When raising children, parents are often wary of advice and trust their own instincts coupled with a dose of common sense. As an old saying goes, “The wise don’t need advice and fools don’t heed it.” Still it would not hurt to listen to a few pieces to be an imperfect parent instead of striving to be the perfect one.

If you are a parent, here are 5 rules that will help you become an understanding and good parent that you should be in spite of your own flaws:

1. Try to be less anxious about your children, less strenuous in your efforts to do right by them. And when they fall short of expectations do not get so worked up trying to remedial help. Do not entertain visions of a ruined life for them in the future. Stop searching within yourself where you went wrong.

2. Remind yourself that you are their parent and not their Creator that parents are gardeners not sculptors. Have enough faith in them and trust that they have in themselves to become the people they were meant to be and you, as parent will help them uncover their potentials.

3. Teach by example, certain virtues you wish to foster in your children. Truthfulness, kindness, creativity, patience and thoughtfulness are qualities best learned not by constant lecture but by developing exactly the same things in yourself.

4. Never shame the children for their faults which can be yours as well. When they mess up, do listen to their side of the story. Make a real effort to understand their version – and design appropriate punishment that will help them learn their lesson without jeopardizing their fragile faith in themselves.

There are days when you feel frazzled, frustrated and furious. Instead of blowing up at your children, take time out to analyze what it is that is really troubling you and deal with it directly. It may be your work, or your finances, your mate or your health, things which your children have nothing to do with. Oftentimes children bear the brunt of emotional outbursts and not know why.

5. Teach yourself the art of saying ‘thank you’ and ‘I’m sorry.’ These are words we can easily say to an adult but find it difficult to say to our children. When you fail to keep a promise, make it a point to own up to it, tell the truth and say you are sorry.

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Are you a parent or soon to become one? Want thirty-two tips on how to become a great mom — to your kids? Of course you do. So read on and soak up the suggestions. Your children will love you more than ever!

1) Love them unconditionally.
2) Provide them with food, clothing and shelter.
3) Protect them but do not overprotect them by not letting them make mistakes. Let them learn from their errors.
4) Be patient.
5) Be emotionally available to your children.
6) Be available more on weekends.
7) Demonstrate love and respect to your spouse so that they may learn to love and respect their future partners.
Teach them how to pray and be good Christians.
9) Be an active listener.
10) Let your children talk and do not interrupt them. You will always learn something new about them.
11) Put yourself in their shoes.
12) Empathize rather than sympathize with them.
13) Accept their imperfections.
14) Acknowledge their uniqueness.
15) Never compare them to other children.
16) Praise their efforts — both small and great.
17) Play with them. Be goofy. Be a kid at heart.
18) Create a family album or family tree project together. Tell them stories about your own grandparents, great-grandparents, ancestors. This will teach them the importance of family.
19) Respect their friends and treat them courteously, even if you don’t like some of them. If you’ve taught your kids well, they will know better than to keep bad company.
20) Make sure your children go to school ready to learn.
21) Make time to help them with homework.
22) Admit when you don’t know the answer. There is no shame in it. Your child will respect you more for your honesty.
23) Find the answer together. Two heads are better than one.
24) But do not give the answers too easily. Let them experience the thrill of finding out for themselves.
25) Monitor their academic progress. Any slip-ups must be nipped at the bud.
26) Attend school functions. Show them how much you support them.
27) Volunteer at the school. That’s teaching them school spirit!
28) Be friends with their teachers to teach them harmonious adult relationships.
29) if your child is an athlete, support him or her in victory or defeat.
30) Be a good role model for sportsmanship.
31) As we grow older and become what is euphemistically referred to as “more mature”, we tend to forget things about our childhood. Being around children can help us remember. And when we remember, we can recall those things adults did for us … and to us … and thus more easily make correct choices with our own children.
32) All parents make mistakes. Try to remember the mistakes your parents made with you, and endeavor to not repeat them. When (not “if”) you make mistakes with your own children, ask them to forgive you, promise to try to not make them again, and give your children permission to not make the same mistakes with their children. When they get older, you will be one of the people they most admire.

