Parenting seminars are one form of self-help programs available to you if you are having problems with your teen. Other forms include the reading of articles and books course for parents.
If you are a parent and are having a frustrating and stressful time disciplining your son or daughter, you can find child-rearing and parenting workshops and articles and books that can offer loads of insight on how to straighten-up your kid. Fortunately, parents are not limited to raising their teens only through trial-and-error and experience anymore.
Consider parenting classes first. If you are having a terrible time raising your teenager, search for parenting classes that are focused on how to rear a difficult teenager. They are convenient and available either off or online.
These seminars are often led and designed by fellow parents and professionals, such as pediatricians and psychologists. You can locate offline programs in community centers, high schools, and colleges.
Some charge a nominal fee while others are free. These classes typically meet once or twice a week and have both mothers and fathers in attendance.
You and your partner can learn valuable tips from the presenter and exchange ideas and other information with the rest of the class. But if you work long hours and are hard-up for time, you can participate in parenting courses taught online, as well.
These programs are available anytime and are delivered in either a one-on-one or group format. As in offline parenting programs, they might be free or charge a nominal fee.
Parenting courses can focus on any number of methods to use with teens. As participants, you and your spouse would probably wind up developing your very own teen parenting plan.
For example, you may be more predisposed to using more conceptual techniques which prefer explanations instead of actions to correct problems. Some people call this tender love.
If this approach fails to get the results sought, you would then experiment with other methods, such as using parental actions linked to consequences, or what some call, tough love. A good parenting program will provide you with ways to customize your strategy to your individual teen’s strengths and weaknesses.
Teenagers need monitoring, attention and disciplinary follow-through, as well as respect for their individuality and privacy. But this respect must be earned and warranted.
These parenting classes are particularly needed when you are isolated by distance from your relatives and any other support system that can provide objective feedback to you. Participating in programs such as these can provide you with perspectives that you may have failed to take into consideration, thus enabling you to expand the repertoire available in your parenting tool kit.
You should act deliberately and thoughtfully, rather than impulsively, when deciding to test various parenting strategies. While you now may be in possession of cutting-edge parenting strategies, do not expect to get immediate results.
It takes time to improve family relationships and to correct parent-child troubles that have been brewing for a long time. Also, some parenting methods will work for you, while others won’t.
Sound tutoring in parenting techniques will help you to contend with your teenager’s moods. However, to maximize effectiveness you will also need to identify your teens’ individual quirks and needs so you can fine-tune those child-rearing approaches to get the most leverage out of them.
Using parenting programs can facilitate you and your spouse’s bonding processes so that you both get to know each other better. These classes can encourage both of you to work as a team and come to an agreement on the courses of action you should and should not take when confronted with a particular problem.
Speaking with “one voice” is important when disciplining your kid. If he perceives any vulnerability in your marital bond or parenting methods, he could impose a process called “splitting” where he pits each parent against the other. And that causes trouble.
Used diligently and cooperatively, parenting programs can facilitate a much more tranquil family life. What other help is available to help you relate better to your teen?
In addition to attending online and offline seminars and reading articles and books, self-therapy kits (STKs) can also help. They are self-help programs that tutor you on how to deal with your teens difficult behavior.
The goal is to teach you how to maintain a close relationship with him, yet re-shape his conduct so that it toes the line. As opposed to one-medium presentations, such as seminars, books and articles, STKs teach teenage parenting skills using a multimedia format, including: CDs, DVDs, MP3s, e-books, workbooks, audios, videos etc. and they can be used in the comfort of your own home.
The best of them provide tutoring on how to effectively shape the behavior of your out-of-control teen, then explain the behavioral strategies necessary to do it.