parenting courses [Archive] - Bub Hub Pregnancy & Parenting Forum

Fuchsia!

10-12-2009, 09:03

I wouldn't, purely for the fact that im 100% confident in my parenting and im happy the way i am doing it.

But if i wasn't confident and needed help in certain areas i would jump at the chance.

Raising a child is the hardest most complicated job in the world and it should be taken very seriously and if people need that help they should seek it, not doing it cause they can't be bothered is a cop out and they shouldn't have had child.

Mrs Nietzsche

10-12-2009, 09:06

I would go to one for 10 year olds :hair:

Poppetfish

10-12-2009, 09:07

I would not do it but saying that. I worked at Department of Families and have already seen half of the parenting course anyway.

Veritas

10-12-2009, 09:31

I'm the same as Jax... very happy with my skills already, so I would feel no need..... but if it was a different story, then I certainly wouldn't hesitate.....

I wish I could request that my ex do a parenting course before any interaction with DD..... he has absolutely no idea just what this parenting gig is about.....

Leisa21

10-12-2009, 09:45

I don't think I'd go but maybe I'd send the in laws:laughing:. Honestly I'm slightly curious as to what they are teaching though. I'm quite confident in raising my son but I know there are some areas I'm lacking like offering him more interaction with other children. I try the best I can but there isn't a play group close and I don't have a lot of friends that are parents and the ones that I do have I'm not overly comfortable with my son playing with them at an impressionable age as they aren't very nice children:o. I know when school comes he'll be associated with other children but he's just so feral after seeing them because they're feral. Also I spend the whole time trying to defend myself about why I'm always playing with him and why I don't let him eat junk food:rolleyes:.

But I have enrolled him at Montessori school so when I decide he's ready (probably now but two is too young) then he can go and hopefully interact with other children who are calm and respectful like him. I don't think going to a parenting course will help me with that. Unless there's a course about letting your children be independent :laughing:

werdxela

10-12-2009, 09:46

I would go to one for 10 year olds :hair:

Me too!!

RmumR

10-12-2009, 09:49

if i had the opportunity and the spare child free time then yes i would go. i am more than confident in my parenting ability but you never know what you might learn that could be beneficial to add to your skills whether it be something you use now or in the future. if i thought that it would benefit me and DD i would do it without a doubt

blissfullybonkers

10-12-2009, 10:11

I think i would go, more to see what it was all about, when DD was first born i went to a group for 5 weeks that taught baby massage, safety & play, sleeping/settling techniques etc
I am totally confident in my parenting skills, however i think another persons POV can be refreshing :) and im a too curious person not to go :laughing:

TurnedBatty

10-12-2009, 10:13

Why not? There's always something every parent can learn. Even if it ends up being how NOT to do something!

MumtoD

10-12-2009, 10:14

Nope wouldn't go. Am perfectly happy with my parenting skills and my husbands and would rather spend that time with my child.

bumMum

10-12-2009, 10:27

i have done educational stuff to do with parenting since i was 6 months pregnant. not 'parenting classes' exactly but educational talks etc.. it was all through my mothers group.
i have been to Ngala talks on sleeping and settling and feeding and all that.
I have been to classes on discipline and toilet training, and also nutrition and learning how to read food labels. I learnt a lot from a 'developing brains' workshops i went to, and I have learnt about how to 'play' with my son.. although it comes fairly easily anyway, I did learn new things.
I wanted to learn as much as I could because I didn't feel like I was ready for a baby. fortunately most parenting skills seem to just come to you naturally lol... well I didn't realize that at the time! but I have used a lot of what I've learnt when talking to other people and they ask me why I do things a certain way. some stuff I didn't take on board, but I do think some of it is crap.
in particular it's been good for some girls who have been brought up thinking some things are o.k. which aren't.. like calling a baby an idiot.. or even worse things..and they seriously didn't understand why that was wrong.. but we have done workshops on communicating with toddlers etc and they have learnt to control the way they speak. I don't think everyone needs parenting classes, but I do think it's not just necessarily a certain type of person who needs help. Ive met a lot of mums when I worked in childcare who seemed to have it all together in every other way but when it came to parenting, they are a total mess!

