Marriage and Family Life

Unit 5: Exploring Parenting

Objective 1: Select reasons behind decisions about whether to be a parent.

• Pressure from family and friends

• Pass on the family name and lineage

• Belief that parenthood is a duty

• Possibility of genetic diseases being passed on to children

• Career considerations• Economic

considerations• Emotional maturity• Goals and expectations• Age• Personal health

Objective 2: Distinguish among the types of parenthood.

• Adoptive parent • Foster parent • Grandparent • Guardian • Nuclear • Single parent • Stepparent

Objective 3: . Interview parents about aspects of parenting.

Objective 4: Identify financial responsibilities parents face when raising children.

• Child care• Clothing• Education• Equipment• Food

• Health care• Insurance coverage• Recreation and

extracurricular activities

• Shelter/housing

Objective 5: Calculate the financial cost of raising a child.

Objective 6: Identify potential rewards, demands and adjustments of parenting.

Rewards• Watching a child grow and develop• Nurturing a child• Teaching a child• Learning about and experiencing childrearing• Developing parenting skills• Receiving love and affection from a child• Being a companion to a child• Creating a lifelong bond• Watching the child develop skills and achieve

Objective 6: Identify potential rewards, demands and adjustments of parenting.

Demands• Making career

adjustments• Having greater financial

obligations• Having specific legal

obligations• Rearranging schedules• Using time and energy• Having less personal time

• Being challenged emotionally

• Having responsibility for authority and discipline

• Being a full-time role model

• Managing the impact on one’s personal relationships

Objective 6: Identify potential rewards, demands and adjustments of parenting.

Adjustments• Affecting personal relationships• Making personal sacrifices• Having less personal time• Having increased expenses• Meeting legal obligations• Altering schedule to meet the needs of a baby

Objective 7: Identify basic characteristics of readiness for parenting.

• Ready and willing to make personal sacrifices• Emotional maturity• Physical maturity• Financial security• Social and emotional responsibility• Achieved education goals• Committed to becoming a parent• Age

Objective 8: Identify criteria to consider when selecting a child care provider.

• Personal recommendations• Type of provider• Licensing• Cost• Location• Rating• Number and age of other children• Educational opportunities

Objective 9: Distinguish among methods of contraception.• Abstinence• Condom • Diaphragm • Implant• Intrauterine device

(IUD) • Injection • Natural family planning

method

• Oral contraceptive • Patch • Spermicide • Sponge • Tubal ligation • Vaginal ring • Vasectomy• Withdrawal

Objective 10: Identify parenting skills needed for guiding healthy childdevelopment.

• Knowledge of developmental processes

• Patience • Understanding • Empathy • Guidance and

disciplinary ability

• Effective communication • Intellectual and physical

endurance • Listening skills • Responsibility • Ability to teach and

mentor • Consistency

Objective 11: Explore personal attitudes toward and readiness for parenting.