Working together – An Important Parenting Skill

An Important Parenting Skill--parents need to work together to form their children's discipline plan...This is why working together as parents is essential to the welfare and stability of a home and well as a valuable parenting skill....

Working together – An Important Parenting Skill

There is nothing more important to be said in parenting advice than working together in raising your children and establishing child discipline. It also needs to be said that it goes for all children of a relationship. Even if they belong to a previous relationship, the two people who make up their parents need to work together to form their children's discipline plan.

Children are experts in parent playing; they know how to get their way, if not from parent, they will go to the other parent. This often leads to misunderstanding between the parents and children use this situation to their own advantage.

This is why working together as parents is essential to the welfare and stability of a home and well as a valuable parenting skill. The first thing to do is to sit down and have a meeting - just the parents - and work out a system that works for you as parents.

You can divide the activities between you; that is the most practical and effective team work. After all, you can’t agree on everything, but if you divide the areas of activity, each has the freedom to carry it out to the best of their ability. For example, one parent can handle outdoor activities while the other handles indoor activities..

It’s a good idea to establish a norm that children must take the approval of both parents in each situation. This works very well in most situations except at times when one parent is not available.


Once you have decided about the methods to be used, you need to agree on the rules and steps to follow. Once you've decided, then go to your children and explain the situation.

Letting your children know that you work together as a team is important. If they are old enough to understand the situation, it will work to deter future parent playing. If they are not old enough to understand, establishing this routine and foundation of parenting will prevent parent playing from occurring.

Apart from establishing child behavior, parents need to work together to take crucial decisions like schooling and education of the children, faith and religion that they will follow and other important matters. Both parents should be in agreement about how to bring up their children. However, agreeing to disagree is also a part of team work, as long as parents can be cordial and pleasant about it. The important thing is that children should feel that parents work as a team. You can iron out your differences alone but must present a picture of working together to the children.

By: Dr. Noel Swanson..
Article Source: http://www.live-article.com

Your Baby And Teething

Baby And Teething--Teething generally starts at around 6 months, Teething gel can also be applied to the gums, which can provide comfort, Teething powders are also available,...

Your Baby And Teething

The appearance of your baby's first tooth is a major milestone in her development, and one that will likely see you sharing photographs with family, friends, and anyone else who may happen by! Unfortunately though, the arrival doesn't always go smoothly - it can be a testing time for both you and your baby, as there will inevitably be some discomfort involved, leading to yet more sleepless nights and grizzled behaviour.

There are usually some warning signs that a tooth is on its way, and these can include an increase in salivation or drooling, an intensified tendency for your baby to bite down on toys (or even people!), flushed cheeks and swollen gums, and a general malaise shown through loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping and irritability.

Many parents will tell you that teething is often accompanied by other problems such as stomach upsets or colds, although most medical experts say that there is no real connection, and that young children are more or less constantly fighting off one bug or another, and so any signs of illness appearing together with teething are probably just coincidences.

Teething generally starts at around 6 months, although as with all things related to babies and kids your own experience may vary. Indeed, a very few babies will be born sporting a tooth or two, while some may not see their first tooth emerge until their first birthday or even later. Whenever it starts, your baby will normally have a complete set of teeth by their third birthday, and these milk teeth will last until around the age of six, when they will begin to be replaced by adult teeth.

Although some infants sail through the whole teething process with little difficulty, for others it can be a real ordeal. Unfortunately there's nothing we as parents can do to speed the growth, but there are ways to relieve the discomfort a little.

The most traditional remedy for teething pain is a rubber biting ring, which works with your baby's natural inclination to bite down on things. A soft rubber ring provides a safe outlet for this urge, and keeping the ring in the refrigerator when not in use will also provide a cooling sensation.


Teething gel can also be applied to the gums, which can provide comfort, and can be smeared onto a dummy or pacifier if the biting reflex means direct application to the gums is risky for the parent!

Teething powders are also available, which consist of a sachet of crystals which you can pour into your baby's mouth, and seem to prove more effective than gels with some children.

