[Warning: If you're really strict about playing the game realistically, don't read this post!]

bbvv - No, it's not just you. It really does seem to take forever. Part of the reason it takes so long is that there are only two ways to improve parenting skill, and one of them must be used wisely! I'm able to create Master Parents only by "cheating".

Well, it's not really cheating, it's just not any fun.

1. Drop your villager onto someone of the opposite sex over and over without going to the hut. The skill improvement appears right away, so you can do it as fast as your hand can move. Depending on how filled up the skill bar is, this could take anywhere from a minute to ten minutes or more. Be sure to rest if your hand gets sore! To use this method your villager needs to be a woman over 50, or you need to be at a population maximum. (i.e., The little box pops up saying you can't have any more kids because there's not enough housing.)

2. The second method takes longer, but is more realistic and less of a "cheat". You can make teaching the kids more efficient by watching for the "This villager has improved in parenting!" message at the bottom of the screen and then immediately picking up your villager and dropping her on a kid again.

Hope this helps. I imagine a lot of people use these methods, because they are quite obvious.

I only see them telling stories and then I see teaching but I didn't notice that the kids were actually learning! Thx

I don't think the kids learn. I've never seen my kids' skills change as a result of being taught.

I have, but it took a LONG time. I mean not just once, but over and over and over and over. It's like adding 5 pts to 11000 there's indiscernible progress... now do it say 20 times then you have 100 pts, right? that you can notice ::shrug:: sometimes it's easier just to not teach but i do it, a little is better than nothing

Thanks, guys, for letting me know it not just me. My would-be elder died so I'll have to work on someone else.

I love the teaching part. I use it mostly when one of the children is a little lonely.

maybe in VV3 the kids could gain some experience from the lessons....just a suggestion...

what do you need to teach the kids?

Place a villager on a kid. If the villager you use is at least an Adept Parent, they will teach the kids, otherwise they will tell a story.

The task may also earn the Adult more parenting skills. The additional skills after storytelling will come at the end, but the skills earned from teaching will be in the middle of the lesson. (Keep the villager selected, and you will see the gain, or the failed attempt.)