Parenting Workshops: FAQs Part I

Children are God’s greatest gift to a couple. Nature has equipped us with maternal and paternal instincts which do kick in over a period of time. Unfortunately though, in an ultra modern, uber competitive world, parenting as a skill also needs a major update. Children today are thrown into a world that is cutthroat and stressful from them at a young age. Are we as parents equipped with this, with the stress factor and all that goes with the territory of being the guardians of children of the 21st century? This is where parenting workshops come in really handy. Conducted by child health experts, psychologists and other professionals who deal with the stresses and strains of child rearing on a daily basis.

When is the right time to take a Parenting Class?

While nature has equipped a woman with an innate maternal instinct that has sustained, mother-child bonding through the ages. It is wise to invest in a parenting workshop even before you have a child. Let us face it, a ritual becomes a habit only when practised diligently and being a parent is no different. There are some best practises that need to be inculcated in you the parents, well in advance for you to be able to use it instinctively with your little one when he/she finally arrives.

What would a parenting workshop teach me?

A parentingworkshop teaches parents different techniques to deal with the lifestyle adjustments that come with different phases of a child’s life. For instance, when a child is in his/her formative years his/her needs are completely different that say a teenager. There are subtle differences between the way one deals with children at different ages. These subtle differences are what a good parenting workshop will teach you.

What are things to keep in mind when choosing  parenting workshop?

The following are the things you need to keep in mind:

●      The reputation of the class in question

●      Your willingness to learn

●      The right class for your needs

●      The kind of methodology they use.

Let us look at each of these variables in slightly greater detail.

The reputation of the class: You need to be able to trust fully the people from whom you learn the techniques of dealing with your children. Always ensure that the panelists, child psychologists, teachers and facilitators are experienced and accredited. Discuss the reputation of the class with your friends who may have attended workshops, seminars and other programmes by these people.

Your willingness to learn: As with almost everything in life, your attitude towards learning needs to be the right one. Don’t be afraid of judgement, ask questions and clear all doubts that you might have, after all it is the future of your child that you will be doing these sessions for!

The right kind of class for your needs: Evaluate your needs as individuals and parents before you commit to a class. There are a whole lot of variables at play here. For instance a child with developmental issues would require and necessitate a different class than a couple who are expecting their first born.

The methodology they use: There are different schools of thought prevalent when it comes to child rearing and raising. Do a bit of reading on the internet about the various schools of thought and then decide on which class to invest in.

Watch this space for more information in our next week’s post.

Educating your toddler: Mother and Me Classes: Part II

In the previous part of this two part series we saw the need and understood the essence of actually taking a Mother and me class. This post will explore the advantages of this kind of class.

The Benefits of Mother and Me Class:

1) It is a great bonding activity.

Parent and Child classes offer a wonderful opportunity for bonding. Bonding provides a sense of security and fosters a positive self esteem. Bonding is necessary to help your little one grow and flourish. In a mommy and me class you will interact together, or just participate in similar activities that will promote bonding.

2) It can help your child develop cognitive, social, and gross motor skills.

Many mommy and me classes will help with your child's overall development. For example, in mommy and me music classes such as Kindermusik or Music Together, your child can develop early literacy skills and more. It can help them acquire reasoning skills, increase self- control, and cultivate a lifelong love for music. In other classes, such as gym classes offered, your child will develop strength and gross motor skills. They might learn how to throw a ball, jump, hop or more.

3) It is a fantastic way to make new friends.

A class offers you a wonderful opportunity to make friends and meet other moms. This is a great chance for your little one to find a new buddy, and for you to build a new friendship with another mom. Friendships can make a tremendous difference in your journey through motherhood.

4) It can help alleviate a feeling of loneliness.

This benefit applies to stay at home moms mostly. Sometimes, at-home moms will feel very lonely. A parent and child class can help alleviate those feelings of loneliness. It gives you something to do, can help provide a break in the day or week, and can help you make friends.

5) It can help prepare your child for school.