Finally, you may find yourself having to resort to pain relief medication if the problem is severe. Be certain to use a medicine specifically formulated for babies of your child's age, and stick to the recommended dosage. Medicine which also induces drowsiness, such as anti-fever preparations, can also be very useful - especially at bed time.

Hopefully your own baby will not have too much difficulty developing a healthy toothy grin, but if you're finding teething is a problem, then remember that it doesn't last forever, and keep counting the teeth as they arrive!

By: Simone Butler
Article Source: http://www.live-article.com

Consistency is the key to eliminate child behavior problems

key to eliminate child behavior problems--children can be absolutely exasperating at times. So, you can only aim at achieving consistency, Children are free spirits; they hate to be caged in boundaries of rules and regulations...

Consistency is the key to eliminate child behavior problems

If parents want to achieve success in child discipline, they must inculcate the virtue of consistency. It is the most important thing especially for parents that have issues regarding child discipline. It is true that it is not easy to remain consistent all the time. After all, you are human beings with normal human failings. And, children can be absolutely exasperating at times. So, you can only aim at achieving consistency, but it is worth making all the effort because it has good effect on your children and you can teach them the basic norms of good behavior with good results.

Children are free spirits; they hate to be caged in boundaries of rules and regulations. However, as responsible members of society they need to learn the elementary code of behavior. And, it’s the duty of parents to reinforce good behavior on a daily basis until it becomes a part of the child’s character. It is a daunting task! After all, characters are not built in a day! So, be prepared to put in your best effort to achieve this goal.

The one thing that will help you achieve this is to be consistent in your actions, reactions and speech. If you are consistent, your child knows you mean business and will listen to you. It’s best to start and maintain consistency from the beginning. The younger they are the better they will learn.

Here are some magic words that might help you get started on the road to providing consistency.


1. Communication:Communication is the keyword in all relationships. First the parents must sit down and talk to each other and agree upon an action plan. Then they should communicate their expectations regarding child discipline to the children in clear terms.

2. Once you have established child discipline parameters, don't quit half way. Stopping halfway is perhaps the worst thing you can do as a parent when attempting to establish consistency in child discipline. You will have to start over from the beginning just like with any habit-breaking tactic.

3. Though it is good to have a plan, you should also be flexible because you are dealing with children that are alive and vibrant, so, don't be afraid to adapt it as necessary. Dogged insistence is not consistency. If you need to change a part of your consistency establishment and maintenance plan, you must change it. Don't stay with something that is not even working.

4. Team work: Parents must work as a team supporting each other and backing each other up. You may want a support system consisting of a close friend, family member or professional who can provide objective parenting tips and view point.

5. Ask for parenting help, if you need it. No one knows everything about parenting. But you can learn by talking to people or reading books.

Being consistent with child discipline isn\'t easy. As parents, following the tips of sticking together, communicating, persevering, supporting and being willing to ask questions - you can establish a routine of child discipline that works for everyone.

For information on children\'s behavioral problem and for parenting help, take a look at http://www.good-child-guide.com/.
By: Dr. Noel Swanson.
Article Source: http://www.live-article.com

Parenting Advice for the Owners of Toddlers

Parenting advice for the moms and dads who cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel abounds, though, so it must be that you are in good company if the little ones are ruling your life...

Parenting Advice for the Owners of Toddlers

The years between infancy and school-age can seem like an eternity to parents who are weary of temper tantrums, potty training, and everything else that comes up during the toddler years. Parenting advice for the moms and dads who cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel abounds, though, so it must be that you are in good company if the little ones are ruling your life.


One of the best pieces of parenting advice one can receive has to do with temper tantrums. Your little one has likely been there: sweet as pie one second, and red-faced, foot stomping angry the next. Sometimes it seems like it happens in the blink of an eye, and you are probably wondering if your child has emotional problems. The truth is, and any source of parenting advice will concur, that toddlers are at a point when they do not know what they want, and they certainly cannot clearly articulate nor reign in their changing emotions.

