Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Be A Better Parent With These Tips

By George Parker


Every parent cultivates a minimum level of raising a child know-how based on their real-life child-rearing experiences. If you want to improve your raising a child skills, check out some of the following tips and advice. It is time to face the bringing up a child challenge with information as well as intuition.

They should learn early on that they have to clean their hands after going to the bathroom, as well as before they eat. Your children are more likely to remain healthy if they practice good hygiene.

Document your child's accomplishments on a chart when he is learning something new. You can add a sticker to one of the squares on his chart each time he is able to complete the new task. Your child should receive a reward for filling in the whole chart. Using such a chart lets the child see his progress and accomplishments, which will motivate him to keep working towards his next reward.

Make sure to eat healthy foods, like whole grains, vegetables and fruits in front of your child. This will help them choose healthier snacks instead of chips.

If you are potty training your toddler, make sure that you take him to the bathroom consistently every couple of hours. Often a toddler won't know they need the bathroom until it's too late. To cut down on accidents, walk your child to his "potty" consistently, about every two hours. With this constant reminder, the child will consciously think about having to go potty before it is urgent.

When addressing a child's behavioral problems, focus on using positive reinforcement. It is important to remember that some children are dealing with a lot of emotional baggage and may not know how to express themselves properly. By setting an example and demonstrating the correct way to express oneself, a parent can help a child more effectively.

Parents of teens who are trying to choose a college should not pressure their teens to select a college based on the desires of the parents. Teens who feel that they have to go to a certain college may choose another out of spite, or even opt out of college entirely.

A good way to accomplish this is to establish a 529 plan and make contributions to it. This type of savings plan is state-operated and is intended to make it easier to save money for college. There are a few tax benefits that come with these educational savings accounts.

When your toddler is around three feet tall, you should put them in a bed since they are probably tall enough to climb out of a crib. As with anything new, the change to a bed after the security and comfort of a crib can be frightening for your child. You can lessen the fear by making the transition fun with character pillows and bedding.

Learn how to parent your toddler. Children at this stage need to learn that they cannot always be the center of attention; remedy this by teaching them to wait until it is there turn to speak or act. If your child is out of control, give them some time out or tell them off.

When you are traveling, bring those items that are seen as comfort to your toddler or young child. Some young children see vacations as a disruption from the routine that they are used to, and it could cause them to feel stress. If your child has a treasured toy, stuffed animal or blanket to comfort him, he can more easily make the transition to an unfamiliar location.

As you probably already know, and this article underlined, bringing up a child is more than just rolling with it. You need to make the decision that you are going to incorporate the strategies you have learned and become a better parent.




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