The Best Online Parenting Classes

The Best Online Parenting Classes to Help With Labour, Breastfeeding, Sleeping, and Beyond

When Hilary Duff posted in February 2019 about her journey hiring a sleep trainer to get her daughter Banks (then 3-months-old) to sleep, I felt a huge relief. At that point, I had a newborn baby and an 18-month-old toddler, and I remember thinking, "Even celebrities need a little extra help with this whole parenting thing."

Enter: parenting classes. Because of COVID-19, financial reasons, or access, it's not always possible to have a sleep trainer or parent coach come to your house. But there are affordable online parenting classes that will teach you what you need to know to master sleep training, the newborn phase, breastfeeding, peaceful parenting, and so much more from the comfort of your home. They are open, honest, and informative. And anything that makes a parent's job a little easier is worth it, right?

Babies don't come with a manual — but these parenting classes are the next best thing. Check out 10 best classes in the slides ahead.

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Pampers Childbirth Education Classes

Childbirth experts Heidi Rice, RN, BSN, and Alisa Williams, RN, MSN, IBCLC, RLC, teach the Pampers Childbirth Education Classes for new parents. This nine-part series covers everything from prenatal health and labour signs to childbirth, breastfeeding, and check-ups. This entire series is totally free! Just sign up and go through the class videos at your own pace.

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Taking Cara Babies

If you've ever searched "sleep training tips" online, you've probably come across Taking Cara Babies. Their Newborn Class ($79) is focussed on babies 12 weeks and under (they also offer a 5 to 24 months class) to give parents the tools to help their babies become good sleepers. This is a no-cry approach to sleep training that is evidence-based with flexible routines, and practical tips in a way that is sensitive to the needs of new parents and babies. Your purchase includes four months of access to pre-recorded classes, helpful downloads, schedules, and more by Cara Dumaplin, mom of four, neonatal nurse, wife of a pediatrician, and a certified pediatric sleep consultant.

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Milkology: The Ultimate Breastfeeding Class

Breastfeeding is natural, yes, but it can also be extremely challenging. That's why Milkology's The Ultimate Breastfeeding Class is a great tool for new parents who want to breastfeed. It offers 13 lessons about latching and positioning, making milk, storing milk, and more for $27. This is helpful even if you are already working with a lactation consultant, or if you have breastfed before but you are having another baby and want to refresh your skills.

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The Happy Sleeper: Little Kids 2-6 Years Sleep Class

Sometimes babies can be great sleepers — and completely regress when they turn 2 years old (it happened with both of my sons!). If that's the case, The Happy Sleeper's Little Kids 2-6 Years Sleep Class is for you! Psychotherapists and nationally recognised sleep experts Julie Wright and Heather Turgeon help parents through common nighttime issues, including bedtime resistance, waking up in the night, nightmares, fear of the dark, napping schedules, bedtime routines, healthy sleep habits, and more. For $180, you have access to video classes as well as a printable planner to help guide you.

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Your Kids Table: Mealtime Works

Battling with your child over food can be so frustrating (you want them to eat just one vegetable please; they want to eat chicken nuggets all day every day). But Your Kids Table's Mealtime Works class is designed to help. You will learn tips to helping your child have a healthy relationship with food, including trying new things, enjoying a meal together, making sure they are getting the right nutrients to grow healthy, stop throwing fits at mealtimes, and more. Mealtime Works is taught be a pediatric occupational therapist and mom, whose worked with hundreds of families all around the world. You'll get pre-recorded lessons, visuals, exercises, access to a private discussion board, and more for $247.

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Big Little Feelings: Winning the Toddler Stage

Just when you think you know what you're doing as a parent, your baby turns into a toddler and it starts all over again! Big Little Feelings offers a Winning the Toddler Stage course for $99, designed for parents of toddlers ages 1-6. If you've ever raised your voice at your toddler, cried because they wouldn't eat, or given into tantrums, this course is for you! It includes five modules on happy homes, manageing tantrums, preventing tantrums, disciplining, and more from parent coach Kristin and child therapist Deena.

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Positive Parenting Solutions: 7-Step Parenting Success System

Parenting isn't always pretty, but it is possible to build a positive, healthy relationship with your children without losing your mind. Positive Parenting Solutions offers a 7-Step Parenting Success System that goes over some of the most challenging parenting problems taught by founder and parenting coach Amy McCready. This includes lessons on the science of misbehaviour, why kids complain, the importance of routines, what to do during power struggles and extreme behaviours, sibling relationships, family harmony, and tips for future success. This course starts at $221 for 37+ tools, 49 on-demand videos, downloadable workbooks, and one-year access.

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Active Parenting of Teens Online Class

Parenting a teenager can feel just as confusing as parenting a newborn, which is why the Active Parenting of Teens Online Class is so beneficial. It's based on Michael H. Popkin, Ph.D.,'s award-winning parenting class and best-selling books, designed to give you confidence in parenting through the teen years. The class is a combination of videos, group discussion, activities, and more to help you communicate effectively, understand your teen, give your teen the tools needed to behave, be a positive influence, reduce the risks of the teen years (including alcohol, drugs, sexuality, and violence), and more for $80.

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Tinyhood Online Parenting Classes

Looking for even more parenting help? Tinyhood is your all-in-one resource to finding the right class for your family. It covers labour and birth, breastfeeding, safety and CPR, sleep, eating and nutrition, children and race, and learning and development for infants and toddlers. Each class varies in price from free to $100. What's great about this is you can take as many or as little as you want to help your baby succeed — you get to choose! These are taught by professionally certified individuals with top accreditations, and each class offers you the flexibility to access the materials for up to two years. You can even join the private Q&A forum to connect with other parents in a safe space.

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