In recent times, there has been much debate about whether it should be mandatory for caregivers to participate in a parenting training course to provide a proper upbringing for their children. From my perspective, this policy can indeed be reasonable for people who have never had a parenting experience. Therefore, I agree with this statement, and my view will be reinforced in the following essay.
To begin with, I would like to examine this statement from the standpoint of proponents who believe that implementing such a change is not necessary and, on the contrary, can be detrimental for potential parents. The first point in favor of this view is that planning a child and pregnancies themselves are inherently strenuous and energy-consuming. Moreover, a large share of individuals continues working in order to ensure a good environment and life experience for their own flesh and blood. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, parents of young children spend 6 to 8 hours daily on childcare and household tasks, and many also work full-time. Thus, this leaves little personal time, so mandatory training could add to an already heavy workload.
On the other hand, although combining both work and upbringing requires a great deal of effort, I do not maintain that parenting courses are designed to be burdensome. While it is true that everything that has to do with handling a new, tiny, vulnerable life is considered frightening and formidable, extra courses are more likely to mentally prepare parents and give practical advice, including coveted knowledge about fathering or mothering a child. A pertinent example is an experiment that was conducted in my homeland, Ukraine, where scientists gathered a number of expectant parents for their research. Although this one was not exactly targeted on upbringing methods, the target was to compare people who did and did not undergo psychotherapy before becoming parents. As a result, volunteers who had a proper supportive course managed the pregnancy and birth of their firstborn in a more collected and calm way than those who did not have any prior talks or work with a specialist. After taking into consideration all the points made above, I hold the view that this phenomenon possesses more merits than demerits, albeit extra courses or training for parents can be perceived as burdensome and exhausting. The reality is, however, that not only does the existence of such training courses benefit caregivers, but also the future generation, which is yet to be brought up.