Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsory?
 

well its basically in the thread title...now i know on a whole, not all parents are bad ones (i mean children dont come with a handbook)

but even if you felt you were a good parent, but were tired of those children who's parents dont actually have a clue or care, and if parenting classes were compulsary it'd mean that they would have to attend them... would you agree to attend?

i would, so your thoughts please :)

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

No. I know I'm a bad parent so I wouldn't want to go somewhere to be told it as well.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

:D:D:D:D:D:D

i bet ya not ;):D

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

Just because they went to classes, it wouldn't make them good parents - I went to French lessons, it doesn't make me any good at French.
Good parents will be good parents, bad parents will be bad parents - doesn't matter how much you try and teach them

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

i like that :D

i was awful at french too...and english, and maths etc etc :erm:

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

I think it should be, along with the recently introduced cookery lessons.

School teaches you about things but they are assume that all people have to know are purely academic topics, leaving some glaring holes in the curriculum. Teaching kids about simultaneous equations and the capital of Malaysia is OK, but also so are things like child-rearing, home making, fiancial and just general life skills. Its amazing how much you need to know as an adult that you don't get taught at schools.

We had General Studies which was a step in the right direction, but not all that useful unfortunately.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

ahhh good idea ;)

and i think the younger your taught it, the more it sinks in and stays in, like teaching them values and manners at a young age :)

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

;)

I agree, but would take that a step further and make General Studies the practical application of the academic subjects. So, you could have math (balancing a cheque account, working out mortgage or HP repayments, what does a 2.35% pay rise over three years mean to you), english (writing an email complaining about a bad service, filling in a job application form, explaining to a policeman a crime you just witnessed), history (search your family tree, find out about the oldest building in your town, or the oldest local by-law), science (pros and cons of energy saving ideas, how exactly does an internal combustion engine work, why does a pet dog need so many vaccinations), etc., etc.

If subjects were made interesting and practical we'd have a lot less bored kids in schools.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

i think you ought to run for parliment :D

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

You've been a Forum member for less than a day and I love you already! :luv:

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

That's actually a citizenship class, which I think would be a good idea.

Yes. I'd be delighted if I thought they were still being taught that, but I doubt it somehow. I certainly don't remember being taught the capital cities of the world. Let alone any decent historical background.

Parenting classes - how on earth would two working people with a young child find the time? Take it from me we're both knackered and time starved and some State Supernanny ordering us to class would get the middle finger, frankly.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

:blush::blush::blush::blush:

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

Parenting skills come from your parents... if you're lucky... if they didn't I reckon you shouldn't dare have kids...

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

Perhaps we can start our own handy and practical guide.

I'm not a parent but ive been a child and survived ;)

1. Don't leave handles of pots/pans cooking on the stove/hob hanging over the edge.
2. Supervise children eating eating cup cakes sometimes you can bite into the foil and its the worst thing ever.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

3. Don't leave boxes of biscuits in view on high shelves unless you want to come back into the room to find a pile of chairs on top of a crying child that was just trying to climb up them to reach the biscuits. Been there, etc...

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

We could probably amend that slightly - don't leave boxes of biscuits in view full stop, unless you want to contend with a child in full tantrum mode when you tell them that their tea's almost ready so they can't have a biscuit ;)

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

4 . dont leave factor 30 suncream lying around in reach of 2 and a half year olds unless you want a good laugh at their expense. My little one grabbed a bottle, rubbed it all over her face, looked in the mirror, noticed she was looking like casper the ghost and started screaming. the look of shock on her face was priceless, lol. (But honestly i did feel bad after)

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

5. Don't go and check on your sleeping boy, leaving your twin brother, his daughter, and a tub of Sudacrem in the same room, as your brother will nod off, thus giving his daughter ample time and opportunity to cover herself in cream, eat some, and ruin your carpet...

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

no i wouldnt,reason being i came through life pretty okay and i put this down to my parents instilling in to me 3 good qualities, 1 respect for my parents,2 respect for others,3 respect for myself.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

Don't leave a two year old alone with a bottle of baby talc...and baby oil.I was only gone two minutes but it took me ages to clean up the mess.:dunce:

I used to teach parent craft lessons in a girls school.It was ok 'cos I had the numpties who were destined to be young mothers at an early age.One of my tutor group had three teenage mums by the time they were 15 so they were putting the education into practice before they forgot..

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

Parenting cannot be taught, what works for one will not work for the others.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

I have to disagree.Anything can be taught PROVIDED the person being taught WANTS to learn or has an INCENTIVE to learn.There is no subject that cannot be taught.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

well I've been told I am on more than one occasion, and I don't feel one hundred percent capable of giving him the care needed anymore. So yes I think that makes me a bad parent.

---------- Post added at 19:56 ---------- Previous post was at 19:55 ----------

I don't feel classes would help though.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

I'm sorry dilli but that is completely below the belt...talk about kicking someone when they are down...:mad: Alright you have a problem and yes maybe you cannot care for him in the same way anymore but it does not make you a bad parent.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

Juggling starving rabid wolves who have really bad headaches? ;)

Blindfolded self-operated vasectomies?

Teaching Mr_love_monkey not to be lascivious?

