Parenting Skills Training

Developmental psychologists have completed research on different parenting styles, the effects of discipline, and how children respond to various people and life events,  such as divorce, stepparents, abuse, or parental substance abuse. This knowledge base has allowed psychologists to develop effective intervention strategies for children and families. Psychologists can teach parents how to manage their children's behavior effectively, how to intervene with specific child and adolescent problems, and how to help newly divorced parents to manage their children during the transition of living in two households. Psychologists help parents understand what children need from adults to foster emotional and intellectual development. 

Parenting skills training may focus on general parent-child interactions. Often, the goal is to help parents avoid abusive or nonproductive parenting responses by learning more effective ways of managing child behavior. Additionally, parents can be taught strategies for managing children with special needs, such as ADHD children, children adjusting to divorce, and children diagnosed with specific psychological behavioral problems. Parenting is the most important responsibility facing an individual with children. Unfortunately, no one provides us with clear guidelines about the right way to parent. Psychologists have studied what works, and what doesn't work. Parenting skills training passes this knowledge onto parents.

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