If you are a first time parent it’s no wonder that you are looking for tips and advice from all the sources you possibly can. Being a parent is not an easy job, and yes, you need to make educated choices. I am sure you will find people in your neighborhood, among your friends, or family, who are very helpful and knowledgeable about children. However, it is quite normal to be concerned and anxious about raising a child. You don’t want to risk anything at any stage of life that involves the future of your child. The decisions you take today will affect how your child develops and grows into adulthood.
Here are top tips for first time parents, based on expert advice, and research done by several doctors, child specialists, psychologists, and organizations. These tips reflect the most commonly believed and agreed upon ideas by most experts.
Tip # 1: Helping your child fall asleep
Many mothers have trouble putting their toddlers or young ones to sleep. Putting your children to sleep will become easier for you if you follow certain rules.
1. Avoid giving your child food close to bedtime
Your kids will go to sleep much easier if you don’t feed them close to bedtime, and stop feeding them candy or anything with chocolate or caffeine in it, at least six hours prior to bedtime.
2. Avoid stimulating activities
“You should also avoid any kind of stimulating activities after dinner”- Carol L. Rosen, M.D., medical director of pediatric sleep services at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland.
3. Set a bedtime
Children will understand the value of disciplines much quicker if you set bedtimes, and follow the rules: remind your child of bedtime by giving her choices and warning. Your statement could be similar to “bed time is in five minutes, do you want to go to bed now or five minutes later?” Offer this option, but only once. You should be consistent in your daily routine.
4. Avoid singing and rocking your child to sleep
If you sing and rock your child to sleep, they might get conditioned to singing and rocking, and associate it with sleep, so that whenever it’s time to sleep they will need you to sing and rock them to sleep.
5. Make a comfortable bed
Make sure that your child is comfortable. The bed, cloths and blankets should not restrict movement. Also make sure that the room temperature is at a comfortable level. (Source: Parents)
Tip # 2 How to raise a happy kid
There are many ways to raise a well adjusted happy kid. You will feel joy when you raise a happy child while you are also having fun in the process. Here are some great tips based on studies and research by experts.
1. Laugh
Laughing and joking with your toddlers will help them grow up to have better social skills. So lighten up and play games with your kids. By pretending and joking, your kids get creative ideas, and develop skills to make friends, manage stress, and cope with anxiety.
2. Be positive and patient
It has been found that kids grow up with aggressive behavior because of the parents that handle their kids roughly, and express negative emotions, or anger towards them. When disciplining your kid, she should be able to understand why she is being punished. Calmly explain to your kid what they did wrong, without showing any negative emotions. Think of disciplinary actions such as no candy for two days, or having them go to bed early.
3. Stay happy yourself
It has been found through researches that there is a correlation between depressed mothers and negative outcome in a kid’s behavior; kids are more likely to have behavioral problems like “acting out” or irritating outbursts. Depression of a parent can contribute to behavioral disorders in a child. It also makes the kid suffer from frustrations.
Tip # 3 Home safety for kids
Home is the first place where children start to grow and learn. Most of the time children model their parents and start doing little things around the house, copying their parent’s behavior. For example, if you are cooking in the kitchen, your child may also want to cook, or help you in the kitchen. However, children of all ages are not suitable to work safely in the kitchen. 
Therefore, it is necessary for you to monitor your kid and make your home as safe for the child as possible. Make sure there are no sharp objects in the house within the range of your children. Make sure all stuff containing harsh chemicals are out of the reach of your children.
Many of the accidents in the house can be avoided if you follow all the safety rules for children. Sometimes, we do everything right, follow all the safety rules, and still find out that something went wrong. Nonetheless, continue to do your best to create a safe environment for your children. If you raise your children with the best possible options available to you, they will grow up to be healthy teenagers and the best young adults that they can be.
P.S: – Please feel free to add your own tips. Also let us know what you think about these tips, and don’t forget to share.
Source: Balanced Life Team
