| Many states require divorcing parents to attend | | | | their emotions and cooperate in ensuring the best for |
| parenting classes or co-parenting courses. The | | | | their children. Working through divorce issues while |
| concept of having divorcing parents take a class | | | | remaining good parents is a new experience for |
| started in the 1990s with California, Florida and Texas | | | | everyone. This is not a skill parents learned from their |
| requiring classes before divorce. By 2001, 28 states | | | | own parents. |
| had requirement for divorcing parents to attend | | | | These courses are especially designed to focus on |
| classes. | | | | the children. They teach divorcing parents how to form |
| Many parents were offended. They felt their parenting | | | | a new relationship that will benefit their relationship for |
| skills were being questioned. Since the purpose of the | | | | the good of the children. They will introduce techniques |
| classes were to teach divorcing parents to | | | | in anger management, stress reduction, methods to |
| cooperatively parent their children, some states | | | | raise self esteem and avoiding conflict. They teach the |
| changed the name from parenting classes to | | | | effects of divorce on children and explain how children |
| co-parenting classes. | | | | react to divorce. A parenting class for divorce will also |
| Is there a difference between these classes? In most | | | | include lessons on approaches to raising children, |
| cases the answer is "no". They both will teach you | | | | discipline and punishment, understanding behavior and |
| how to develop a new relationship with your ex and | | | | fulfilling children's needs. |
| move forward in a co-parenting relationship. Many | | | | Advantages to Taking Online Parenting Classes For |
| classes for divorce will also add some parenting | | | | Divorce |
| strategies to help build your already-in-place parenting | | | | Convenient: With most online classes you can study |
| skills. | | | | any time and anywhere. Be sure to look for online |
| In either class, you will learn how divorce affects your | | | | parenting classes that allow you to work at your own |
| children. Classes for divorce help you identify your | | | | pace. Some online classes require you to log in at |
| parenting style and learn parenting techniques, and | | | | certain times or receive weekly lessons. Most classes |
| strategies for building your own mental health as well | | | | allow you to log in and out at your own convenience. |
| as your children's. Most parenting and co-parenting | | | | Private: Only you and the court staff will know that |
| courses will teach you approaches to coping with | | | | you have signed up for parenting classes. |
| anger and enhancing your communication skills. | | | | If you have been told that you must complete a class, I |
| The best way to help children through the pain of | | | | hope that I have helped you understand what divorce |
| divorce is to teach their parents to step back from | | | | parenting classes and a co-parenting classes are. |