Despite the wealth of information available to parents today, sometimes we run out of interesting and fun things to do with our kids. At other times we long for techniques that will make us more effective parents. Don’t give up yet, help is available.
You may have seen him on CNN or perhaps The Oprah Winfrey Show, he’s Dr. Michael “Doc Pop” Popkin, a well-known parenting expert, and he has this great little parenting book you should check out. It’s called Doc Pop’s 52 Weeks of Active Parenting. The book offers week-by-week family activities suitable for parents and children of all ages. The activities are designed to promote family bonding and also as a way to simply have a little fun. Sample activities include, how to listen actively to your child, how to share stories from your family history and more. It teaches parents how learn to express themselves better so that they avoid getting angry at their kids. It also teaches effective discipline techniques and how to help your child develop self-esteem.
Dr. Popkin founded Active Parenting Publishers in 1980. In 1983 he introduced the first video-based parenting education program. The Active Parenting program helps parents to develop cooperation and responsibility in their children. The program also shows parents how to courage their children. The most popular program is Active Parenting Now, for parents of children ages five to twelve but other programs are available including Active Parenting of Teens.
Active parenting workshops are held throughout the US. You can check to see if your state has one by going here. Workshops are also held in many other countries including Canada, Japan and Sweden. Most are held at hospitals, family centers and schools.
Also, if you would like to take an online parenting class, a six-week class is available. You’ll learn about parenting styles, why children misbehave, effective communication skills and more. You can find out more about the class here.
A recognized parenting expert, Dr. Popkin has appeared in over 100 television programs offering his expertise.