Parenting Classes…

As the Student Support Services Coordinator in a remote school in Africa, parents often declare they think their child has a ‘problem’ and ask me to evaluate them. They tell me of late nights at home begging children to go to bed, children that are being hand-fed and dressed well into early primary school, children refusing (or more often in Sudan, ignoring) directions from parents. They are certain their kid must have some kind of disorder…

When I suggest standard behavioral techniques (changing the structure of an activity to place a preferred task after a non-preferred task, firm expectations, rewards) parents often tell me they’ve tried these techniques and they “don’t work”, I am often in the position of telling them that they do work, and describing the basic tenants of behavior. Lately I have been sending everyone this free parenting course from Yale, available on coursera. I am aware that sending parents (some of them experienced with quite a few children at home, most of them older than I am) an on-line basic beginner introduction to parenting can be perceived as insulting, but I find that basic knowledge of behavior can be the key to happy, healthy kids who have secure relationships with their parents.

It might not be hip, but it’s good. Take a class, yo.

Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing

“Everyday Parenting gives you access to a toolkit of behavior-change techniques that will make your typical day in the home easier as you develop the behaviors you would like to see in your child. The lessons provide step-by-step instructions and demonstrations to improve your course of action with both children and adolescents. Among many techniques, you will learn how even simple modifications to tone of voice and phrasing can lead to more compliance. The course will also shed light on many parenting misconceptions and ineffective strategies that are routinely used. The key to the course is practice. It is not enough to know the strategies; you have to do them to reap the rewards. Using the techniques on a temporary basis will lead to permanent change. Chances are your parenting is perfectly fine and working the way you would like. But if you have any frustrations with your child or would like improve your effectiveness in changing your child’s behavior, these videos will be a very useful guide. Subtitles available in Chinese and Spanish”.

-Coursera