Pippi Longstocking

10-12-2009, 10:28

Why not? There's always something every parent can learn. Even if it ends up being how NOT to do something!

I agree. I actually teach a parenting course as part of my job and I am still learning new strategies/tips/ideas that I use at home with my own children. Because children are forever changing and growing and learning new things, our parenting needs to be a little fluid - we constantly need to learn new skills to keep up with our children.
A parenting course is also a good way for isolated parents to meet up with others that may be in a similar situation and many friendships have been formed through these sort of groups.
I'd recommend them. Take from them what you need, ignore the bits that don't feel right, share your own wisdom and it will be all worth it. :thumbsup:

KatiesMum

10-12-2009, 10:30

Why not? There's always something every parent can learn. Even if it ends up being how NOT to do something!

:yes: exactly.

Myztiks#1Fan

10-12-2009, 11:11

few different responses here. i will be doing one next year that runs for an entire year on my own free will, not somethign i have to do but i want to do. i am even changing my work days to do it

Deserama

10-12-2009, 11:19

I'd do one for teenagers...that would be handy.

Jakois

10-12-2009, 11:23

I'd do one for teenagers...that would be handy.

I hear you:geek: :geek: :geek:.

MummaBear03

10-12-2009, 11:50

Why not? There's always something every parent can learn. Even if it ends up being how NOT to do something!

That's right. I've done a few of them and have taken bits and pieces and adapted them for use both at home and work with children. Doing a course doesn't mean you suddenly MUST do it how you learnt in the course. I also found they went over different activities that parents can do with children and ways of doing it if you have a large family. Came in handy knowing that info when I had 5 kids in the house to cater to. I know how to handle 10 Toddlers or 24 Preschoolers but didn't know how to LIVE with 5 children of different ages and with differing needs.

I didn't do all of what they said, for instance one of them said how important it was for each to have his or her own space even if they share a room, they still had to share the wardrobes and chest of drawers and all the books and toys and games were to share, etc.

MummaBear03

10-12-2009, 12:02

I'd do one for teenagers...that would be handy.

I've done one for teenagers, but it was costly. Wanted to know how best to help my brother when he was a teen. Seemed to work, the 3 of us did one (myself, older brother and our mother) so we could help him in the best possible way. He's now 20 and a good person, very responsible.

I think they run one through Centacare for children aged 9 to 15 as well but not too sure about that, worth giving them a call though :yes:

Myztiks#1Fan

10-12-2009, 18:45

just want to bump this for the afternoon people as i am interested in what others have to say :)

Boobycino

10-12-2009, 19:21

I probably wouldn't, but maybe if when bub grows up I might be interested. I've worked with lots of babies under 2 years and had close interaction with those under 5 years - its 5+ that my experience gets a little hazy.

So maybe I'll need some help when bub is 9 and I'm utterly clueless with what i need to be doing with him.

I dont think its a bad idea, what with the break down of the family unit, not many of us are living with younger cousins around or neices or nephews or even our own parents, so without someone close by to ask or model from, I totally get why a parenting class could be beneficial.

Whispers

10-12-2009, 19:30

lochiebearsmum

10-12-2009, 23:48

hmmm maybe... im quite happy with the way i have parented lochie... in some respects i know i have to be stricter with him but he is just so damn cute! i would hear what they are saying but i still wouldnt follow through! supernanny could come to my house and i know she would say he needs to play more independently, to get rid of his dummies, put himself to sleep, stop waking every 2 hours and cut the bottles, she would say he probably needs a couple more time outs than he gets and that i do occasionally make excuses for behaviour that isnt entirely acceptable my sister told him he was naughty and he said " nope im perfect!" she said he needed a time out i say he was just asserting himself and has every right to say whats on his mind....
so all in all i dont think i would take a huge amount in and if i did i still dont think i would change it.. its worked for me for nearly 3 years...

