Pick your battles.  Forget arguing about little stuff like fashion choices and occasional undesired language. Focus on the things that really matter  such as lying, alcohol, drug or cigarette use, violent behaviour.

 

Don't try to fix everything. Give young teaching a chance to find their own solutions. When you lovingly acknowledge a child's minor frustrations without immediately rushing in to save her, you teach her self-reliance and resilience.

 

Play with your children. Let them choose the activity, and don't worry about rules. Just go with the flow and have fun. That's the name of the game.

 

Read books together every day. Get started when he's a newborn; babies love listening to the sound of their parents' voices. Cuddling up with your child and a book is a great bonding experience that will set him up for a lifetime of reading.

 

Don't clip your child's wings.  When your child is developmentally capable of doing various tasks like, putting toys away, clearing her plate from the table, and dressing herself, let her.  Giving a child responsibility is good for her self-esteem and your sanity!

 

Be the role model your children deserve. Children learn by watching their parents. Modelling appropriate, respectful, good behaviour works much better than telling them what to do.

 

Show them how to help Show your kids how to care for and about others by volunteering with a charity or in some way to help those less fortunate.

 

Respect parenting differences.  Criticizing or arguing with your partner in front of children will do more harm to your child's sense of security than if you accept standards that are different from your own.

 

Give appropriate praise. Always praise your children for even the small stuff and be specific about what you are praising them for.

 

Gossip.  Fact: Do not gossip in front of your children and do not let them catch you talking about them either.

 

Trust Instinct. No one knows your child better than you. Follow your instincts when it comes to his health and well-being. If you think something's wrong, chances are you're right.

 

Don't accept disrespect from your child. Never allow her to be rude or say hurtful things to you or anyone else.

 

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 good. More important, you feel good about yourself.

 

Eat at least one meal as a family each day. Sitting down at the table together is a relaxed way for everyone to connect -- a time to share happy news, talk about the day, or tell a silly joke. It also helps your kids develop healthy eating habits.

 

Let your kids place an order. Once a week, allow your children to choose what's for dinner and cook it for them.

 

Love your children equally, but treat them uniquely. They're individuals.

 

Say "I love you" whenever you feel it, even if it's 743 times a day. You simply can not spoil a child with too many mushy words of affection and too many smooches. Not possible.

 

Get Children moving. The latest research shows that brain development in young children may be linked to their activity level. Place your baby on her tummy several times during the day, let your toddler walk instead of ride in her stroller, and create opportunities for your older child to get plenty of exercise.

 

Get your Children vaccinated. Outbreaks of measles and other diseases still occur in our country and throughout the world.

 

Be vigilant about safety. Baby proof your home thoroughly  and never leave a child under 5 in the tub alone. Make sure car seats are installed correctly, and insist that your child wear a helmet when riding his bike or scooter.