Free parenting classes to be trialled in England
By Margaret Rogers
Many new parents feel bewildered when they find themselves at home, alone with their new baby. Many new parents 
return home from the delivery ward within 24 hours of giving birth, armed with little knowledge of how to care for their new child and this can be a confusing and frightening experience.
Last week the Government announced that they will be trialling free parenting classes in three different areas of the England. We all accept that antenatal classes are important so that we can prepare for the birth of our children and yet the most important part of bringing up a child is our parenting skills which, usually, we pick up along the way.
Parenting classes promote positive parenting skills which promote improved resilience, positive self-esteem and autonomy of children. They also help parents to appreciate the impact that their parenting has upon their children by giving parents positive techniques in communication, tackling behavioural issues, building self-esteem, setting boundaries for their children as well as promoting their own self-awareness as parents.
By learning these skills, parents can help their children to be better equipped to cope with life’s setbacks and make the best use of their full potential. These skills also gives the new parents more self-esteem and confidence in how they perform as parents.
The Head of Children and Young People’s Mental Health Programmes at the Mental Health Foundation, Barbara McIntosh says ‘It’s really promising to hear that the Government will be trialling free parenting classes for all parents with children under five years old in three areas of England. Ideally, every parent should have access to parenting classes and the UK is currently behind many other countries in offering universal parenting classes, so we very much welcome this initiative in targeted areas and hope it will be rolled out nationally.’