(sorry)

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

Not a subject and I'm sure that they don't want to learn parenting.

It's possible but I wouldn't have thought there was much call for the procedure


Well if he had an incentive like a cattle prod but then he would take that as a challenge I'm afraid.;)

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

I favour sterilisation

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

For Mr_love_monkey?

Sounds good - dip him in boiling water for ten minutes, he won't feel like procreating for quite a while.

You did mean that sort of sterilisation, didn't you? ;)

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

Must have misheard when I said about needing him to prick my boil.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

©ugg the caveman, approx 350,000BC :)

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

Oldie, but Goldie. :)

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsory?
 

If kids came with Haynes manuals, i'd have one tomorrow! :rolleyes:

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsory?
 

There is a Haynes for Kids, I've got it!

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsory?
 

I'm not surprised, i saw there was one about women too (obviously wrote by a woman!). So does the kids haynes manual hold all the answers? or should i give up on my maternal instincts and carry on full steam ahead with my career?

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsory?
 

The way I looked at it was I couldn't make a worse job of it than some of the kids I was teaching and I might possibly do a whole lot better than their parents.I think I've done ok.Neither of them is a drug addict,alcoholic or a criminal and they never did anything really stupid and they never roamed the street in any gang.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

Ah but some things you are better off learning from Experience, you can only learn so much in the classroom.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

Yes but experience can be supplemented quite nicely by some work in the classroom.Besides some people fail entirely to learn from experience and keep repeating the same mistakes.:erm:

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsory?
 

I think children should have classes, how to be a good child. They're already in school so it wouldnt have to inconvenience the parent in having to attend a class.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

well... obvioulsy i only joined yesterday, so i have no clue whats surrounding these comments (none of my buisness)

but reading what incognitas said, they are right... and whoever told you, that you were a bad parent ought to have thought before they spoke.

you obviously love your child, or your child and the comment would never have sprung to mind.

a bad parent IMO, is one that has a child, and dosnt care, and would not even recognise that they were neglecting their child, as they are ignorant to the fact that they arnt coping, because they dont care..... there is a vast difference to not coping, and not caring.

i know a few parents who havent had custody of their children, but are good parents, and love them very much.

i also know of a few parents who think parenting is all about sticking £50 in their hand, and letting them roam the streets till 1am with their mate, cos they dont care.

---------- Post added at 08:45 ---------- Previous post was at 08:43 ----------

well exactly!

i mean, being a parent is not only the hardest job, but its the longest job you have.... and its the only job that donst come with instructions :D

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsory?
 

For new parents i would say yes, i opted to go for the resuscitation and first aid when little un was born because i did'nt like the idea that if something did go wrong i would be flapping and waiting for paramedics basically i wanted to be able to act whilst the paramedics arrived.

But she'll be 4 in april and i don't think classes would help now, each day has different dramas and each child is different, the biggest bit of advice i would offer is that if your child likes to say no alot lol you would not give them the chance of saying no EG:instead of saying "do you want to wear your purple coat" say "do you want to wear you purple coat or your pink coat".

i've found this works for dreaded dinner time as well when she would rather have cookies "Do you want peas or green beans with your dinner" i'm not an expert but i think because she has made the choice she's happy to live with it.

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

I can see how not knowing my curcumstances would be confusing ;)

More about me on my site here.

http://www.dilli-theclaw.com/

I do understand what yourself and Incognitas are saying it's just that if someone gets told the same thing over and over you start to believe it I guess.

Anyway, I'll see how well I get on with my boy after a day in London ;)

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsary?
 

:(

that sad face is because im sorry for your illness, and can understand it to a certain extent (obviously not on your scale)
i have autoimmunity (which is usually what causes diabetes) and have nerve damage due to one of the many autoimmune diseases that i have, but mine is in my feet and legs.

now i have a better idea as to why you "feel" you might be a bad parent, as i have had times like that also... i think any physically restriced parent does.

but i can categorically say, you are not.

you love your child? you dont abuse your child? i have a feeling im right, or else you wouldnt even be talking about him, let alone taking him out for the day :)

and do you know what? ppl who put you down, and try to make you feel negativly about yourself, only do so, so usually so they can reflect their own feelings of inadequecy. (in other words, like a bully does)

how on earth can a disabled parent be a bad one? i now know im not. i have seen parents..i'll give you one example....

a girl i knew sharon, she was born with cerebal palsy, both her parents were GP's, you want to know what they did?
they put her up for adoption :( because she wasnt perfect, and would have took a little more looking after than the average child, so their lives, and career came first.

then she was attacked, and became pregnant herself, but was unable to keep the baby, as her CP was too severe, she would have dropped him ro something.
it tore her apart, and she was a different girl after they took him away... but she wasn't a bad parent, she loved him... she just couldnt cope.

please, dont listen to any negative comments, only the positive, and let your boy see his dad has a good opinion of himself, it will help to show him how to build confidence too ;)

btw, enjoy your day out with him, and i wanna hear all about it :D

Re: Do You Think Parenting Classes Should Be Compulsory?
 

No, I would not have attended any such class. The world seems to have survived without them for thousands of years.