Everyone else has it!"

* Maintain a set of rules for your household. Children need clear sets of rules, and parents need to exert control by being the people who set the rules.

* Demand respect from your children. Disrespect means loss of privileges.

* Stop yelling. Yelling shows weakness and loss of control. You may then feel guilty and make decisions for your children from this place of weakness. By staying in control, you command more respect and exert more control over your children.

* Decrease TV exposure and computer time. These empower kids and give them the sense that the world is at their pleasure. The fewer advertisements kids see, the less they feel they just "can't live without" the latest and greatest thing.

* Make sure you have family time every week. Do an outing together. Eat meals together. Family time won't always be perfect. But the time together provides a sense of belonging, and a sense of togetherness that kids really need.

* Get together with other families without the electronics. Share meals, talk and play games. Community teaches children about friendship. It teaches them about other families. These lessons don't come on their iPods or Facebook.

* Hold your children responsible for their schoolwork and chores. They need to work to improve themselves as well as for the greater good of the family. If you give them responsibility for their school and home duties, you have a greater sense of control.

Parenting styles have changed. We can no longer just be the authoritarians in our homes. But, we can still maintain a sense of control. We can develop our own parenting style.Read some parenting books. Get some parenting DVDs.

Think about your parenting. Kids may feel empowered, but they still need strong and secure parents. With some effort, you can learn to be secure in your parenting role and feel that parenting is less of a struggle.

How Children Benefit From Pretend Play Kitchen, Stores, And More

Once upon time, you may have worn your mother’s favorite apron while arranging miniature tea sets on a tiny table, serving imaginary tea and scones to your favorite doll. Or you may have been in command of your action figures, leading them to the battlefield in the center of your living room.

The character you were playing when you were young - a chef in a play kitchen or a general in the Stars Wars of your imagination – are still perhaps being played by many children nowadays. Pretend play is such a source of joy that even with the advent of so many modern games, this old-fashioned imaginative play never loses its appeal.

Promoting Pretend Play Because of the many benefits it can give, children should be encouraged to engage in pretend play. But never impose the idea or it will lose its appeal. Here are some scenarios for starting a pretend play: - If you see your little girl constantly dressing up her doll, ask her where her dolly is off to and maybe it’s better for little dolly to have something to eat in the play kitchen before taking off. - When your little boy is playing with his action figures, comment on how the little ones need the guidance of a teacher or the care of a doctor. - If your child pretends to be a wild animal ready to pounce on you, go along with it. You can act scared at first and then pretend to tame him by giving imaginary food and petting him on the head.

As children warm up to the idea of role playing, whoever’s babysitting would usually be assigned a role. It may seem ridiculous for a grown up like you to assist in a play kitchen or act as the customer in a lemonade stand the size of your arm. But the benefits it can bring to your child won’t make it so ridiculous anymore. Benefits of Pretend Play Social and Emotional Development - Children can become whoever they want to be in pretend play. Because of this, they are able to get a very basic view of how it’s like to be a doctor with his toy hospital or how it’s like to be a chef with her play kitchen.

As kids act out the part of somebody else, empathy is planted. When children realize they can be any character they want to be, their self-confidence could grow. And with this comes the desire and strength to explore new things. Mental Development - Even if it’s just child’s play, there are also many problem-solving situations that children encounter during role playing.

It may be a concern on what material should best replace a lost play kitchen spoon or who among the action figures to pick as the second in command. The process of looking for solutions to obstacles develops the analytical skills of your child. It also promotes resourcefulness, creativity, abstract thinking and logical reasoning. Communication - Whether children are playing with their parents, playmates, dolls or imaginary friends, they will always engage in conversation.

A child starts to learn the importance of communication, especially when he or she mimics grown-up talk and actions. When children pretend to read to their dolls or write down grocery lists, they may be motivated to start learning how to read and write. So encourage your child to pretend play. You can start off by presenting a play kitchen or a doctor’s kit. Remember, the skills that your child learns here are the skills that matter in real life.

About The Author

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