Effective Discipline

• Parents of preschool-aged children may be uncertain as the best way to discipline their child. A class on effective discipline should include reading material, expert advice and resources where parents can get more information. Talking about discipline with a group of parents is undoubtedly going to raise a variety of viewpoints and questions. Be prepared to offer a variety of different loving and effective discipline techniques such as timeouts and reward methods.
  
  Invite an expert in the field such as a child psychologist to come and speak to parents about discipline. An expert can answer parents' specific questions on a case-by-case basis.
  
  

Building Character

• One of the goals on most parents' list is to raise a child of high character. What that means and how that is accomplished are subject to parental belief systems. However, many parents would welcome a class that covers the topic of how to build character in a preschool child. Offer parents techniques to teach children specific, positive character traits. For instance, instruct parents on how to use everyday opportunities to teach children about being respectful. Examples of this is to set an example by addressing elders as "Mrs." or "Mr." and encouraging good manners at the table.
  
  Teach parents to make learning to be of good character fun through the use of crafts and rewards. Help parents create a chart that records when a child shows a positive character trait. Encourage parents to reward the child when the chart is complete.
  
  

Building Self-Esteem in Your Children

• Parents want their children to feel good about themselves. Teach parents how to build a child's self-esteem. Give parents examples of positive phrasing to use on children such as, "You're so smart," and "I love the way you draw." Help parents learn how to give honest and positive praise with children to instill confidence and a positive self-image.
  
  Instruct parents to create an "I'm Special" box for each child. The parents can write a note and put it in the box every time a child acts in a nice way or accomplishes a goal. Examples of notes can include, "I was proud of you when you made your bed" or "Thank you for sharing your cookie with your sister." Read the notes to the child just before bed or first thing the next morning to help him develop a positive self-image.
  
  

Other Parent Ed Topics for Preschool

• There are many topics that could interest a parent of a preschool child. General topics include instructions on how to help a child develop an interest in the arts or how to prepare for school.
  
  Some topics for a parenting class can focus on specific topics or for a special group of parents and children. For instance, the topic of how to prepare a preschooler for a new sibling or how to deal with the death of a loved one might not be of interest to all parents but would be of great interest to a parent struggling with the issues.