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Active Parenting Today Online Groups |
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Before trying to sell the idea of parenting education to the community, you need to prepare yourself for potential questions and concerns. You need to know what's in it for the parents and their families, and how to convince them to participate. You also need to do some brainstorming and list potential sponsors, referral sources, and organizations serving families.
What's in it for parents? Believe it or not, it might be necessary to convince parents to participate. Most families have busy schedules, making it difficult for parents to squeeze in one more activity. Emphasize the convenience of an online course—there's no need to schedule a babysitter or leave the house. Parents who travel on business can access the class anywhere they have the appropriate computer equipment.
Parents may also think they should already know how to parent, even if they are having problems. Assure them that the group is there for support and encouragement, not fault-finding. Emphasize that one benefit of the course is less stress at home as they learn new ways to handle such daily problems as temper tantrums, chore wars and homework hassles. Also point out that the program is a good way to learn communication skills that will be doubly important in the teen years.
Promoting Your Program in the Local Community and the Online Community
Local Community: Now that you are prepared to convince parents to participate in your online group, you need to come up with a list of local organizations that have access to your target audience. Once you have come up with a fairly comprehensive list, you will be able to begin promoting your program. Use the following list as a starting point:
Online Community: Promoting an online program also requires online promotion. You will want to participate regularly in parenting/family-online newsgroups, forums and discussions where you can mention your online parenting education program. Find these online groups by using keywords such as parenting, parenting education, family, children, etc.
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