SEAN and Keith Loo looked like little angels but could morph into monsters in a flash - kicking Grandma, hitting each other and throwing things.

When tirades, knuckle raps and even bribes of sweets could not make her sons change their wilful ways, financial controller Coni Tan signed up for a talk at Sean's kindergarten on how to discipline young children.

A trick she learnt there last July now works like a charm. Every time the boys - aged three and two - are naughty, they are banished to 'thinking chairs' in a corner of their room.

'It's easy but effective,' said Madam Tan, 37. 'Sitting by themselves calms them down quite quickly.'

It used to be that parents of teenagers were the ones with parenting problems. But now mums and dads of pre-school children are looking for a lifeline as well.

More than 28,000 mums and dads have attended parenting courses offered by 240 childcare centres and pre-schools islandwide since late 2005. A six-month pilot earlier that year had attracted 2,000 to sign up.

Initiated and funded by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, the Parent Education in Pre-Schools (PEPS) programme offers parents talks and seminars on different topics. Talks can last between one and four hours and the seminars, half a day.

The ministry is now looking to extend the programme to another 100 centres. Yesterday, it held a session for pre-schools and childcare centres interested in coming on board.

The courses cover common concerns, from discipline and sibling rivalry to raising avid readers.

The shorter sessions costs between $3 and $5 a head.

The courses are conducted by voluntary welfare organisations such as Focus on the Family, which specialises in teaching mums, dads and children how to build bonds.

Focus on the Family president Joanna Koh felt that early parenthood courses draw a crowd because parents nowadays don't want to wait for a full-blown crisis - like a complete breakdown of communication in the teenage years - before seeking guidance.

'If you begin building rapport early, you will not have to fight fire later,' she said. 'There will be no need for quick-fix solutions.'

One course, for instance, 'helps build memories' by giving parents ideas on starting family traditions - like weekly trips to an ice-cream parlour. 'They are little things that the kids can look back on with fondness once they are adults,' said Ms Koh.

The smorgasbord of courses recognises the multiple needs of parents, said Ms Susan Tan, a senior principal at a Kinderland pre-school.

'Parents of two- and three-year-olds are looking to learn more about things like childhood illnesses and how to show love to a young child,' said Ms Tan.

Those with older kids, on the other hand, are anxious to pick up tips on coping with school or finding out about learning disabilities.

But while tips and tools are useful, parents such as Mr Clement Ang, 32, who has attended courses, say that in the final count, forging that unique bond is something that classes cannot quite teach. Mr Ang has a six-year-old daughter, Anastasia, and will soon be a father again.

Said the IT consultant: 'Ultimately it's about instinct - and a lot of love and understanding.'

Parents interested in signing up for the courses can contact their child's pre-school or childcare centre.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Feb 02, 2008