Parenting Classes | Imamother

amother

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 3:02 pm

Did you ever take parenting classes?

I would like to be a better mother. I know I can use improvement.

My question is isn't better parenting merely a matter of working on myself (being more patient, being a better listener, etc.)? A course instructor will not do these things for me...

If you've taken a parenting course, how did it help you? Whose class did you take?

BrachaC

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 3:42 pm

You are correct that an instructor can't "be those things, or do them for you." But- immersing yourself in information and having someone else help you think about things will help you stay motivated and give you good techniques. I took Simi Yellin's class a few years ago- she has revamped it since. Putting aside that time and systematically setting goals for myself helped me change some bad habits I had developed. Did I know they were my weaknesses? Yes. Did it help to have them normalized and then be given tools to deal with them? Yes.

lubaussie

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 3:49 pm

Children don't come with instruction manuals.
I do believe parents should educate themselves about the different stages of childhood.
Practically though, it's very hard to implement those strategies...that's when the practice and patience comes in...

MaBelleVie

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 3:58 pm

I'm slowly working my way through Dina Friedman's course and I'm finding it wonderful. A lot of what she says isn't revolutionary, at least for me, but the way she organizes and presents everything, along with relevant practical solutions, makes it much more accessible to me in that parenting moment. I appreciate the ability to practice a technique until it becomes a habit, before moving on to another topic and technique. I don't know if I'm being clear... I was pretty doubtful before beginning, but I figured that even small changes are worth it when it comes to my parenting. Ultimately, I'm definitely getting more than I hoped for, and I'm only a short way into the very lengthy program.

L25

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 4:18 pm

I took Dina Friedman's class and I liked it a lot- I'm actually re-listening now. Especially her advice on how to "view" stuff-like have in mind that you are nourishing your child spiritually now, emotionally now etc.... that your "intention" is important. I also find I get in to a funk of my kid "driving me crazy" and she has a technique of just ignoring annoying behavior (think talking baby talk as opposed to something harmful like hitting sibling) for 2 weeks instead of focusing on it and only then addressing it since it often goes down on it's own so I'm trying to do that now since the constant correcting was definitely not helping!!!

amother

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 5:33 pm

I took Perl Abramowitz class a few years ago. I bought the recordings and try to listen to them every so often. Perl was trained by Miriam Adahan and is very down to earth. She gives very usable advice, and is enjoyable to listen to. She teaches skills that are useful for children of all ages. Taking her class has greatly improved my parenting. I wish I would have taken it when my older kids were little, so I would have know what I was doing from the get-go.

amother

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 6:36 pm

I listened to Sarah Jaroslowitz when she had her coure on Akeres Habayis. I liked it a lot and it helped cement certain basic parenting rules like "separate without comment" and "ignore". But that was two years ago. Since then I feel like I need to get back into it.

Dina Friedman's course seems too daunting because it's so long. MBV, don't you find it overwhelming?

Perl Abramowitz was doing a Q & A on Akeres Habayis, and while very informative, it was enough for me to see that she's not my stlye. She seems to be coming from the opposite end that I am: she is very permissive and has a hard time setting boundaries, so most of her advice is about taking charge as a parent. My issue is that I tend to be too dispclining, saying "no" more than necessary, and demanding "perfect" behavior and complete obedience. There was a certain disconnect I experienced when listening to her.

Those are the only parenting instructors I know about. So keep the posts coming.

sky

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 6:51 pm

I took a Reach Parenting course in Lakewood that I very much enjoyed. [Its based on a course in NY, don't remember which now]

It was short and gave good skills such as active listening (the best thing I learnt), helping your children learn to make their own decisions, Positive I Message. I liked that it was a small group, parents grouped by their children's age. it was very interactive with a lot Q&A and give and take.

Jewishmofm

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 8:05 pm

I've never taken a parenting course - I feel like what I really need is not so much the how-to's but the "hey we're in this together" kind of thing. I have yet to hear about a parenting support group!

asmileaday

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 8:51 pm

I listened to Sara Yaroslowitz when she was in Akeres Habayis and then bought her cds. Initially I liked her style. Short and basic. But it's too basic. It's behavioral management only. I wanted hashkafa too on how to raise kids.
So now I'm doing Dina Friedman's course. I like her a lot more. She helps me set the entire atmosphere in my home. And gives me the right mindset for raising my children. Like someone mentioned previously applying intention to action - I like that a lot.
Yes it is daunting. But so is raising kids. And the fact that it's on mp3 makes it easier to go at your own pace. You move on when you're ready.
I agree that a support forum is needed. It would also give me the drive to move on. Right now I listened already till lesson 18. But actual implementation got me stuck by morning routine. I just can't seem to get around to sit down with my kids. make up a chart and follow through. And it's desperately needed around here. I feel like I can't move on with clearing emotions etc... before I get the morning routine in place. Maybe I'll start a Dina F support thread...

modehani

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 10:37 pm

I can't say enough good things about Dina Friedman's course. Totally life changing. I agree that most of what she teaches can be found elsewhere (like in a lot of parenting books I had read), but she organizes the material in a systematic way that restructures your relationship with your kids from the bottom up, so that by the time you get to the discipline part of the program (and let's face it - if you're looking for a parenting course, it's probably because you're having discipline issues), most of the problems will have cleared up on their own. I won't say that things are completely smooth sailing now, but I feel much more confident in my parenting, able to recognize behavioral patterns and identify underlying causes, and deal with them in a nurturing, non-damaging way.

MaBelleVie

Mon, Mar 31 2014, 10:43 pm

I don't find it daunting, I find it great value for the money Wink

The truth is, as I said, I'm working through it very slowly and really trying to establish habits with each class vs going at the typical pace and losing half of it. I guess I have that luxury because my kids are still very young and I didn't sign up with the intention to tackle specific problems that I'm rushing to get to. As a pp said, it changes your approach to parenting from the bottom up, which is perfect for me. If you want more targeted techniques without too much of the mindset training, it will probably be too drawn out for you.

amother

Tue, Apr 01 2014, 8:53 am

Dr. Koslowitz's Targeted Parenting classes! She seperates them by "types" of children- how to parent the shy child, the disorganized child, or the child who gets angry easily or the child who was bullied - it's very good because you learn exactly what to do about your particular type of child. The number on the card is 732-364-3111.
If you live in Lakewood, she also does clubs for kids - like social skills clubs. So your child and you learn the same things.
What I liked is that I had already taken other parenting classes - this one was very much about what I needed to know to help my daughter who is very shy. Would recommend it without hesitation.

sassoon12

Thu, Jun 12 2014, 5:11 pm

Tammy Sassoon is a behavioral specialist who has helped many children in home settings as well as classroom settings. She has worked with special needs children as well. All with amazing success.

Tammy Sassoon -- Successful Parenting Formula

debsey

Tue, Jun 17 2014, 7:54 pm

sassoon12 wrote:

what are her credentials? Degree? Etc.

MaBelleVie

Tue, Jun 17 2014, 8:03 pm

sassoon12 wrote:

How are you related to her?