Children don't come with an instruction manual, and for most parents, the primary example of how children should be disciplined comes from being disciplined as a child. For parents who want to learn how to parent in a new, more effective or respectful way, there are many free online resources that can help.
Hand in Hand Parenting
Hand in Hand Parenting is based in the Bay area of California, and has many free internet resources, including articles, booklets and email discussion lists. For local parents, there are also in-person consultations, classes, support groups and leadership training courses. Free podcasts by Patty Wipfler in a series for new parents cover topics such as newborn sleep, how dads can gain support, recovering from a difficult birth and helping an older child accept a new baby.
Hand in Hand Parenting is based on attachment parenting philosophy and "helps parents acquire the skills they need to build and rebuild close connections with their children." For an overview of the Hand in Hand approach, check out this great article titled, " Do Children Manipulate Their Parents?"
Transformative Parenting
Based on the attachment parenting principles of Dr. Gordon Neufeld, author of Hold on to Your Kids, Transformative Parenting is based in Marin County, California, and offers free online articles, fee-based one on one consultations in person or on the phone, classes, telephone support groups, webinars and videos.
Tranformative Parenting also has a Facebook page which provides updates on upcoming online courses, links to interesting articles based on attachment parenting and inspirational quotes to help parents stay focused on a positive parenting approach. The founders of Transformative Parenting have been personally trained by Dr. Neufeld and are authorized to teach parents techniques from Neufeld's book.
Responsive Discipline Free Online Parenting Course
Produced by the Kansas State University, this free online parenting course focuses on teaching parents what effective, respectful discipline looks like and how to prevent misbehaviour as well as teach children to behave appropriately by learning self-control. The material here is balanced, fair and does not rely heavily on one or two techniques, such as time-out, rewards and punishments or artificially imposed consequences.
This online course is made up of nine lessons on discipline and child behavior, and is totally free. The Responsive Discipline course recognizes and acknowledges the role that the parenting people received when they were children is unconsciously carried forwards into how they parent their own children, and throughout the course are thoughtful, understanding ways to change their own patterns of behaviour while teaching and guiding their children to change their behavior. Highly recommended.
All of these parenting courses and other resources recognize that the parent-child relationship is primarily one of love and respect, not a relationship in which the parent's primary role is to control the child's behavior. A parent is responsible for teaching a child through responsible, loving discipline, but the effectiveness of a parent's efforts at discipline will be undermined if her relationship with the child is not based on mutual respect.
These three parenting resources – Hand in Hand Parenting, Transformative Parenting and Responsive Discipline Online Parenting Course – will help parents build up a strong relationship as well as teach effective discipline tools at the same time.
Michelle Carchrae - Michelle Carchrae has worked as a Volunteer Phone Counselor at Childline and as a Training Developer and Call Centre Trainer, but the job ...
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