kerrysinead

11-12-2009, 01:24

I'd do one, I think it'd be quite interesting,not saying I'd rush out and change my practices. I reckon theres always something I can learn about this parenting business. There may be bits of it I could use, other areas I might not agree with at all IYKWIM. I think im doing the best I can raising my DD but am not 100% confident all the time, even though I try to look and act like I am when she is throwing a bit of a public tantrum :laughing:

Myztiks#1Fan

11-12-2009, 01:33

generally you can take your children to these courses as the course i am doing helps you see how to communicate, interact, learn, understand from your child more. its great. so many things i have picked up on from there. they teach you other ways to play.

the course next year i am doing, will be bigger, more people but its not as structured. its more of a social thing as well. this year, they went camping for a few days, they went to dreamworld with all the kids, the kids did some swimming lessons, they had cooking days etc. also do music lessons there where someone comes in and brings some instruments and everyone sits in a circle and sings etc. its great for mum and great for child. coop will be one of the oldest children there again but he enjoys going as well

PeppaH

11-12-2009, 03:12

I think its a great idea and if I wasnt so... Not interested in going out I would gladly go. But I have to feel in the mood to go out :laughing:

MsMummy

11-12-2009, 07:15

Myztiks#1Fan

11-12-2009, 19:12

OP, are you doing one of the PPP ones?

I've thought about it, but I would have to find out the philosophy behind the course before I started.

I'd like to do one that gave you ideas on how to play with babies to encourage development etc. I know they say it comes "naturally" etc, but I haven't found that to be the case with me.

I mean, I went to uni for 4 years for my day job, so it doesn't seem unreasonable to do a short course for the biggest job, being parenting.

no its not a PPP course. its run through brisbanr youth service at bowen hills or newfarm or something.the cater for young parents up to the age of 26 and get alot of referals from child safety however not everyone there is involved with them .right near bowen hills anyway. it hasnt come naturally for me either. its definately getting easier esp with what i have picked up from this course. when i bring my folder home with tips mainly for toddlers but they can be applied for every one, i will do a post about the different things as i am not the best at describing the different ways on how to make play etc better and yeah.

the big one i picked up though is to let your child take the lead and face to face, being down on their level, all the eye contact etc.

MummaBear03

12-12-2009, 10:43

At my work we use a lot of tips from the PPP course, and have them laminated on the wall for parents to read. In the Toddler room and Pre-Kindy room, it's mainly to do with toileting and behaviours such as biting, as those are the main areas of concern for those age groups, covering 15 months to 3 years of age. In the baby room it's mainly to do with things like crying, settling and feeding.

I've also done the 123 Magic course and have been able to take some things from PPP and some things from 123 Magic, but still parent in the same way as always. I always did 1, 2, 3 with DD but to see it in a course and see how to make it work even better was great.

I don't like Supernanny, in fact the couple of times I've seen the show I've ended up throwing something at the tv hoping to turn the TV off, as both times were when I was unable to get up and did not have the control :rolleyes: I don't like her techniques and don't like the way she almost bullies parents into doing things her way. There's nothing wrong with co-sleeping or breastfeeding past 6 months, yet she will push parents to stop both as if that's the cause of the behaviour instead of addressing the behaviours and the real root causes for it.

c2p08

12-12-2009, 15:27

yep, i did a court ordered one with my ex (fairly standard in custody cases now days) and it was amazing.

my ex and i fought and argued and sniped at each other for over 12 mths, after just 4 weeks doing the course we started to stop fighting and arguing and now we are working together for our DD.

We went from not even being able to be alone to drop DD off to each other, to mutually argeeing to change drop off time, place and days. he even has DD for 2 nights in a row (my choice to let it happen, first time ever) and has agreed to get DD to call me on the second day.

i wish we had of gone through it earlier to help us, it has done wonders.

It helps you understand how the child sees things and what the child is going through.

even just normal parenting courses, not based on after seperation of the parents, they are great for a reevaluation of things to see how it affects the children.