Parenting Tips

Give Affection

Love is the first and most important value parents need to give their child. Express love often. Show your child you love them with kisses and hugs at home and away. Cuddle with your kids and verbally tell them you love them on a regular basis. A child who feels loved grows in confidence, self-respect and pride. Teach your child to love themselves. Love the skin they are in and everything about them. It’s important for them to love themselves before they look for love from anyone else.

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Healthy Eating and Exercise

Teach your kids smart eating habits while they’re young so it will carry on to healthy decisions as adults. Avoid sodas, sugary and salty snacks including high fat foods and fast foods. Make it a habit to give your child a balanced diet. Fruits, vegetables, yogurt, cheese, crackers, nuts, water, 100% juices, etc. are great snacks and substitutions for chips, soda, and high sugary fluids. Exercising is an essential aspect of life. It can be a fun bonding moment with your child and should be implemented 2 to 3 times a week. Being a part of a sports team is good exercise. Sign your child up for a sport they enjoy. It’s better to be involved physically than sitting at home.

Education First

Stay connected with your child’s studies. Go to their school, meet their teachers and build a relationship with them. Volunteer to help or attend a field trip. Work with them through school assignments to make sure they grasp the lesson well. Check their homework and read with them at least 20 minutes daily. Quiz them at home so they will be ready to tackle tests at school.

Setting Boundaries

Be a solid parent. Kids need direction, rules and discipline. Leniency should be avoided. Children need correction and lecture at times so they are clear on what is right and wrong. Be consistent when it comes to punishment. If a behavior is out of line deal with it when it happens, don’t ignore it. It is important to teach your child when rules are broken or a behavior is inappropriate there are consequences.

One on One Parenting with more than one child

It is challenging raising 2 or more children. Each child has different needs and different personalities. Pay attention to each ones behavior. Address the needs of your children appropriately. Provide fair treatment and the same amount of love to them all, but understand one child might need more affection and attention than another, just as one may need more correction and discipline than the other. Limit yelling, cursing or calling your kids names. It will damage their confidence, motivation and self-esteem. Grow in patience. Try to handle each situation without anger.

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Stay Involved

Engage in your child’s interests and activities. Include yourself in all areas of your child’s life. Introduce fun activities that enhance learning. Recognize what your child enjoys doing and register them in that activity. Playing a sport is a great outlet for kids to make friends, learn a skill and have fun. Participate as a family and play games together, discuss different topics and take outings. Strengthen your parent/child bond by cooking together, gardening and creating small art projects. Allow them to help with simple directions and small tasks. Incorporate dance and music during family time. Let your child perform for you while you judge their show. Pay attention to the music they listen to. Make sure the lyrics are appropriate. Parents need to be careful about what their children see and hear.

Monitor Technological Devices

Phones, tablets and games can be a distraction for kids. Too much time should not be spent on the internet, TV or video games. As a parent, resist the pressure of buying your child a phone too soon. There is no need to add additional responsibility while they’re young. Create a child lock for inappropriate sites and television stations not allowed for kids. Substitute internet and phone time with indoor or outdoor activities with your child. Limit their chances of becoming tied up in social media and being consumed by TV and phone.

Teach Manners & Respect

Express the importance of being respectful. Encourage the use of please and thank you using a clear level tone of voice. Calm expression is necessary on a daily basis. Show respect to the elderly and to other adults they encounter in society. Teach them the value of listening to adults and following instructions. Kids should be able to take correction from an adult and understand the concern that has been expressed.

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If you want to find out more things you can do for you child in the categories section of Sacramento4Kids.