Parenting Tips
All tips tagged parenting ✕
Keep the tags on your newborn baby's clothes until they are ready to wear. Babies grow so quickly that sometimes they will be too big for an outfit before they get a chance to wear it! This way, you can swap it for larger size if need be.
If you want kids to eat healthy, set a good example. Kids are not going to munch on carrots, if you are munching on chips.
Keep all your gift receipts from Baby Shower gifts. Each child is different, and some may never like or use that crib/swing/toy you got for them!
Give up all ideas about what type of parent you'll be! Baby will dictate how it will go.... they may only sleep if they co-sleep or be allergic to breastmilk and have to be formula fed. Be prepared to be flexible in your approach to raising your child and everyone will be happy.
Always have food ready for a Newborn. If they drink formula, keep sterilized bottles in the fridge. If your nipples are sore from breastfeeding, keep a pumped supply available. The worst thing in the middle of the night is a screaming, starving baby!
Make sure to take a shower daily when you have a newborn. Get a family member or friend to take the baby for 10 minutes so you can freshen up - it will make you feel human again!
They say sleep when baby sleeps..... but this can be tough! Take shifts sleeping when you have a newborn. If Mom takes a few hours here, and Dad a few hours there, everyone will be a lot happier!
Don't be afraid to ask for help and advice. Being a new parent is hard! Accept support from family & friends.
Don't get your newborn used to sleeping in a silent house. Babies who grow up in a normal, noisy environment are much less likely to be woken by the smallest things!
Trust your instincts with your newborn.... Mom & Dad know best!
Break up daunting tasks into small chunks that can be done in 5-10 minutes. Then, when you can, do one chunk at a time. It might take you a week to do something you think you should be able to do in a day, but at least it will be done!
It can be difficult teaching active children to read, because they don't want to sit still at a table doing lessons. Instead, make it into an active game. Sit at the bottom of the sliding board with a white board and rotate through five simple words when they reach the bottom. Read More
Audio books are a fantastic tool for encouraging older children to pick up a new series. I like to check out the first book of a series from the library and listen to it with the children in the car. Afterwards, I'll get the sequels in print for them to read.
Encourage your child to sound out words with this silly game: When reading your child's bedtime story, deliberately change some of the words. (i.e. instead of "princess" say "monster"). When your child objects, make her sound out the word to get the correct term.
Unsure how to start teaching your child to read? Start small. Choose one word that appears frequently in their bedtime story. Let them "read" it each time it appears in the text. The next night, choose a second word. By the end of the week, they'll know seven words!
Help your child pick up dozens of sight words effortlessly by using labels. Label the "door," "light switch," "refrigerator," etc. You'd be surprised how quickly they'll pick up words at a very young age.