Parent Education In Support of Parenting Education

In an perfect world, every child would be wanted and loved, and all parents would have the capacity and the desire to raise children who are healthy, mentally and physically strong, and displaying high moral integrity. Sadly, this is not the case. Some parents are, unfortunately, not much interested in what happens with their children. Other parents are not pleased with what is happening in the home with their children but do not know what to do to create effective change. Still other parents are unaware that there is another way, a better way, of parenting. Parent education could help in all of these scenarios.

The literature demonstrates that parenting interventions improve the quality of the relationship parents have with the children as well as improving child social behavior (Scott, O'Connor, Furth, Mathias, Price, and Doolan 2010). Programs have been particularly effective when delivered to motivated, ethnic majority parents, but there has been little study of programs that serve as interventions aimed at preventing a wide range of poor outcomes associated with antisocial behavior, such as involvement in risky lifestyles, low school attainment, and a lack of satisfactory friendships (Scott et al.). There are, of course, problems associated with delivery of parenting programs; the greatest challenge is getting parents to participate when there is no mandate that they do so. Skilled personnel may be another issue; urban areas may have sufficient counselors and educators, but rural...

A third issue is cost, although, as pointed out by Scott et al., "programs can in theory be justified since in the long run they should reduce the high cost of antisocial behavior arising from increased use of services, higher levels of crime, and greater dependence of financial handouts."
Despite the problems associated with delivery of the parenting education, they are nonetheless vital. For one thing, academic success has been tied to acceptable behavior in children and conformance to certain social norms. For another, BusinessWeek reported in 2010 that average American children and teens spend nearly eight hours a day consuming media. This includes watching television, surfing the Internet, and playing video games (Reinberg, 2010). Sales of smart phones recently topped sales of personal computers (PCs), making media accessibility even greater for all age groups, including those under eighteen. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation determined that there appears to be a link between heavy media use and poor academic performance -- no surprise when researchers categorized "heavy media users" as those who use media more than sixteen hours per day (Reinberg)! Research also supports concerns that children and teens who play violent video games are much more likely to engage in violent ideation and actions. Parents have an important role to play in their children's behavior and character, in monitoring their activities, and in preparing them for academic success.

Brannon (2008) noted "Young children's beliefs about…