An Introduction to Effective Parenting Education

Book excerpt: Developed for students in child and family science courses, An Introduction to Effective Parenting Education: Exploring Context, Content, and Strategies provides foundational information and orients readers to professional parent education, both formal and informal. Geared specifically to those who may one day provide parenting education, the text is organized into three sections that discuss the context of parenthood in the United States, the content generally included in parenting programs, and the specific strategies parent educators use to teach adults. Readers learn about the sociology of parenthood, including demographic trends regarding parenthood, the effect of parenting on both parents and children, and the research that has produced a scientific consensus regarding effective parenting. They also review the best practices of those parenting strategies in depth. Strategies include attachment relationship formation; communication approaches such as active listening, I-messages, and win-win problem-solving; process-centered feedback to nurture a growth mindset; natural and logical consequences; and applied behavior analysis. Finally, readers explore the profession of family life education, including best practices for teaching as well as a review of widely used parenting programs. Focused on content that is practically applicable, and dedicated to compassionate, evidence-based parenting education, An Introduction to Effective Parenting Education encourages students to think deeply about all aspects of parenting. It is well-suited to courses in child and family science, human development and family studies, or parent-child relations. Kathleen Dyer earned her Ph.D. in human development and family studies at the University of Missouri, Columbia. She is an associate professor in the Department of Child, Family, and Consumer Studies at California State University, Fresno where she also serves as the department chair. Dr. Dyer has been certified as a Family Life Educator by the National Council on Family Relations since 2006. She regularly provides parenting education in a church setting as well as with a court-ordered divorce-related parenting program. Her professional writing has appeared in numerous journals including Infant and Child Development, the British Medical Journal, Family Science Review, Sleep, and the Journal of Adult Development.