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Parenting, like most life skills, does not come naturally. It is learned through
study, discipline, networking, prayer and reflection.
Parent Education is a design for adults to examine the sort of family they want to have in terms of love, respect, healthy interaction, and well-rounded development.
Programs are designed for specific purposes.
We recommend that you begin parent education as soon as you learn you are to become a parent. Identify resources in your area that offer classes, enrichments and programs. Parenting classes are offered in a number of other settings throughout the Cook County area,including hospitals, local places of worship, adult education centers, and community colleges. The local school (public as well as private) often will offer opportunities for the education of parents. Parent University is available throughout the Cook County area. Recommended programs are: Active Parenting and
S.T.E.P. Parenting.
The most important thing you can give your child is a nurturing, strong marriage. Studies show that the level of marital satisfaction often falls when a new child enters a household. Protect against this by being proactive. One resource strongly recommended is a book,
Becoming Parents: How to Strengthen Your Marriage as Your Family Grows, by Drs. Pamela Jordan, Scott Stanley, and Howard
Markman. A description of the book:
"Not just another parenting book, Becoming Parents teaches newborn parents to take good care of each other! Based on cutting-edge research on the experiences of men and women as they become parents and what makes happy healthy marriages,
Becoming Parents is truly a survival course for couples. Within these pages, expectant couples will discover the keys to taking care of themselves as individuals, taking care of their couple relationship, relating to their baby, and dealing with the many ways becoming parents impacts their lives."
Parenting may be the most significant contribution we ever make to the world, so let's focus on being the best parents possible.
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