We've gathered our all time favorite nuggets of advice from our board of advisors in a single excellent article which will have a profound impact on your whole family.
Set Smart Limits
Take charge. Kids crave limits, which help them understand and manage the often confusing world. Show your love by placing boundaries so your kids can explore and find their passions safely. Don't clip your kid 's wings. Your furry friend 's mission in life is to acquire independence. So when she's developmentally effective at putting away her toys, clearing her plate from the desk, and dressing himself, let her. Giving a child responsibility is good because of her self-esteem (and your sanity!) . Don't try to fix everything. Give young kids a chance to find their own solutions. When you lovingly admit a young child 's minor frustrations without instantly rushing in to save her, you educate her self-reliance and endurance. Bear in mind that discipline isn't punishment. Enforcing limits is really about teaching children how to behave in the world and assisting them to become competent, caring, and also in management. Pick your battles. Kids can't consume too many principles without turning off completely. Forget arguing about small things like fashion choices and occasional potty language. Focus on the things that really matter -- which means no hitting, rude talk, or even lying.
Boost Brainpower & Physical Activity
Teach your baby to sign. Just because a child can't talk doesn't mean that there isn't lots she'd like to say. Simple signs can help you understand what she desires and even how she feels nicely before she's the words to tell you -- a fantastic way to decrease frustration. Keep the tube in your family room. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that children with a TV in their bedroom weigh more, sleep less, and have lower levels and poorer social skills. P.S. toddlers using a tv in their bedroom have sex less frequently. Get kids moving. The latest research indicates that brain development in young children could be connected to their own activity level. Put your baby on her tummy many times a day, allow your toddler walk instead of ride in her stroller, and create opportunities for the older child to get plenty of exercise.
Trust Yourself
Give yourself a break. Hitting the drive-through once you're too tired to cook doesn't make you a bad parent. Trust your mom gut. Nobody knows your child better than you. Follow your instincts when it comes to his health and well-being. If you believe something's incorrect, odds are you're right. Simply say No. Resist the urge to take on extra obligations in the office or turn into the Volunteer Queen at your child's school. You may neverregret spending additional time with your children. Don't accept disrespect from your child. Never let her to be rude or say hurtful things to you or anybody else. If she does, tell her firmly that you won't endure any sort of disrespect. Walk along your strategy. Mobilize another caregivers in your child's lifetime -- your partner, grandparents, daycare worker, babysitter -- to help reinforce the values and the behaviour you want to instill. Including everything from saying thank you and being sort to not whining.
Raise Grateful Kids
Show your child how to become a responsible citizen. Find ways to help others annually. Children gain a sense of self-worth by volunteering locally. Don't raise a spoiled kid. Keep this idea in mind: Every child is a treasure, however, no child is the middle of the world. Teach him so. Talk about what it means to become a good person. Start early: When you read bedtime stories, for example, request your toddler whether characters are being nice or mean and research why. Explain to your kids why values are important. The simple answer: When you're kind, generous, honest, and respectful, you make the people around you feel great. More important, you feel great about yourself. Set up a gratitude circle every night at dinner. Go round the table and take turns talking about the several men and women that were kind and generous to every one of you that day. It may sound corny, but it makes everybody feel good.
Always Say I Love You
Love your children alike, but treat them distinctively. They're people. Say I adore you if you feel that, even though it's 743 times a day. You just can not spoil a child with too many mushy words of affection and too many smooches. Not possible. Remember what grandmoms always say. Children aren't yours, they're just lent to you for a moment. In these fleeting years, do your very best to help them grow up to be great men and women. Savor the moments. Yes, parenthood is the most exhausting job on the planet. Yes, your home is a mess, the laundry's piled up, and the dog has to be walked. However, your child just whined. Enjoy it today -- it will be over far too quickly.
Don't Forget to Teach Social Skills
Ask your children three you questions daily. The art of conversation is still an important social skill, but parents often neglect to educate it. Get a kid going with questions like, Did you have fun at school? ; What did you do in the party you went to? ; or Where would you like to go tomorrow afternoon? Teach kids this bravery trick. Tell them to always notice the color of a person's eyes. Making eye contact will help a reluctant child seem more confident and can help any kid to be more assertive and not as likely to be picked on. Acknowledge your child 's powerful feelings. When your kid 's meltdown is finished, ask himHow did this feel? and What do you think would make it better? Then listen . He'll recuperate from a tantrum more easily if you let him speak it out.