Beyond common sense: A scientific positive parenting course

Parenting is not easy and children (unfortunately) do not come with a manual. Although parenting advice can be found anywhere, it is often difficult to determine the quality of these parenting tips. This course aims to provide you with high-quality knowledge and skills on positive parenting, fully based on scientific findings.

Gain Science-Based Knowledge and Master Skills to be a Positive Light in Children’s Life

· Learn about Positive Parenting based on the Self-Determination Theory

· Gain Knowledge on Autonomy Support, Structure, and Relational Support

· Obtain Insight into Rewards, Setting of Rules, Motivating the Child, Provision of Feedback, Promotion of Independence, and so much more

· Increase Your Awareness of Your Parenting Skills and the Child’s and Your Psychological Needs

A High-Quality Science-Based Course on Positive Parenting for Parents, Professionals, and other Curious Souls

Everyone is touched by the quality of parenting. Some individuals find a lot of inspiration in how they themselves were raised. Others have to rise above their own raising and actively search for and determine their own successful parenting style to become a better parent. Still others are working with parents and/or children (e.g., teachers, counselors, health professionals, sport coaches) and want to learn more on how to interact with children. You might also just be a curious soul, interested in how the parenting style of your parents has influenced you or how parenting in general influences children’s development.

As you can see, this course fits the needs of many people and contributes not only to your own personal development but also your growth as a professional (increasing the chances to find a job that you really love doing). With this course being partly based on previous university courses I have given, you are sure to receive a high-quality course on positive parenting. Together, we are going to discover what science says about positive parenting!

Content and Overview

This course contains 23 lectures and also lectures related to the assignments divided into 7 sections. This course is designed for all those who are interested in better understanding parent-child dynamics, child development, communication with children, and positive parenting practices. Throughout the course you will receive several assignments which are, for instance, aimed at activating previous knowledge, reflecting on core concepts, and testing your knowledge (e.g., quiz). You can also always contact me through the Q&A at Udemy and I will respond to you quickly. I am here to help and support you!

We will cover the following topics:

· Basic psychological needs

· The importance of psychological needs for individuals’ flourishing

· Positive parenting dimensions: Autonomy support, structure, and relational support

· Negative parenting dimensions: Psychological control, chaos, and neglect

· How these parenting dimensions influence children’s development

· The important difference between autonomy support and independence promotion

· Helpful ways to promote independence in children

· The use of rewards and its effects on children

· How to communicate rules and limits to children

· Ways in which we can motivate children

· The importance of children’s participation and choice

· How to give feedback to children

· Differences in how parents and children rate the parents’ parenting skills

· The importance of parenting awareness

· Differences between mothers and fathers in parental relational support

· Throughout the course you will receive science-based parenting advice based on the topics mentioned above

So, throughout this course you will learn a lot about issues that many parents and professionals are confronted with on a daily basis. But, even more important, you will not only learn how to implement all of these things, but you will also learn to understand why. And this is crucial. Through numerous platforms you can get advice on how to raise and communicate with children, but the why-question is often not addressed. For instance, why should I give feedback in a constructive way or why should I be authentically interested in what the child is doing at a daily basis? Understanding what actually fuels children’s positive development, their authentic interest and motivation, their flourishing, etc. is far more important. And that is, because every child, every parent, and every situation is unique. If you only learn parenting skills, you do not know when exactly you should apply these skills. If a child is disobeying, should you be firm as a parent or should you try to see the situation from the child’s perspective? If you understand which psychological needs children (and all of us) have, you can adjust your parenting skills to every situation.

This course is based on the Self-Determination Theory, founded by Dr. Richard Ryan and Dr. Edward Deci. This theory focuses on many important topics such as motivation, personality, psychological needs, parenting, emotion regulation and so on. Thousands of researchers around the globe are using this theoretical framework in their studies, providing an overwhelming amount of evidence for this theory. During the last decade, I have also written many scientific articles and also taught more than 1,000 university students on this theory.

When starting my research career in 2011, I felt naturally attracted to the Self-Determination Theory because it has such a positive view on human beings. It states that we are naturally oriented towards growth and personal development. Our role as parents and professionals is to stimulate these positive natural tendencies in children. If we understand how we can do that, we can apply that knowledge in every situation we encounter.

And research has also shown that this theory works in so many domains. Parenting practices based on this theory have been examined in, for instance, children with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, eating disorders, and ADHD.

Just to sum up, in this course you will obtain a deep understanding of positive parenting and its effects on child development. 100% based on science. This course will not only boost your confidence as a parent or professional working with parents/children, but also make children shine and be the person they aim to be. Upon finishing this course, you will also receive a certificate of completion. So, let’s start on this journey together!