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As soon as you discover that you are pregnant you begin to see lots of things as cute and adorable. Everything related to babies becomes incredibly exciting and you begin to wonder what exactly you should be putting into your diaper bag to welcome the arrival of your precious newborn. As soon as your baby is born there will be two things that are basically constantly attached to you and that would be your baby and your diaper bag.

Here are several things that you are going to want to keep stocked in your diaper bag.

Diapers-ok this is a pretty obvious addition to any diaper bag but you should have at least 10 diapers packed in your diaper bag at all times.

Wipes-Wipes are essential for cleaning up your child after a dirty diaper. Wipes are also great for cleaning up runny noses and wiping off dry little hands and areas that your child may touch that may be full of germs..

A change of clothes-When you have a baby accidents are almost sure t happen so you should pack away no less then two extra outfits because you never know when then is going to be a diaper leak or some spit up.

Pacifiers-These can be life savers when you are running errands and you need to soothe a little one.

Bottle-Having and extra bottle packed in your diaper bag is a smart move in case you are no where near a sink to clean the bottle that you are currently using.

Travel Formula-Most brands of formula come in travel size packages for when you are traveling with your little one. You should also pair up travel formula with some bottle water for even more ease while travelling.

Toys-Keep a toy or two in your diaper bag to amuse your baby when you are out and about and need to talk to someone or get something done.

Medicine-Thinks like baby Advil, gas drops and baby orajel are all must haves.

Each and every mother is going to need to decide what is best for them and their baby however these are some of the most common items that all mothers put in their diaper bags.

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Parenting can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time for new parents. Many parents will panic when their child starts crying hysterically. In most cases, there is nothing wrong with a child crying. Children cry for many reasons including teething, wet diapers, rashes and fever. When these things occur, you will notice symptoms. Parents will lose sleep at times which will cause exhaustion.

When a child is teething they will become very fussy and cranky due to the pain on their gums from their teeth cutting through the child’s gums. Teething is painful, even for adults. When your child is teething you may try to give oral pain reliever with doctor’s advice. Try using cold teething rings or cold rags for your child to bite on because this will help them to relieve some pain. When a child starts teething you will notice that your child’s gums are a whitish pink in color on the area where they are teething. When a child’s teeth are bothering them, you may notice them biting their clothing or biting their fingers also. However, a child can get a fever for many reasons, they may run a fever due to the common colds, teething, getting their shots and rashes.

Children tend to become fussy or cranky when they are sitting in a wet diaper. Wet diapers are known to cause irritation to the child’s skin in the form of light to severe diaper rashes depending on how long the child has been in a dirty diaper. Not only that diaper rashes occurred on children. If your child has any bumps on their skin that look irritated, you should consult a doctor or physician immediately. Your child can get rashes such as chicken pox, mumps or measles. Children also tend to come in contact with heat rash, if they are too warm, overly dressed or hot from being outside in the summer heat. The heat rash will go away on its own by simply removing some clothing that allows your child’s skin to get some air.

When your children get their first set of vaccine shots the first thing that new parents do is become scared and starts panicking. Children get shots to help them fight away viruses and infections that children are easily prone to. Children can catch colds and become very ill if they do not stay up to date with their shots. Children receive so many sets of shots in their young ages until they become older. When children become older they will still need to get shots in order for them to stay healthy and remain cold-free. The flu shot is highly recommended for children that are newborns until the age of three. The flu shot is still available for children over the age of three but this shot is not a necessity. The flu shot is designed to help them avoid having colds, and helps your children to prevent and to protect them to suffer from this dangerous cold. Premature babies are safe to get the flu shot, because they are not fully protected and safe from getting this horrible cold, as premature babies immune system is not strong enough to fight off this cold.

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Summary

Helping your baby to form useful habits between 12 and 20 months old can make a huge difference later on in life as they grow. Now is the time to implement discipline and to start teaching them good habits regarding cleanliness and self care.

Below are 5 things to teach your child to make them more independent and create less work for you:

1. It’s time to start teaching them about brushing teeth.

You can buy starter kits for around $5. The kits include a small toothbrush and toothpaste, which is safe to swallow. I started my daughter out by putting toothpaste on the toothbrush and brushing her teeth for her after she was done eating breakfast in her highchair. By the time she was 15 months old, she was walking and running through the house and was able to understand that brushing teeth was fun and important. She knew what a toothbrush was and how to use it.

