Editorial: Parent classes are so worth it

Rotorua Parents Centre president Jo McQueen-Watton with her children Oliver, 3 months, left, and Isobel, 3. Photo / Ben Fraser

It's great to see Rotorua Parents Centre has received funding to run new pregnancy and parenting information and education classes in Rotorua.

The classes will support locals well into the first year of parenting. They aim to help parents make informed choices about pregnancy and childbirth, and to promote positive parenting.

Last year the centre lost its funding for what was known to many as antenatal classes.

The new free classes will include information on pregnancy and childbirth, but will also see a greater focus on information and education about parenting in the early weeks, and include a practical parenting course which will cover baby first aid and safe sleeping.

I remember that, when my wife and I were expecting our first child, I was sceptical about attending antenatal classes and the only way to get me to attend was to promise me takeaways after the class.

While I may have been a cynic at first, during the birth I found the information about the birth process invaluable.

Although the new classes will also focus on the practical side of parenting over the first few weeks, I'm a huge supporter of the new concept.

While it was great to have a lot of information on what was going to happen at the birth, those first few weeks of the child's life at home can be just as daunting as the childbirth. Another great thing about the classes is they are free and will help first-time parents through a scary and uncertain time of learning to become a parent.