It is commonly said that when you have a child, the child does not come with a parenting manual. Each child and family situation is unique, so you may have to modify parenting techniques to meet the personality and individual needs of your child. You can improve upon your parenting skills by learning more about children and parenting and deciding what is the best parenting style for your family. Simply trying to build parenting skills and improve the life of your child shows you are on the road to successful parenting. Remember that questions in parenting seldom have definite right or wrong answers and no parent or child can be perfect all the time.
Step 1
Read books that can help you learn more about children and parenting. There are thousands of parenting books available that you can read in your own time, which can be hard to find if you are a busy parent. Look for books that address your questions or can strengthen your knowledge base. You can find books about different parenting styles to decide which one fits your family best, information on parenting children with special needs, advice on raising children in non-traditional families and books containing discipline strategies.
Step 2
Attend parenting classes led by an experienced, professional instructor. These classes allow you to learn up-to-date research on best-parenting practices and ask a certified instructor specific questions regarding your child. You may benefit from the other parents in the class by learning through their experience or realizing you are not alone in your parenting dilemmas. The American Pregnancy Association recommends that all new parents take a parenting class prior to giving birth to learn basic parenting skills.
Step 3
Draw on experience to strengthen parenting skills. Experience is the ultimate learning tool and is paramount in building parenting skills. Modify your own parenting style based on how your experiences have worked in the past. For example, if your child threw a tantrum in the grocery store and scolding him made the tantrum worse, next time you may try calmly leaving the store and taking away television time as a consequence or just making sure you only go to the grocery store after he has taken a nap and had a snack and is less likely to make a fuss. You also can learn from the experience of other parents who you admire. If you think your aunt was a great mom, call her and ask for advice.
Step 4
Consider seeing a reputable counselor to build parenting skills, especially if you have a situation that requires special attention or you are not confidant in your parenting. Finding a counselor who specializes in parenting, children and families can help you find ways to problem solve that you may not discover on your own. Counseling also can be effective if you are having personal issues in your relationship or work. The American Academy of Family Physicians points out that to be a good parent you must take care of yourself; therefore, solving personal issues can improve your ability to parent.