I simply take her into the bathroom, put toothpaste on the toothbrush and hand it to her. She brushes all of her teeth and her tongue and when she’s done, she hands it back to me to rinse off.

Putting a stool in the bathroom can help when training them to rinse the toothpaste out.

2. Once your baby starts walking, he or she can begin to learn about washing hands.

Washing hands can be very important. Kids get into everything, especially once they are mobile. I started my daughter out around 16-months by picking her up and turning the water on warm. I helped her put her hands underneath the water flow and rubbed soap into her hands. Eventually she understood how to do it on her own.

Have your child wipe his or her hands off on a hand towel when they’re done. Make a big deal out of it and clap your hands to encourage them that they are doing something positive.

3. Children love to be helpful, allow them to help you in picking up after themselves.

Kids learn by watching. Talk to your children as you do things and encourage them to put things away with you. Don’t make a big deal out of it if they put something in the wrong spot or lose interest. Make it a fun game and eventually, they just pick it up. By 15 months old, my daughter was able to put her toys away herself. She had a clear understanding of where things went and because she saw me cleaning all the time, she eventually picked up the habit.

4. Children need to be napping and going to bed at the same times each day.

Children need to follow schedules. It’s very important for their wellbeing and if you have them on a sleep schedule, you are less likely to have to deal with a cranky baby later. Make sure that naps and bedtime is the same each day, but try to schedule it in keeping with your child’s natural clock.

5. At 15 months, your baby can start drinking from a straw.

About 15 to 16 months old is when a child can watch you drink from a straw and can learn to do it too. This is when many kids show an interest in drinking out of something like Mommy and Daddy do. A straw allows them to do this. Show your child how to do it first and then offer the straw to them. It may take a few tries, but it won’t be long and you’ll be amazed at how fast and easy it is for them to pick up.

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Many people argue to whether you can be truly prepared for a baby – and the preparation that is required to have a baby. Many couples find themselves surprised when they realize they are going to have a child and feel the urge to get the finances in order to prepare for the new baby.
Here are some ways that you can financially prepare yourself for a new child:

Start a Savings Account

Establishing a savings account is an essential part to preparing for a child. This can increase the health of your finances and lead to being financially prepared for the future. With a child, there are many things that should be saved for through the pregnancy – including all of the baby gear that the child will need, savings account for education and insurance as well as saving for an emergency fund in case anything that would happen to the family that could threaten the source of income.

Purchase all Necessary Baby Gear

All the baby gear that is required for a child can cost upwards of one-thousand dollars to ensure that the new parents are prepared for the child. From strollers and car seats and cribs, these items can end up costing money that could put a strain on the finances if the parents have not saved for the expenses. These expenses can often come as a shock when new parents realize just how much that it costs to fund these purchases. Other costs that are associated with the child are diapers and formula through the time that the infant grows into being a toddler.

Start an Education Fund

An education fund should be funded the moment that the child is born. To start a traditional education fund, the child will require a social security number in order to establish the fund. Start putting away a small amount each month towards the fund to ensure that your child will have enough money that is put away for post secondary education from the child. Be sure to maintain these payments or ask friends and relatives to contribute to the funds rather than Christmas or birthday gifts.

Ensure that You Have Adequate Insurance

Between health insurance and life insurance, it is important to be fully covered when you are expecting a child. Between the costs of the hospital and health costs and the costs of being covered each month for life insurance, it is important to financially prepare for the future and to allow the insurance to make the most of the personal financial situation.

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For parents travelling with young children, there are many tips that can be useful through the trip, including traveling through air. Travelling with children doesn’t have to be stressful; there are many ways that parents can take measures to reduce the stress that can accompany traveling with a child. Caring for a newborn baby or an infant can be stressful enough, without traveling through airplanes and other modes of transportation.

First, it is important to avoid traveling through large crowds such as airports or other train stations and the like until the child is at least three months old. Until the child is three months old their immune system may be compromised, therefore, avoiding travel until the child is three months old can reduce the stress of traveling with a child without ensuring that the child catches a cold or infection that can turn into something more serious.

