Real World Parenting
Do you love children? Maybe you plan on babysitting or having your own someday. Learn how being a parent is much more than merely feeding, bathing, and protecting a child. Creating a positive environment, nurturing, fostering education, and serving as a role model are critical aspects. Learn how to be a positive force in the development of your future children, as well as others around you.
Units at a Glance
Unit 1: The World Of Parenting
To many people, raising a family is among the most profound, rewarding, and important endeavors in life. But what exactly does being a parent involve? What can a person expect to gain from parenting? How do we define success as a parent? In this unit, we will learn what the word “parent” really means. We’ll also learn the reasons people decide to become parents and the qualities of good parents. We will examine what is required to be considered a successful parent. Finally, we will discuss when a person is or is not ready to become a parent.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Discuss what it means to be a parent.
- Understand the roles and responsibilities of being a parent.
- Analyze the costs and rewards of parenthood.
- Compare different parenting philosophies.
- Describe the qualities that make a person a good candidate for parenthood.
Unit 2: Self-Esteem & Child Development
We hear a lot about self-esteem. Nearly everyone seems to agree that self-esteem is an important component of a happy and productive life. Most parents want their children to have a high level of self-esteem. But what exactly is self-esteem? What factors cause a person to have high self-esteem or low self-esteem? As a parent, what role do you have in determining your child’s level of self-esteem?
In this unit, we will learn what self-esteem is. We will learn how children develop their self-esteem as they grow and develop, and we will learn how parents contribute to this process.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Define self-esteem.
- List characteristics of a person with high self-esteem and a person with low self-esteem.
- Understand the self-esteem needs of children at different stages of development.
- Identify factors that raise and diminish a person’s self-esteem.
- Understand ways in which parents influence a child’s self-esteem.
Unit 3: Environments for Children
Perhaps the most important responsibility of parenting is providing a nurturing environment for your child to grow up in. But what exactly is a nurturing environment? What can parents do to make sure that children are properly nurtured? What types of care are needed at different age levels? How can parents protect children from threats they might encounter outside of the home?
What will you learn in this unit?
- Define “protective environment” and “nurturing environment.”
- Discuss the kinds of nurturing and support children need at different ages.
- Identify abuse and other potential impediments to creating a nurturing environment.
- Describe strategies for nurturing special needs children.
- Understand how to choose appropriate childcare.
Unit 4: Positive Parenting
Two of the primary roles of parents are to teach their children how to take care of themselves and to teach their children to live as productive members of society. Positive parenting is one approach to parenting that can help parents teach their children in a positive and empowering manner. Through the use of expectations, positive communication, and appropriate consequences, parents can encourage appropriate behavior while effectively handling inappropriate behavior.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Understand what positive parenting means.
- Define punishment, discipline, and guidance.
- Discuss how positive parenting can be used with children of different ages.
- Understand the use of consequences in positive parenting.
- Know the resources available to parents and where to find them.
Unit 5: Parent-Child Relationships
Communication is an important part of positive parenting. It is through effective communication that parents let children know what is expected of them and help them learn appropriate behaviors. In this unit, we will examine some communication techniques that parents can use to help establish a healthy, positive relationship with their children. In addition, we’ll consider some of the social issues that are impacting families today and look at how parents can help their children deal with these issues.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Discuss communication and what makes communication effective.
- Describe the differences between negative and positive communication.
- Consider how to talk with children about their mistakes through positive communication.
- Discuss some of the social issues that affect families.
- Consider how parents can talk to their children about difficult issues.
Unit 6: The Diversity of Today’s Family Unit
Who is in your family? Around the world, families come in many different forms. In different time periods and cultures, the needs of the family influence family composition and the surrounding society influence as well. Each family form has advantages and disadvantages to which parents and other family members must respond. Culture also influences families in a variety of ways, shaping the values and practices by which they live. Unfortunately, individuals from one culture may find themselves facing stereotypes and cultural bias when they move to an area with a different dominant culture.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Discuss family composition and some factors that influence this aspect of family life.
- Examine the different types of families.
- Discuss the history of Western families and how family practices have changed over time.
- Consider multicultural families and the advantages and challenges that they face.
- Discuss how parents can help their families adapt to a new culture or area.
Unit 7: Leadership and Organizational Skills
Youth organizations exist around the world to help provide support and opportunities for children and young people. Along with parents, youth organizations can help individuals develop different areas of their lives, learn new skills, and help their communities. In this unit, we will examine the benefits of youth organizations and volunteering. We will also discuss self-development and why this is important for children and young adults. Finally, we will look at how parents can help their children achieve greater self-development and growth as they grow up.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Learn about youth organizations and their benefits.
- Find examples of youth organizations and their purposes.
- Discuss the benefits of volunteering with the community.
- Define personal development and growth.
- Examine how parents can help children with personal development.
Unit 8: Trends and Science in Parenting
Over the past several decades, technology has played an increasing role in the family. While technology and the media often receive negative attention, there are many ways in which technology is transforming family life for the better. In this unit, we will first examine recent research on children’s brain development and how parents can encourage positive development. We will discuss some technological advances that parents can use to help them parent in today’s world. We will also look at some of the assistive technology that children with physical limitations or learning disorders use to improve their quality of life and make everyday tasks easier.
What will you learn in this unit?
- Learn more about brain development in children.
- Discuss some ways that parents can encourage brain development.
- Examine how parents can use technology.
- Learn about some of the advances in assistive technology and devices.
- Consider the benefits of assistive technology.
Required Materials
Software
- Word processing software
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