A mommy and me class is agreat way to prepare your children to be around other kids. It can help your child get used to being in a structural setting, help them learn how to follow directions, and much more. It's a less anxiety-provoking way of getting your child ready for the classroom.

6) Prevents postpartum depression

Bonding with your child is a great way to alleviate and prevent postpartum depression. It also helps promote security and self-esteem in both the child and adult. By taking the time to do something beneficial for the body helps to improve overall attitude and outlook on life.

7) Increase in the level of confidence:

Both mothers and children have reported an increase in the level of their self confidence after taking a Mother and Me class. Kids are more likely to interact with other kids and express themselves in a healthier, stronger and more individualistic way. Mothers on the other hand have found that they are better equipped in dealing with their own wards in a more confident, controlled manner.

8) Setting a healthy example

Another benefit is that these classes allow you an opportunity to set a healthy example by showing our children that you take the time to exercise and keep a healthy lifestyle. It is a great way to be a model of how to make health a priority in your lives. This is especially important with childhood obesity on the rise.

Educating your Toddler: Mother and Me Classes: Part I

“A woman gives birth to a child, but a child makes a woman, a mother”

~ Anonymous

How apt is this quote? Motherhood, parenthood in general is one of nature’s way of providing sustenance to one of its most fragile creations, children. The bond between a mother (in particular) and her offspring is the most beautiful and instinctive things in the known universe. Particularly in today’s more individualistic, technologically obsessed world, the bond between a newborn and its mother is the foundation of a healthy mind.

Educating your newborn/toddler: What’s the need?

Children are extremely impressionable in their formative years. Even in the womb, it is said a child can feel the positive and negative energy radiating from its parents and reacts to it accordingly. How much more then, would a little child react to the same when he/she can see around him/her? Children are naturally perceptive and though they may not be able to quite verbalise it, they instinctively know that there is something wrong, or there is something going on. This heightened perception eventually gets lost, as a child’s more ‘evolved’ patterns of behaviour and thought patterns emerge. This heightened perception, if tapped in properly can lead to some fantastic developments in the child’s future.

What difference could this make to a toddler?

Good question. Scientific research proves that habits and certain traits, if programmed into a child from a young age can stick with him/her, making him/her a better overall person. But even before this, there are the intangibles like positivity, happiness, love, security and other important feelings that need to be reinforced in a child. A child who knows that he/she, is loved, is constantly reinforced (both positively and negatively), is cocooned in a feeling of security and is constantly surrounded with positivity, grows up to be a better rounded person, well balanced, with a sense of right and wrong and heightened conscientiousness.

What kind of education is the need of the day?

Playgroups and activity centres aside, a child’s first point of contact with civilization is its parents. So like it or not, you are the conduit through which the child is going to receive their first impressions of the world. And what a world it truly is! A world where an app can readily replace human interaction for many people. Social media is a buzzword, but a person’s social skills are at an all time low. It is thus, your responsibility as parents, to ensure that your child takes in the appropriate kind of stimulation, but doesn’t over consume, lest they are left instantly deindividuated. Yet isolationism isn’t the way to go either, you do want them to be social beings after all. In order for you to be able t transmit the values that are apt and tailored for the 21st century, you need to have the right kind of training yourself, that’s where a Mother and Me class comes in handy.

What then is a Mother and Me class?

A ‘Mother and Me’ class is a developmental methodology that believes in positive, safe and activity oriented pre-nursery education. While Mother and Me isn’t intended to ever replace formal education, it is still an important cornerstone in a child’s development. It is between the ages of 1 and 3 where most children learn about interactions and their brains are best stimulated by activity, colouring, games and music. A Mother and Me class provides an environment where kids can learn to interact with other children and be more independent, under the supervision of their parents. What’s more the ‘Mother and Me’ class is great for new mothers as well, as they gain a kind of support system where they meet qualified educators and more than anything else other mothers and can discuss their problems with their child and consult with each other and trained professionals to solve said problems.