When flying with your child, or traveling with your infant – allow your child to dress comfortably in clothes that are just as comfortable as the pajamas to ensure that they will be traveling in comfort and that they will be able to sleep through the traveling portion of the trip. Rather than focusing on the importance of the child looking formal once they have reached the destination, consider bringing clothes on to the plane into the carryon luggage which will allow the child to change clothes before arriving at the destination. This is sure to keep the child happy as well as comfortable throughout the duration of the trip.

When traveling, it is important to bring a stroller on the airplane that is approved small enough for travel. These items are often considered special cargo items and must adhere to special sizes and weight regulations. Be sure to check with the website to ensure that the stroller that you are going to be traveling with will be approved and convenient enough for travel.

Traveling with infants does have some benefits. There are many airlines and other means of travel that can come with a reduced cost. For example, when traveling with many airlines, children under the age 24 months fly free as they are often using the parent’s seat and will sit on the lap of the parent. There are also airlines that allow children to fly for a fraction of the price of the adult fare – which can save hundreds of dollars on the next family vacation!

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Developing emotional intelligence in kids is as important as teaching them their ABCs and 123s. Children with a high level of emotional quotient (EQ) tend to have a good relationship with their family and peers.

Consequently, when they grow up, they become good citizens. Research has shown that most of the executives who rose up the corporate ladder have high EQ. Having a high EQ and a high IQ is better than having a high IQ alone because EQ enhances IQ.

Conversely speaking, children with low EQ grow up as adults who are pessimistic, see failure as permanent, want immediate gratification, and have no ability for leadership because people do not want to follow them.

But before honing EQ in your children, you must acknowledge that you can only impart what you have. You must have the courage to admit that you are imperfect and that controlling emotions is a lifelong struggle. In the course of inculcating emotional intelligence in your child, you may also have to improve yourself as a person.

Defining EQ

These days, with computers providing quick information, children tend to have higher IQs than EQs. But who has not heard of children becoming depressed or of the high incidence of suicides among their group?

EQ is defined as a process of being sensitive to one’s own feelings, taking into account the feelings of others, and using these information to express an appropriate action to a given situation. When people react without processing the emotion, the action does not match the feeling. Most perpetrators of crimes of passion fall in this category.

Hardened criminals, who usually had poor role models in their childhood, lost the natural ability to empathize. Parents, who serve as the first role models of a child, therefore face the challenge of reinforcing EQ. EQ has been know to eventually disappear when it is not encouraged.

Aside from empathy, EQ also deals with other intangibles such as self-awareness, persistence, optimism, motivation, sympathy, and resilience. It is a multi-faceted talent. It is so complex that, unlike IQ, you cannot attach a numerical value to it.

In a broader sense, EQ equates to the meaning of love. EQ is all about loving and understanding yourself and others.

EQ has helped a lot of parents in raising children with a high level of social competence. Although the term was introduced in the mid-90s, long-term studies on children started way back in the ‘60s.

Parents and other role models teach children by way of example about how to behave. Observe how children, especially those between the ages of one and seven, absorb and follow how their role models act. Allow the child to express his emotions if the situation can accommodate the expression. Here are ways by which parents can direct their children to express what they feel:

1. Help them label their feelings by teaching them what to say. Say, “I feel _______ because ________.”

2. If the behavior is not appropriate, explore with your children. Understand where they’re coming from, then suggest a more suitable action. If you cannot delve into what the children are feeling at the time they are “acting up,” recognize what they are feeling first and then delay the talk until you get home. When you refuse to buy a toy that they really want and they start throwing a fit, you can tell them this, “I know you are frustrated because we did not buy the toy. We will talk about it later.” The phrase, “you should not” is a tall order for children.

3. Talk to your children often. This opens the communication lines.

4. Be an emotional coach. You can teach your own values by telling them, for instance, that it is not right to laugh at the crippled and people with handicaps.

5. When children are angry, tell them to count from 1 to 10 and breath deeply so they can process their feelings first.

6. Don’t downplay what they see and feel. If they ask why daddy and mommy are fighting, tell them that both of you are trying to resolve matters and are working on a solution. The contest may not mean anything to you but to them, it is something.

Change must start from within. If you want to have a better world for your children and your children’s children, you can start by owning to the fact that you can be better. Improving your own and your kids’ EQ determines what kind of person they become.

