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It is always helpful for new and expectant parents to have as much advice available as they possibly can. However, I do not think it is necessary to provide discipline training during prenatal classes.

My reasons for this are several but come under two basic headings. The first is the simple fact that every child - and every parent - is very different from the next. Some parents will use one method and others, something entirely different. It would be unfair on parents, especially first time parents, to be told "this is how to do it! because this puts yet more pressure on them to "get it right". Parents need to be prepared to make mistakes, learn from them and move on, not told the way someone else thinks things should be done. Sometimes the same methods do not even work for siblings.

The second reason that discipline training should not be included in prenatal classes is that the point of prenatal classes is to prepare parents for the birth which is a daunting enough task in itself without giving parents the extra worry of discipline at such an early stage.

While I do not think that discipline training should be included in prenatal classes, I think it would be a good thing to have that sort of advice on hand for those who want it. A good post natal team will be able to give tailored advice to individuals in a way that does not make the new parents feel inferior.

As a mother of two, advice is always appreciated but I doubt very much if being told how to discipline a child before they were even born would have been any help, partly because I would have forgotten everything by the time I needed it and partly because I found it more helpful to have advice tailored to the age and ability of my own children. Again, I refer to the fact that every child is different. Even my own two children can not be disciplined in the same way so how could anyone possibly have taught me how to do it?

It would, probably, be difficult to decide how to go about including discipline in prenatal classes as everyone has a different attitude to discipline. Perhaps a few basic tips could come in handy but, realistically, how many new parents have time to think about that while they are learning how to look after a new person? Surely that would be too much information, too early on.

I do agree that the information should be there and that parents should have access to advice about discipline but I do not agree that it should be to the extent of including discipline training in a prenatal class.

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