I think the other thing to recognise is that many of us may never wish to attend a parenting course, but we do have other sources of support, information and assistance. This may be in the form of friends, family, community members, healthcare professional, your local hairdresser...

My mother is my main resource. She done a (mostly) fabulous job of raising her six children and she is qualified in education, special needs children and early childhood development (she has even been the one to run quite a few different parenting courses). She is a great role model and sounding board and when I am frustrated and negative, she understands completely and will usually be the one to point out to me that I AM or HAVE tried everything possible and practical, and that all kids are different and trying in their own ways - and the only thing that can be done at times is perservence. Everything will work out in the end (even if you feel like selling the kid on ebay in the interim).

Maybe if I didn't have such fabulous support and was not very well educated myself in regards to childrearing, then I might find a 'course' more benefical, but (rightfully, or wrongfully) I currently veiw them as a tool for the completely clueless and often a bigger stressor to the parents attending (from my observations of other parents I know who do and have attended many courses and are completely caught up in trying to be perfect and hard on themselves when things don't go to plan).

Having said that, I certainly do know some parents who SHOULD attend some kind of parenting course IMHO, so I do think it is a good thing they exist - I just think that too often the people who really could benefit don't do these things and those doing them often need to just relax and follow their instincts alot more.