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The transition to a new child in the home or a newborn can be difficult – but there are many things that the parents can do to ensure that the transition into parenthood comes as easy as possible. Here are some things that every new parent should do to ensure the transition with a new baby comes as easy as possible.

Have everything prepared for when you return Home from the Hospital

Ensuring that everything is prepared for when the new parents return home from the hospital can increase the ease of transition that occurs when you bring a new baby home. having the nursery prepared and all items unpacked and put together that you will require for the new baby, as well as having enough diapers and formula if you intend to use it, or have all the supplies which are required for breast feeding – if you intend to feed the baby through those means.

Have a Schedule for Obligations

Having a schedule for the obligations which must be completed after the baby is born to keep up with the daily life can help the new parents to plan the arrival of their baby. Confer with loved ones to create help with dinners and other tasks that new parents may have a hard time with. Ask friends and family members with tasks like getting mail, taking care of household chores and even grocery shopping. This can allow the parents a little bit of time to transition with the newborn.

Limit the Visitors to the Home

A new baby coming into the home can mean that all friends and family members are going to want to visit the new family. Unfortunately, the revolving door of friends and family members can be stressful for the new parents, especially the new mother. Be sure to consult with friends and family members to set guidelines when it comes to visitors coming into the household.

Dad, Take Time off of Work

Having the dad taking time off of work can be a help to the mom and allow the new family some time to bond before Dad has to head back to work. A week or two should be enough time to allow the transition and spend time with the family. After the birth, mom is going to need time to recover and it will be up to Dad to take the part of household manager and ensure that all things are being completed.

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Is your child prone to making outbursts? Does he cry out loud, scream, throw things around, kick objects, hurt people, or maybe even himself? You may well be wondering if there is something wrong with your child.

Temper tantrum in Children

When a child does not get what he needs or wants, he acts out his anger and frustration through a heightened display of emotion. Occasional tantrums from one to about for years old are normal. As a child grows older, he learns to express his anger using words instead of actions, develops self-control, and becomes more cooperative.

Why are temper tantrums in Children common during the early years?

Knowing what is happening at this stage of his development is important. What is your child thinking and feeling?

1. He recognizes he is a separate person from his parents and so wants to be independent. He desires to be in control (rather than be told what to do) and so frequently practices saying “no.” He tries to do things on his own – sometimes beyond what he is actually capable of doing. As he starts to be more active, his parents react by setting rules and regulations for him to learn and follow. This leads to conflicts between the parents and the child.

2. He is not emotionally mature. He finds it hard to deal with disappointments and imposed restrictions and has yet to learn to compromise.

3. He has a limited vocabulary. Since he is just learning how to talk, he is not yet accustomed to expressing his anger using words.

Ways to handle your Child’s temper tantrums

If managed successfully, a temper tantrum may lessen in frequency and intensity. However, if a child sees that he can get what he wants this way, he may use it to control others even as he grows older. Here are some ways parents can handle children’s outbursts:

1. Distract. When a child is about to get upset, turning his attention to something else may work, particularly for those two years old and below. Try some distracting comments. Resort to humor and turn the conflict into a game. For instance, if he refuses to take a bath, make funny faces or tell him that you’ll race him to the bathroom.

2. Ignore. Paying attention to a temper tantrum (even scolding is attention, of the negative sort) and agreeing to what he wants so he won’t make a scene will only make him want to do it repeatedly. Think of it as a performance. If he does not have an audience (that’s you!), he will eventually see that it does not work.

3. Call for a time-out. If your child follows you around after you have ignored him, put him in a quiet place like his playpen until he calms down. If you are in a public place, calmly carry him to the restroom or a place with fewer people. Remember, you don’t want to give him an audience.

4. Teach. When your child is calmer, talk with him and emphasize the importance of using words instead of actions to express anger. Teach him to speak in a respectful tone of voice and calm manner. Guide him in looking for alternative ways to work out a conflict. If he and his playmate are fighting over a toy, you can suggest taking turns or exchanging.

5. Encourage. Observe a situation that he has handled well and comment positively.

6. Give support. When your child acts out his anger, be careful not to label him as bad. What he needs is your patience and understanding. While he is still learning acceptable ways to express anger, believe in him and give him time to discover what he can still become.

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