The decision of the British government to offer parenting classes has stirred up a hornet’s nest of controversy. A British member of parliament was quoted as having said that parents don’t want to do the job of parenting anymore; that children are ill prepared for school because of poor parenting.
Child care classes for everything from ‘tantrums to teething’
The parenting classes offered to parents in Britain are being criticized because they are being seen as a sign of the ‘nanny state. However the offer of parenting classes have been justified by citing the example of how poor parenting was responsible for some of the riot that happened last year in the country.
Parents are not enjoying the role of being parents because they make poor role models themselves.
They also don’t have the option of falling back on the role model of their own parents to fall back on or to guide them on the road to good parenting.
The Prime Minister David Cameron has defended the move to offer parenting classes by saying that as a parent himself, he would have valued some parenting guidance himself.
The importance of role models for kids
There may continue to be a lot of controversy about whether the parenting classes are justified or not, but the fact stands that most kids would benefit from their parents being their role models.
Here are some tips for parents to become good role models for their kids:
Understand that kids are led by example and if you want them to do things a certain way you have to do it that way too. Understand the fact that for most kids their parents are a role model and that if kids act a certain way, the reason may not be far to find. Regardless of siblings, friends and personalities in the media who influence kids’ behavior, it is mainly the parents who are the main influence.
Impolite language, inappropriate behavior, difficulty in managing anger, indiscipline, bad habits such as drinking and smoking come from a child’s immediate environment, be it home or school.
Positivity also rubs off on kids. When parents create an environment of positivity, optimism and responsible actions, their kids can also believe that they can achieve things and enjoy success in a responsible manner.
The relationship that the parent has with their spouse will also influence how the child responds in their own relationships. If kindness, respect and affection are part of the marital relationship these are positives that the kids will pick up on.
