Responsibilities of Parenting Chapter 2 Responsibilities of Parenting

Warm-up Activity At your table groups: Create a T-chart listing the rewards and responsibilities of parenting Look in textbook at Galinsky’s Stages of Parenthood (pg.38) For each stage place yourselves in the role of a parent! Once finished wait to share 

Preparation for Parenthood Being a parent is one of the most important roles a person has in life. Parenting is the process of caring for children and helping them grow and develop Parents need to know when to help and when to let children try a task on their own Parents must decide when to encourage children to try different activities Allow children to have freedom to explore Skills needed by parents will change as children get older

Preparation for Parenthood Having Reasonable Expectations First step in effective parenting Parenthood Readiness Emotional maturity Being responsible enough to consistently put someone else’s needs before your own needs. Health considerations Important to get medical checkups Financial concerns Should have finances for next year Managing personal resources Children deserve to be born to parents who are ready for parenthood

Preparation for Parenthood Raising a child is expensive, so managing resources wisely is important for families. There are many ways to learn parenting skills. Parents develop in stages as their children develop.

Timeline Activity What are some financial obligations that accompany parenthood Consider things like health and medical care, food and nutrition, child care, housing and furnishings, clothing needs, entertainment, transportation Make sure to consider needs of both the parents and child

Resource Management Skills Parents need to wisely use the resources they have available to provide for their families Money is just one resource. Time, skills and energy are others. There are 5 Key Steps to good resource management

5 Key Steps to Good Resource Management Set goals Decide what is important and turn those things into personal goals Identify resources Make a list of the resources needed to achieve the goal Make a plan Decide how to use the identified resources to achieve the desired goal Put the plan into action Start working toward the goals using the steps outlined in the plan Re-evaluate from time to time Step back and take stock of progress Are more or different resources needed? Was the goal achieved? What are some new goals to work toward?

Worksheet

Parenting Skills Ways to build parenting skills Read reliable books, magazine articles, and online information about parenting Gain experience working with or caring for children, informally or as a job Ask the advice of family and friends who have parenting experience Observe parents and children whenever and wherever possible Hospitals, schools, community groups, and private instructors offer courses or workshops on parenting skills

Galinsky’s Stages of Parenthood Time Period Parents’ Tasks

Parenting Responsibilities and Rewards Caring for a child takes a huge amount of time and energy. Parenthood requires many emotional adjustments.

Parenting New Responsibilities Can no longer think of only their own needs Less time for self Consider child’s needs first Children need physical care, financial support, love and guidance

Parenting New Responsibilities Lifestyle change Lots of time and energy Newborns few every few hours Less time with friends Emotional adjustments Fear of not being good parent Frustration at loss of personal freedom Worry over money matters Depression Relationship changes Important for couple to communicate effectively New baby changes relationship with partner as well as with own parents Employment adjustments Parents may have to cut back on hours or stop working Change careers to accommodate Legal responsibilities Provide food, shelter, clothing, medical care, an education, and legal help for their children

Rewards of Parenthood First milestones First smile First time says ‘momma’ or ‘dada’ Parents feel happiness, pride, and love that they have never felt before By helping child discover the world, parents often see it with new eyes themselves Sense of accomplishment