Parents, if this is your child, understand that other people may gawk, but you are in charge and you have to deal with it. Most parenting advice for these situations involves standing your ground firmly: children, even the very young ones, know how to manipulate their parents to get what they want, when they want it. Give in to the demands of a toddler once, and you are basically telling your child that throwing a fit is the way to get what she wants. By being firm, your child will learn - eventually - that good behavior is the only kind that gets positive results.

Moving forward, parenting advice on the subject of potty training is also widely available. This is a point of friction in many households, with parents not really understanding why it takes so very long for toddlers to master the potty. Accidents are almost guaranteed to occur, so the best parenting advice you can get is to watch how much your child drinks, especially at bedtime. Also, anything that contains caffeine, which is a natural diuretic, should be banned altogether from a toddler's diet.

On that same note, parenting advice for parents trying to facilitate potty training often includes developing a system of rewards for each time the child uses the potty correctly. Many a mother and father have had great success with this piece of parenting advice because the child will be quite happy to perform for a reward. This type of system conditions the child to associate rewards and happy parents with using the bathroom in time, which leads the child to strive to "get it."

All in all, parents should realize that there have been billions of children born over the millions of years since time began. There is no reason to shy away from parenting advice, especially if it means that you can avoid learning something the hard way when it is quite likely that other parents have been in the same situation before. So look for parenting advice from experts - those who have been there before you and survived the toddler years.

By: Molten Marketing
Article Source: http://www.live-article.com

Parenting Guide

Parenting Guide***the basics of parenting that every parent should know and these are: being kind to your children, being a good role model, and always keeping lines of communication open.....

Parenting Guide

Being a parent is one of the toughest jobs anyone may ever have. It is an ongoing process that teaches parents new things each day and leaves much more that needs to be learned before they become a good parent. There are various styles of parents, and each of them has it's own style and characteristics. Basically, there are four styles of parenting namely: authoritarian, permissive, authoritative (also known as egalitarian), and uninvolved.

The first style of parents is that of the authoritarian parent, these parents are like army commanders. Authoritarian parents prefer to issue commands and orders to their children and fully expect their children to carry out their orders without questioning them. They do not welcome nor appreciate any feedback from their children; they live by set and defined rules in a structured environment.

The permissive parents are often seen as those who are overly lenient and they do not set limits for their children. This type of parents often results in children who do not respect authority and are often incapable to make their own choices. As the child grows and becomes a teenager, they tend to be disrespectful and the parents have little control over them.

In the authoritative parent style, the parent is still the parent, not the best friend. However, authoritative parents are very concerned with what their children need and provide them with opportunities for success. Parents practicing this parenting style focus mostly on keeping their children safe, while allowing them exploration to discover life and to make mistakes while the consequences are small.


In uninvolved parents, as the name suggests, parents are simply uninvolved. Parents are neither demanding nor responsive of their children and they are not interested in any feedback from them, they are the most likely to be irresponsible and more often neglect their children.

There are the basics of parenting that every parent should know and these are: being kind to your children, being a good role model, and always keeping lines of communication open. It is never okay to demean your children, instead use positive methods to discipline a child. You should be warm, share interests, and spend time with your kids. In being a good role model to your children, think of everything you want to teach your children and then just do it in front of them every day. Always remember to keep all avenues of conversation open. Good parenting means talking to your kids about important things in life. Let them know that they can tell you anything that happens to them without fear of being rejected.

In relation to parental controls, children nowadays spend a great deal of their childhood playing on the computer and surfing the web and this can be a great source of frustration for many parents. Parents initially welcomed the Internet into their homes, believing it would provide their children with access to a bottomless pit of beneficial and educational information. However, many parents soon realized that their kids were spending hours surfing inappropriate and undesirable websites. Henceforth, when trying to establish the right balance, it is necessary to take some kind of parental controls over your child's computer and Internet use.

Parenting is hard work and will certainly tax your emotions, but it is also one of the most rewarding things that any of us can do. The effort you put into bringing up your children with unconditional love, understanding and trust will invariably be repaid in a hundred different ways.

By: Jane Bear
Article Source: http://www.live-article.com