General Parenting Tips
These 5 areas of parenting correlate with the five questions asked in the Parenting Quiz under the Activities section.

Routines: Doing some of the necessary activities over and over the same way every day can provide a strong framework for helping your child grow strong. For instance, if bedtime happens the same way every night, the child feels secure and knows what to expect. Establishing firm routines makes the job of parenting easier. Here is an example of a successful bedtime routine for a 4-year-old (younger children require a shorter interval between the warning and the event): At 7:00 p.m., remind your child that he will have his bath in thirty minutes. Setting a kitchen timer helps. Active play should wind down and the house should start becoming quiet. Perhaps a video or special music could cue the child that it is becoming time to go to bed. At 7:30 turn on the water for the bath. Allow fifteen minutes for brushing teeth, undressing, taking the bath with gentle fun, and putting on pajamas. Over time, the child learns to brush his own teeth, undress and bathe himself. The next fifteen minutes can be a special bonding time. The parent can read or sing softly, tell stories about the parent or the child—these activities help the child feel secure. Then promptly at 8:00, say "goodnight."

Encouragement: Because you are the most important person in the world to your child, what you say and how you look at your child has a high impact. Encouraging means "giving courage," fortifying your child to find her own courage in future situations. Discouraging words can weaken a child, perhaps leading her to become either a bully or a victim. Examples of encouraging words are "You can do it." You’ll learn it" " "Mistakes happen" "Do you want to try that again?" "Do you want me to help you?" "Is there anything I can do to help?" Example of encouraging actions are offering choices when appropriate, and allowing the child to struggle with resolving problems as you give her encouraging looks and words. When the child becomes frustrated, say, "Would you like to stop trying now and come back to this later?" Even infants can be encouraged with your smiles and words, such as "Such a beautiful boy!" "What a strong girl you are!" "What a smart boy you are!" For a time in this country it was thought fashionable and correct to withhold such remarks, but research reveals over and over that the more a child is internally fortified through encouragement, the better the chances are for the child to grow strong, and to become useful and fulfilled. Practice encouragement!

Discipline: To discipline means "to teach." Disciplining is not the same as hurting. Hurting is hitting or using negative language, and has no positive effect whatsoever. Hurting is discouraging to the child. When a child is misbehaving, you can discipline -teach- by redirecting the child’s actions. For example, if the child is jumping up and down on the bed, you can say, "Beds are for sleeping. Here, jump on these cushions on the floor. Please put them back here when you finish." If the child continues to jump on the bed, remove the child from the bed and place him on the cushions on the floor. If the child goes back to jump on the bed, say (with the calmest possible voice) "Either jump on the cushions or sit in this chair". If the child continues to jump on the bed, pick up the child and place him in the chair, saying, "I see you have chosen to sit in the chair." Staying calm while disciplining – teaching – your child is the key to success. Have confidence in your ability to disciple and in your child’s eagerness to learn what it is that you want her to do. Remember that patience, persistence, and consistency are important tools for effective discipline.

Physical Health and Growth: Because you want your child to get off to a good strong healthy start, ask your doctor to advise you how to take care of care of your child’s everyday health needs, when medical checkups are required, and to provide you with a schedule for immunizations. We direct your attention to the following web site, which lists many services available to you in Guilford County, including free immunizations for your child.

http://www.co.guilford.nc.us/government/publichealth/services/childser.html

Relating with Other People: You want your child to get along and relate well with others, but, don’t expect too much of him too soon. The best thing you can do to strengthen your child’s social skills is to encourage his positive behaviors and to model the behavior you want to see in your child. Again, patience, persistence, and consistency are your best tools for effective teaching.