When we read about or experience life-changing events like Hurricane Sandy, it becomes apparent that as caregivers we need to learn how to handle big, stressful and often unplanned events in a way that is not traumatic to our kids. There are many things in life that we just have no control over, but we can control how we react to a crisis. It is important to remember that as parents, the behavior that we model for our children contributes to how traumatizing the event is for them and how they will respond to the crisis as well.

Here are 5 quick things to think about to help keep your family calm during a stressful situation:

1) Do not panic.
Kids will react to how their parents react. Try to keep your anxiety to yourself while in front of the children. Keeping your cool while addressing the seriousness of the situation, assures them that they are safe and do not need to be fearful. Keep in mind that panic creates fear which can take a long time to get over. Fear can escalate and cause nightmares and other anti-social behaviors. Do not use statements like, "we are not safe" or "who will be next?" in front of your children. Your level of calmness will affect your family in a positive way.

2) Distract the kids.
Unless you are in the thick of it and directly effected, distract them from the main events. Keep your children aware of the situation while protecting them from constant exposure to the events on TV. If you are in the midst of it and are experiencing events like a blackout, sit with them and do activities that will keep them engaged like playing a board game, cards or reading books. Call it family time and stay together. This will help keep their minds off the crisis at hand.

3) Talk to them.
Communication is crucial during crisis. Communicate firmly and assuredly. Show courage and they will be able to know that you are in control of the situation. Be honest but do not give them information on every last detail of scary events going on around them.

4) Answer their questions.
Children are very inquisitive. Be sure to answer their questions directly with the facts available. Leaving questions unanswered will only let their imaginations get the better of them and contribute to fear and uncertainty.

5) Deal with the situation long term.
Do not underestimate the effects of stressful situations. Keep on the lookout for any signs of fear and distress and get help.

4 Hour Online Parenting classes are easily accessible from any web-based computer and are a great way for parents to learn new techniques and skills to handle all of life’s curveballs. The course topics include how to manage stress and anger; how to communicate more effectively; when to set boundaries, punishments and rewards; and what to expect at different developmental stages of a child’s life. Online classes are especially beneficial for busy parents because they can be taken when the kids are napping during the day, away at school, or sleeping at night. They do not need to take time away from the family like driving to a classroom based course would. Enrolling in an online parenting class gives caregivers the additional knowledge they need for successful parenting.

When you are going through a divorce, most states will require that the separating spouses take a co-parenting class to help them with communication regarding the kids during this stressful time. The court system considers this adult education best for the emotional well-being of the children involved. Often times, the divorce situation causes high-conflict between the two divorcing spouses which can rub off on the kids causing feelings of insecurity, shame, and anxiety. Co-parenting classes teach skills in how to effectively communicate with your ex-spouse to create the most harmony during this trying time.

The stereotype of a divorcing couple generally portrays two adults screaming and yelling at each other in front of the kids. One parent is angry about visitation rights, or how home life is being handled, or the overall behavior of the other parent and a fight ensues. Children run to their rooms to avoid the conflict, and problems are left unresolved. After generations of this behavior, the court system has decided to help support the process of creating two separate healthy, emotionally stable households for the children to thrive in by requiring co-parenting classes for both parents to attend.

Taking online co-parenting classes provides the same education as those found in live classrooms, but are much more convenient. High quality courses can be found online that provide a psycho-educational approach to better parenting and are ideal for court and legal requirements. Parents can look forward to improving skills in a variety of areas to become a better and more effective parent and improve interaction with their children and ex-spouse.

Classes also provide guidance on how to create a formal parenting plan to be filed with the court. This plan is what both parents need to adhere to for the best interest of the children. The goal is to hopefully reduce conflict later on and help with easier communication so that each party knows clearly what is expected. If parents can agree on a plan, they prevent the possibility of the court taking over and making custody and visitation schedules that may be unsatisfactory to either or both parents.

Taking a co-parenting class for legal requirements needs to be pre-approved by your court system or judge. Once approved, parents will find that this is an extremely convenient and easy-to-use approach. Taking a class online will reduce transportation and babysitting expenses. They can be taken 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so that they can be fit in during naptime, lunchtime at work, or after the kids have gone to bed at night – whatever works best for you. Classes are available immediately upon registration and can be taken at your own pace. Clients can drop-in and out of the class as many times as they’d like until completion. At the end of the course, a multiple choice final exam is taken. This final can be retaken until it is passed with a 70% score or better. At this time, an official Certificate of Completion is sent out to the client to use as proof that the co-parenting class requirement was fulfilled.

Testimonies from previous students agree that this is definitely the most convenient, stress-free and educational way to learn the material during what is otherwise often a difficult time. Try taking a co-parenting class online today to benefit your tomorrow!

Therapists across the country have been offering tips to help parents and children deal with the stress and emotional aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. A child’s well-being can be greatly affected after a disaster, even if they aren’t directly involved in the location of the storm. Psychologists suggest that parents are hyper-aware during this time and be sure to listen, protect and connect with their kids.

It is extremely important to make children feel safe during a disaster of any kind. While, the east coast had time to prepare for this oncoming hurricane, on the west coast parents often have to deal with the anxiety of unexpected earthquakes. Whatever the natural disaster may be, it’s important that we listen to our children and explain to them what is going on. Ask them what exactly is worrying them and try to give them clear, calm and truthful answers. The more communication and discussion, the better. Children might see the remnants of the disaster within their own homes, or next door, and become highly anxious. Listen to their concerns, try to spend more time with them during this period and explain that the family is safe, will remain together and will work to get things back to normal again.

