1. Responsibilities of Parenting
Chapter 2
Responsibilities of Parenting

2. 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 

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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?

9. Worksheet

10. 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

11. Galinsky’s Stages of Parenthood
Time Period
Parents’ Tasks

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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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