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Futures On the Line

It is estimated that the average person will change his or her career at least five times between graduation and retirement. Why, then, are we not required to take classes for the role in life from which we cannot just quit' or switch out parenting? I believe the truth is inescapable: Parenting Skills classes should be required in public high schools.

In any given graduating class, the desired professions range across all fields of study. 96% of adults, however, say that they will be dissatisfied with their lives if they do not have children. We require classes in English, geography, and economics because they are considered to be practical life skills. Why do individuals get jobs? First, to make a contribution to the society, and secondly, to support their families. The best contribution to society that anyone can make, however, is to raise their children well, keep them safe, and propagate the planet with well-educated young people.
There are many things a young parent-to-be may need to know. Young women should be educated about what to do and not to do during pregnancy. For example, it should not be taken for granted that they know when to go in for doctor's appointments, or what dietary or substance changes they should make during the pre-natal period. If we neglect to educate our youth about these sorts of things, we are in for a generation of severe birth defects and learning disorders.
This should not, however, be a class just for young women. It is important that males develop ideas of fatherhood and parenting as well. Our culture has throughout the ages nourished the stereotype of the father as the distant, disciplinary breadwinner but this is unhealthy for both fathers and children. It also discourages men from active participation in family life, and has contributed significantly to the single-parent syndrome', wherein the male does not feel a strong enough attachment or obligation to stay with the mother of his children. There is a strong tie between education and family commitment: those states considered to have the best education programs also have lower-than-average rates of single-parent families.
If we do not take education into our own hands, who is going to make sure our children are learning the things they need to learn? If we have not been taught properly, we ourselves cannot teach them properly. We need to be responsible for the generations of the future, and look out for not only our own children, but also our grandchildren. We cannot assume that everyone will go on to receive postsecondary education, so we should try to give our children the best, most comprehensive education possible. That doesn't just mean reading and writing and arithmetic. It means teaching them about the world in which they are going to live, the responsibilities they are going to have, and the knowledge they will need to live the fullest lives they can.

Learn more about this author, Teresa Smit.
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