The Momma Clan

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” – Frederick Douglass

Parenthood is perhaps the most deep and extensive experience in an individual’s life, and yet, surprisingly enough, it’s one of the least formally prepared for. We prepare for careers, prepare for university, and even take classes for leisure activities. But when it comes to becoming another human being’s parent, most of us are supposed to learn on the fly. As modern society continues to change and gravitate towards conscious living, the idea of taking parenting classes prior to having children has started to raise eyebrows. 

Is it an actual necessity—or merely the latest hot fad?

Why Even Bother with a Parenting Class Before Kids?

Parenting is more than changing diapers and packing lunch boxes. It’s about developing emotional resilience, imparting values, negotiating conflicts, and being the emotional compass for another human. While earlier generations largely relied on observation and instinct, today’s world of speed and nuclear families too often find young parents alone and unprepared.

“In the past, it took a village to raise a child—today, many must do it alone.”

Unlike the past, where joint families provided in-built support systems, shared obligations, and intergenerational experience, nowadays’ nuclear arrangements frequently translate into single-parenting. With parents holding jobs and extended family usually residing far off, the problems are genuine—and chronic.

In this regard, parenting classes provide more than theory alone. They offer a comfortable space to learn about child development, emotional intelligence, online safety, and how to be firm yet empathetic. These sessions also assist couples in aligning parenting values prior to the baby’s arrival—reducing future stress.

But Isn’t Parenting Natural?

Yes, many things about parenting come naturally. The relationship between parent and child is natural and frequently strong. But instincts aren’t necessarily enough to prepare us to handle tantrums, fears, or our own triggered feelings.  And many of us actually end up parenting ourselves as we were parented—sometimes unwittingly falling into old-fashioned or ineffective patterns.

That’s where systematic steps come in—not to displace natural instincts but to build upon them. These courses don’t provide a “one-size-fits-all” guidebook; they give you a set of tools with which to improvise on your own parenting path.

“Give me a child until he is 7, and I will show you the man.”  – Aristotle

These early years are formative. Neuroscience and psychology concur that a child’s personality, coping style, and view of the world start taking shape in the first few years of life.  How we respond to their needs, fears, and failures will make them the adults they will be.

By sitting in on a parenting class, future parents have an opportunity to stop and think before the mayhem begins. It’s an opportunity to ask:

How do I discipline my child with fear or with knowledge?
How will I manage sibling competition, developmental delays, or learning issues?
How do I want to mix authority with love?

The Fear of Judgment

Regrettably, the concept of preparing for parenting continues to elicit eye-rolls and incredulity.  “Our parents didn’t need classes,” others protest. And they’re not wrong.

My working grandmother never took a parenting class, but she raised kids who grew up to be capable, independent adults. My mother also balanced career and care with ease, raising us with kindness, with discipline, and with unshakeable love. We ended up just great—well-established and well-anchored in values.

But it’s also worth keeping in mind: times have changed.

The world today is more complicated. We’re dealing with digital distractions, increasing stress, changing roles, and less support systems. What was once intuitive and common to the family unit, we now bear alone. In this new world, parenting classes can be less of a fad and more of a life-smoother.

“The best inheritance a parent can give to their children is a few minutes of their time each day.”  – O. A. Battista

Ultimately, whether or not you enroll in a parenting class is up to you. But deciding to be educated, to think deeply, and to prepare emotionally and mentally is always the smartest course of action.

Parenting isn’t perfect. Parenting is being present, awake, and open to learning and growing with your child. If a parenting class can teach you even a small part of that, then maybe it’s not a fad but a quiet revolution in the making.


About the Author

Sujata Maggoo is a teacher and poet who derives great joy from learning with her students. As an educator, she thinks the classroom is a reflection of life—and as a work-in-progress parent, she thinks parenting starts a long time before the child’s arrival.

She writes with intention and passion, frequently dealing with the deeper questions of life, learning, and love. What she has to say:

“Before I raise a tiny soul, I choose to raise my own—“

With wisdom planted in quiet Earth, and compassion fully grown.
For each child needs a mentor, not only in title or role,
But one whose teachings flower from love and rest within the soul.

-Sujata Maggoo