What should a “Good Parenting” course look like?
Obviously, it would need to be geared to the particular audience to be reached, which means that under no circumstances can it be ONE course. It rather needs to be an educational program going through different levels, the last of which to be an ongoing advisory with feedbag and consultancy available, consultancy ad-hoc by real people, online and on the phone. Services like this already exist, for instance like the telephone number 911 for a general emergency, or 1-800-273-8255 to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Except that as of now no national (or international) “Good Parenting” hotline exists.
However that’s what ought to be established: A “Good Parenting” educational program which should be running day and night for all ages, essentially being available to everyone throughout his/her entire life. Maybe its name could be different, say instead “Family and Friends” or “Human Societal Membership” or something else. The name won’t matter, but what is being taught will: how to grow up as a human as part of a family, a community, a world, and becoming a better human exemplar till the day of death. All of this is truly what good parenting is all about.
So, naturally, this educational program to the very young will look quite different than already the next level up to, say, 6 and 7 year olds. And on and on. The word “parent” will probably not even appear in the early levels of the curriculum, but rather the ability to understand what is good and bad, desirable and not desirable, will be developed. Relationships will be made clear, and how certain interactions produce predictable results. The different forms of “love” will be realized, such as the love of parents and child, sibling to sibling, the family, the neighbors, the town and country, other country’s citizens, and the ultimate, a romantic love partner.
I guess, at age 10 or thereabouts the word “parent” and the concept of “parents” can be introduced, starting with the love parents bring along for their offspring from the day of their conception to forever, the sacrifices they make, and what else their job is as parent to do or supply. Plus that a lot of responsibility comes along with that task, such as protecting their kids from harm, keeping them fed and clothed, making sure they go to school and learn, and so on.
When in their teens, the “Good Parenting” studies become a lot more important, and are more likely better understood because the youngsters’ minds are fully there, sharp and bright, by then. Actually they’ll be hungry for learning anything at that stage, and certainly all about “Good Parenting,” a world not too far ahead of them.
Yet, the educational program ought not to end when they turn 20, because “Good Parenting” is really an ongoing activity which they are going to be involved with for the rest of their lives, either as someone being parented or not, or as a parent, eventually grand parent, great grand parent …
Society as a whole, and each member thereof individually, would greatly benefit if “Good Parenting” became a national program like learning the ABC. It wouldn’t need to cost a fortune because most of it, particularly for the higher levels, could be done ONLINE.
