Simple Ways to Improve Your Parenting
Parenting is one of the things you tend to learn on-the-job. No matter how much you may try to prepare, you end up being thrown in the deep end. But, consider brushing up on some parenting life skills to up your parenting game.
Adulting is hard. Add parenting to that and it can be a real kick in the pants.
Some people transition into adulthood with ease. Others, struggle or find creative ways to deal with all the stuff.
Unfortunately, becoming a parent brings things into focus quickly. Once you’re responsible for little lives, you realize all the ways in which you may not be as prepared as you thought you were.
It’s been said many times that you can’t really prepare to be a parent. But, there are a few things you can learn to find your footing as an adult that also provides for the safety, security, health and well-being of your family.
Here are 5 suggestions for life skills classes you can take to help.
- First-aid
- Cooking
- Personal Finance
- Meditation
- Internet Safety
1. First Aid/ CPR
Do you know what to do when someone gets an injury? What parent doesn’t panic when their kid gets hurt. Even the most common injuries get your blood pumping.
And, what would you do if someone dropped to the ground in need of resuscitation? Could you jump in and help? Now, imagine if it was your kid.
Early, quick intervention and precious minutes may be all you have to prevent disaster and ensure recovery.
Taking a first-aid class can help you understand how to care for the smallest to the biggest injuries. From basic wound-care, to choking, sprains, and CPR, knowing what you can do and when to get help will ease your mind and increase your confidence.
2. Cooking
How do you fair in the kitchen? Do you cook at home or rely on take out? I’ve seen first-hand there are some people that just can’t cook. When you’re tired and busy, I understand that it’s easier to leave it to restaurants.
But, knowing how to cook helps you control the ingredients you feed your family. Eating at home is often the healthier, cheaper option over eating out or ordering in.
A cooking class can be a fun social event with friends, a great thing to do for date night or something to do on your own. Once you get the basics down, branch out and explore different cuisines and techniques.
Ready to give it a try? No matter your skill level, there’s no shortage of YouTube videos to inspire you.
3. Personal Finance
Understanding how to manage your money is one of those parenting life skills that can give you a sense of security and peace of mind.
Who couldn’t use help with money? Money may be the one thing that creates the most friction and stress for families.
The stress money challenges can have on new parents is next level. Learning how and where to focus your spending is a lesson we can all benefit from.
When it’s no longer just about you and your goals and your future, the pressure can be overwhelming. How much to save? What to cut? What are the essentials you need to plan for?
Whether your concern is budgeting or saving, a money management class can help with balancing your accounts and planning for the future.
4. Stress Management
When it comes to a parenting life skill that you can use in all aspects of your life, stress management is it.
Life and parenting are full of situations that raise your stress levels. In order to keep your cool and avoid burnout, knowing how to manage your stress at work and at home is very important.
Like skinning cats, there’s more than one way to get a handle on your stress. An easy, affordable and convenient method is meditation. Meditation is good for stress relief, relaxation and focus.
As a parent, you are pulled in multiple directions, often in a very short amount of time. Having meditation as a tool in your arsenal can help you find a sense of peace and balance when dealing with the chaotic world of parenting.
Do you need a class to meditate? No. However, if this is a new practice for you, it may be helpful to learn some basic techniques to ensure you get the most out it.
And, it doesn’t even need to be mediation. But an outlet for you to de-stress, whether that journaling, exercise or meditation or something else will be of benefit.
5. Internet Safety
The internet is a blessing and a curse. The world is literally at your fingertips. Keeping in touch with family members near and far is one click away.
But, all that easy access can come at a cost. No longer do predators need to have a physical presence to be dangerous, they can virtually come into your lives. In fact, if you open the wrong link, you’re basically inviting them right in!
You need to know how to protect your family from inside and outside the home. Keep up-to-date with the latest bad guy tactics and be careful what information is shared and where.
Protect your children’s identities while they are too young and vulnerable to do so themselves.
The challenges that may be faced include cyberbullying, identity theft, online predators, fraud/ scams and so much more!
There are internet safety classes and resources available, like Norton Family Parental Control, to help make this process easier to manage and understand.
Where to Find Parenting Life Skills Classes
If you’re interested in giving a class or two a try, you don’t have far to go.
Your local community center and library are a great place to look for classes to make improvements in your life. They offer cooking classes, technology, internet safety and more.
The same can be said for some community colleges. To make it easy for you, classes are often conveniently scheduled for nights and/ or weekends and even on demand.
In addition to the above, the fire department, health centers and your employer may offer opportunities to get certified in first-aid/ CPR.
We live in a time when accessing self-improvement options can be made with the click of a button. If you prefer to learn from the comfort of your home, there are several online parenting classes that may have what you’re looking for.
In fact, with the availability of technology for all things, you have no excuses to give it a try.
Concluding Parenting Life Skills
In your efforts to be a better parent, there may be some parenting life skills you would like to improve upon.
Here, we talked about 5 areas to focus on:
- First-aid
- Cooking
- Personal Finance
- Meditation
- Internet Safety
Thankfully, there are always opportunities for you to better yourself. You just have to remain open, willing to try and be vulnerable in your pursuits. Not only will you grow as a person, it will trickle down to benefit your families.
This is just a small sampling of the life skills you can access. Additional considerations include effective communication and organization. Single dads might also appreciate classes in hair care, like this one or this one.
Consider brushing up on math too. You may have thought you would never use it, but what they don’t tell you is that one day you may have to explain it to your child. And, fair warning, it’s not like riding a bike.
Under the weight of all this adulting, don’t forget what it’s like to be a kid. Remember to have fun! Enjoy the little moments of spontaneity and silliness that comes with being around children.
Sure, adulting and parenting is hard… but it’s a lot of fun too!
Any skills you need to brush up on? How’s your cooking? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
These are great ideas Cassie. I think most people underestimate how hard it is having kids. There’s so many things to consider. I think you’ve covered the most important aspects of parenting. I could have done with a parenting class to begin with, that’s for sure! Thanks for sharing. Jade MumLifeAndMe
These are great suggestions for classes to take! I do want to take a first aid class, and my partner actually had a first aid/CPR class at his work and he learned how to do CPR on babies as well.