Things Every Parent Should Know

Being a father has been the greatest joy of my life. The road has been rough at times, but seeing my little girl smile warms my soul, rain or shine. We have spent the majority of the time since she has been born at home together, and I have gathered as much information as I could in order to prepare her for the future. There are so many aspects to raising a child that I had not ever considered. What age do we stop giving her formula? Why does she have a rash? How do I build her confidence? Is she keeping pace with other children her age? The list goes on and on. There are more questions than I have answers to, but I would like to share some of the really important lessons that I have learned about raising loving, creative, and well adjusted children.

is that structure is extremely important to children. They need it to build security in the world around them. A child that lives without structure is a child that will not do well in school, work, or society. I believe this to be one of the core elements that is pushing society in a negative direction. The average child lives in an environment that has too many inconsistencies, leaving their fragile little minds too many areas to build fear and resentment. There is nothing new about that bit of info, but it seems to get overlooked far too much. The next important lesson that I have learned is about positive reinforcement. Giving a child attention to negative behaviors reinforces that action instead of remove it in the child's mind, especially if that child does not receive a great deal of positive attention. There will be special situations where there is danger present and this will not apply. That being said, focusing your every day efforts and energy on noticing and supporting the child's desirable attitudes and actions will achieve the desired results much more effectively. On that note, the child's state of mind when you interact with them is also very important. If you discipline a child that is in a state of panic, it will only make things worse. Help your child calm back down before going forward when the child is upset. This will ease most any situation. It will also ingrain the calm sensation into the child's memory, as opposed to an additional person/place/thing to be afraid of. Another extremely important element for a child to become well adjusted is getting into social situations. I can't speak for anyone else, but this is a tough one for me. I only have one child, and sometimes I feel hopeless about this issue. We take her to a daycare once or twice a week, and visit with the family when we get the opportunity. It never feel like she gets enough interaction with other kids. I believe social skills determine a lot when it comes to a child's confidence. Children who are comfortable in public turn into adults who are comfortable in public. I think that is all for the emotional well being, and I can only share a few hints that aren't common about physical health and intelligence. First, diaper rash is easy to get rid of. Make sure your baby's bum is good and dry before applying a diaper or creme, and you will notice a difference in no time. Second, babies body's need whole milk. There are fats and proteins in whole milk that are essential nutrients for development. Every mother knows breast milk is best, but make sure a tot is getting some whole milk at around 12 months. Third, children are experts in reading faces and posture. They are born with the ability to recognize danger, and with it can read their parents emotions. This inevitably leads to repetition of the parents behavior, my final piece to this hub. The expression may be too common, but it can not be said enough. Children do not learn from what you tell them, they learn from what you show them. You actions, attitudes, responses, fears, insecurities, and quirks will be the basis for your child's perspective in life. I urge you to use your power wisely, your child's future depends on it. Thank you for reading my hub