Parenting Responsibilities Assignment: Parent Interview Reminder: Turn in signed syllabus, signed parent letter and pay $5.00 fee.

Parenting: A Learning Process Parenting: caring for children and helping them grow and develop Parents Should ◦ Have reasonable expectations ◦ Develop parenting skills The Stages of Parenthood ◦ Image making (pregnancy) ◦ Nurturing (Becoming attached Birth-2) ◦ Authority (Determine rules 2-5) ◦ Interpretive (Deciding on values 5-13) ◦ Interdependent (Adolescence; establish boundaries) ◦ Departure (Child leaves home, empty feeling)

The Changes that Parenthood Brings New responsibilities and role conflict Changes in lifestyle (sometimes suddenly) Emotional adjustments (stop being selfish) Changes in relationships Employment Irreversibility

Making Decisions About Parenthood Emotional Maturity Desire for parenthood ◦ A child cannot create miracles; saving of marriage, low self-esteem, attention issues, etc. Health Considerations Financial Concerns (can you afford a child)

Simple Truths “To Love a Child is Spelled T-I-M-E”

MOTHERHOOD MOTHERHOOD Intensive Mothering Ideology What mothers ought to provide: Full-time attention Self-sacrificing devotion Expert guided Labor-intensive involvement with the child Child’s needs are more pressing than those of mothers WHAT MOTHER COULD LIVE UP TO THIS EVEN IF SHE STAYED AT HOME. WHAT IF SHE WORKED?

FATHERHOOD Changes in sexual relations. Anxiety about abilities, baby, money. Witnessing birth is a positive bonding experience with child. “Nurturing father” is able to participate in all parenting practices – child benefits. Fatherhood is changing fast.

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A FATHER Some Facts: ½ of all children will spend part of their childhood in a father absent home. 32% of all children are born to unmarried women. Among African American it is 68%. Children raised in two-parent families rarely experience poverty. Data has linked growing up without a father to: ◦ Under achievement in school ◦ Mental illness ◦ Drug abuse ◦ Youth suicide ◦ Delinquency ◦ Crime

HOW? Discuss 1. How are parenting skills learned and developed? 2. Explain 3 actions that you can begin taking now to become a better parent later.

Parenting Activity Parenting License ◦ Create Requirements (at least 10) #1-10  Income, age, home, car, education, etc. ◦ Create a Test (at least 10 questions) #11-20 ◦ List 10 courses you would have parents take. #21-30  Provide reason for each course as a requirement for parenting. ◦ List 10 Future Family Experiences. #31-40