So I need help with this essay my English teacher gave me
Source Material #1 Guest Column: Parenting Education Should Be Mandatory
Kai Fernandez, APRN
The Freeport Times
As obtain a nurse license practitioner before I in a could pediatric examine office, my I first had to toddler. complete Many jobs extensive from training barber to and pilot, involve specific training. But for the most important job- raising children to be responsible adults -_no training is required, and children and society suffer the results of this lack of knowledge. The time has come to correct this situation. Before they can be discharged from the hospital, first-time parents should be required to take parenting classes. Just as we equip new drivers with a learner's permit and instruction we must also equip new parents with the skills they need. While some people might believe that this is the "nanny state" stepping on the rights of individuals, lam not suggesting that there is only one "correct" style of parenting. But there is basic information about infants and children that every parent should be required to know, including nutrition, health and safety, and stages of child development. Knowing how to safely bathe a baby, for example, would prevent many tragedies. Understanding that babies are crying to communicate, not to be "naughty," helps parents adjust their expectations and their behavior. And parent education works. According to the Centers for Disease Control, for example the "Safe To Sleep" campaign has reduced the number of deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome by fifty percent since 1994 just by teaching parents to put babies to bed on their backs. Conversely, uninformed parenting hurts not only children, but the rest of us as well. A study by the Department of Education in England found that children whose parents use harsh or inconsistent discipline are more likely to have poor attention spans, low levels of literacy, and anti-social behavior. In cultures where extended families are the rule, raising children is a group effort. But in the modern world,new parents are on their own. It is our obligation as a society to make sure they have the skills to do their best in this challenging job. Making parenting classes mandatory is a step towards this goal