Another aspect that parents should be aware of is to not expose their kids to all the intense news coverage. When kids see and hear the news coverage running constantly on the TV, it can cause even more anxiety. Parents who are stressed and have concerns about the disaster should talk to other adults, not their children. Children pick up your emotions and might internalize your emotional state, so if you are having a meltdown, then ideally someone else should handle the kids for a while.

Natural disasters are thankfully not daily occurrences, but there are other daily life occurrences that parents often question how to handle. To further your education on how to be the best parent you can be through every stage of your child’s development, try taking a 6 hour online parenting class. High quality classes that contain the most up-to-date skills and techniques are available at the click of a button. Classes provide guidance on how to manage stress, how to be a strong role-model, how and when to set boundaries, and how to best communicate with your kids. Topics also include techniques to build self-esteem in your children, how to positive discipline, and to create a good reward and punishment system. You can log-in and out of the class at your convenience, so there’s no need to hire a babysitter or drive across town. You can do all your learning from the convenience of your own home computer.

Stressful times like natural disasters, divorces or big family changes, often make parents realize that they could use some new or better skills to help handle the emotional state of their children. Stressful times require a confident, stable parent at the helm. Taking an online parenting class takes little effort, but will reward caregivers for years to come by teaching the skills necessary to create a balanced, healthy home environment.

Let's face it; as parents we are not always perfect. We all want to be the best caregivers that we can be, but sometimes a little advice from experts can really help. Taking an online parenting course is a great idea, because you will learn current, valuable information that you need while having the convenience of accessing it from your own home. One of the most important skills that parents should strive to improve on is being an effective and active listener. Becoming a better communicator is a skill that will greatly impact the quality of your relationship with your children. By taking a 4 hour online parenting course, you can learn the tips you need to master this skill and begin developing a stronger and more communicative relationship with your kids.

The skill of active listening is difficult for both parents and children to master. When your child is talking to you, are you really hearing what they are trying to say? Are you thinking about what you are going to say next? Are you busy doing something else? Many times, parents miss key cues to what their children are trying to say because they don’t know how to actively listen. Children learn by example, and therefore, mastering this skill and applying it will help them later in life as well.

Children need to learn active listening skills for many reasons. It will help them to pay better attention in school. It will help them to hear what you are trying to tell them. It will teach them to be less argumentative and respond appropriately. This technique will not only help your relationship with your child, it will help to improve all future relationships that they will encounter in the future. It will teach them to really think about what the other person is saying, and to take in the information rather than just letting it go in one ear and out the other. We all want this for our kids, but we have to be the ones to set the example.

Now, you may be thinking, I don't have enough time to take a class to learn this vital skill. Actually, with the popularity of online learning, it has never been easier or more cost effective than right now. Taking online parenting courses will allow you to learn the information that you need to be a better parent at a time that is convenient for you, at a relaxed pace and generally at a lower cost than taking a traditional course. You simply register for the class online and then it is available to you 24/7. There is nothing to print out or download. Classes can be taken from any Internet based computer, so you can take them from your laptop at the local coffee house, at the library, or from the comfort of your own family room.

Continuing education is something that every parent can benefit from whether you have toddlers or teenagers. Becoming a better communicator is a skill that will greatly impact the quality of your relationship with your children, and will help them to succeed in many areas later on in life. Take a parenting class online today and gain the important information that you need to improve all the relationships in your life!

Getting a divorce ends the legal relationship of the couple involved, but when kids are involved there are often many years ahead to continue a co-parenting relationship with your ex. Divorce can be a bitter scenario and sometimes children involved can experience trauma, anger and total confusion. To address the best interest of the children, most jurisdictions require that the divorcing parents take a parenting class to learn how to address the needs of the children, how to understand their child’s feelings and behavior during this stressful period and how to best handle their co-parenting responsibilities.

Parents should not look at this mandate as a personal judgment of their parenting skills, but rather as additional education for their new lifestyles. After months and even years of not getting along, it’s time for the two responsible adults to get together to cooperate with each other to learn how successfully raise their kids in separate households going forward.

This court order does not need to be looked at with anxiety or dread either. Many parents might feel stressed that they can’t possibly add one more thing to their already busy schedules, or don’t have support to watch the kids while they are away at class. However, with the prior approval of the judge, parents today can take high quality parenting classes online. Of course, taking classes from your own computer and in the comfort of your own home offers many advantages. Parents can easily enroll at the click of a button. The classes are then available immediately to take at any time that is convenient for them. The client can take the class while the kids are in school, or for an hour each night over a period of a few weeks - - whatever works. There is no predetermined timeline or class schedule to adhere to, like you would find in a traditional classroom. They also save parents money for babysitters, gas and parking. Classes can be taken from any Internet based computer and nothing needs to be printed out. So, you can sit in the library and take them on your laptop while your children are doing homework or in a coffee house during your lunch hour at work.

The other notable advantage has to do with the privacy of the online classes. When enrolled in online co-parenting classes, it does not have to be obvious to the public. Only the parents involved and a court employee are aware of the requirement. There is no need to be involved in a group setting. However, with research, the client will find good quality classes in which a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist can be contacted for questions and help.

So, what supports a good co-parenting relationship? Online classes will teach the skills necessary to create an environment that includes healthy communication, agreement (or compromise) on child rearing issues and the ability to look past your differences and view the ex-spouse in a positive light as a parent. Common pitfalls to avoid include putting the children in the middle, criticizing the other parent in front of the kids, and spoiling the kids so they want to be around you more.

It is natural for mistakes to be made as the new lifestyle of having two separate households unfolds, but taking an online co-parenting class will support you in this process. Classes will go into all the techniques of how to successfully work together to create stable, structured environments to raise healthy children with high self-esteem.