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Parenthood

Parenthood is a stage which spurs many people onto learning.

For some, becoming a parent for the first time means that people want to learn in order to be an effective parent; to be able to support and aid their children's development and learning. Courses which fall under this category range from parenting courses to those which help parents with their own literacy and numeracy skills, in order that they are able to support their children's learning.

More information about how children can be a motivation to learn is in Kids' Play

Once their children start childcare or school, those parents who are not working have time on their hands to fill. As well as this, as children get older and become more independent, parents have even more time and are freer to engage in other activities such as learning. For example, one mother explains how her child being older was an important factor which enabled her to go on a course:

"...it was a bit easier because me lad was grown and he fetched himself home from school and it made it easier for me. If I wasn't home for him comin' in I wasn't far behind him. So that was probably the reason mainly."

In addition to this, a number of learning providers in the community are conscious of the needs of parents, and so ensure that the timings of sessions fit in with school drop-offs and pick-ups.

Overall, being a parent can encourage people to engage in learning in two distinct ways; by wanting to learn in order to be a supportive and effective parent, and by being able to learn by having more time as children grow older and more independent. 

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