well i live in denmark now but we dont necessarily have parenting classes. you are however allowed to stay in the hospital hotel for up to a week. there you have a nurse 24 hours on hand if you have any questions or need help. they also do alot of the tests on the baby at this time and make sure you are clinically ok, physically and mentally. this is good cause there is no group pressure and its one on one and if something comes up you didnt think of then u can just ask. they also send a nurse to the house every couple of weeks to check you and the baby and make sure its all ok and to answer questions.

I don’t think they should.They might be first-time parents,but they have their own parenting beliefs.I’m sure the person over the class would have their own too & they might not nessacarily be the same.And if it were me,I honestly would want to listen to someone ramble on after going through everything else.Most people don’t really ‘need’ it anyways.Pretty much everyone knows the basics.What I don’t know,I would rather ask my mother or someone I actually know then take advice from a total stranger..Just my opinion..

I like your question and wish you luck on your thesis.

I live in Canada, Alberta in particular and we have available parenting classes in numerous topics available to us thru the Health region we live in. It is a seperate entity to the hospital, but in conjunction with them. Most of the people that I know have taken a parenting course, some a breast feeding course, and a first time daddy course (just for dads) to name a few. They are not manditory, but should be!

These classes are great, they go thru topics varying from pregnancy experiences right thru to teething troubles and all points in between. And suggested to be taken prior to having the baby. Which is the best time for it.

Once the baby arrives there is no time to learn or be in a lecture, the parent (s) should have taken (or been able to take) a course prior to delivery. I know what your getting at but being a mom of two, there is no time after the baby arrives to be in a class. I had one by c-section and you are too busy trying to get back on your feet, so I think you should look at getting a parenting lecture or class prior to the water breaking.

You can look at the web site for our health region - it is. There you will see a number of classes and courses available weekly, and on the weekend for to be parents (and others that are available after the baby is born but not while your in the hospital - which come to think of it would take a whole lot more time in the hospital and way more hospital staff to do).

I hope this helps. If you have further question please don’t hesitate to email me.

Good luck with this!

Does this mean that they wouldn’t let you take your baby home if you don’t comply? this would be a violation of personal rights. People should be able to have children regardless of their parenting skills, and most people only learn from experience. In my opinion, parenting is not something that should be taught, it is something that comes naturally. If you were to be bad parents, it doesn’t matter how many classes you take, you’d still be bad as it is a choice. In my opinion, the only bad parents are the ones that neglect or abuse their children and they deserve to have their children taken away. I just had a baby a couple of years ago and I learned from being a parent to my baby, not from a book, not from someone who has a high degree in something who never even had a child. Have you seen any other animals that required a parenting class? This to me would be a start of dictatorship.

I agree with witchip00. It should be done while pregnant, not in the hospital. I agree that both parents should have to participate assuming both parents are invlved with the child.

the LAST thing I would want to do, after hours of labor, no sleep, hormones raging, trying to figure out breastfeeding, etc. would be to sit through a lecture. No freakin way.

Maybe in the 3rd trimester or something, but NOT right after labor. No one would be alert enough to pay attention anyways.

I am a mother of two and a daycare provider i believe you are doing a great thing i don’t know how many times i have vented to my friends that they should mandate a class for all parents before they leave the hospital with their baby. the idea that they should take the class right after the baby is born while they are still in the hospital is not idealistic. But that the government require the parents to take a class from the hospital( so that they have a record of it) before they give birth to their baby, and if they haven’t taken it by the time the child is born than they must take it before they can leave the hospital with their baby. even if you don’t agree with me i like where you are going with this. Good luck. If you have any more questions you can e-mail me.

The problem with your solution is that Hospitals are for the sick. Taking up valuable space and resources to teach a parenting class takes away from those who are truly ill and need the hospital.

A better solution would be a mandatory parenting class during pregnancy. Although, the government would have problems enforcing anything they deem mandatory when it comes to people and reproduction. If they could enforce things having to do with reproduction and parenting, we wouldn’t have parents like the one in Galveston who stomped his baby’s head until it caved in and he died or the parents who ripped their baby in half and left it near bad dogs to pretend the dogs did it or the young man who placed his kid in the microwave and turned it on.

There is no way the government is going to spend the time and money to enforce a program like this.

no they should have to take parenting classes during the pregnancy, there is too much to learn for it to happen at hospital after baby is born.

who would benifit, all of scoiety would, cause there sre so many young parents who have no idea of how to rise children, perhaps a parenting mentor for young first time parents would help, especially if they have no family nearby.

push_pin - I think a mandatory parenting class BEFORE the baby is born would be a great idea. I have taken several parenting courses over the years and the one I found the most helpful was P.E.T. (Parent Effectiveness Training) which was an 12-week course (2-3 hours a week).