But is there such a thing as too much involvement? It’s imperative when you’re becoming involved with your school-aged child’s activities and academics that you recognize the line of what being too involved can be.
Remember, you’re becoming involved in your child’s life. You mustn’t intrude too much upon it. Children need their space and privacy and they need to be able to develop their skills, talents, and abilities. In our eagerness to help our children succeed, it’s tempting to step in and start doing things for them because you feel they are doing it incorrectly or inadequately. But remember, you have to learn too, and this is their chance to learn on their own.

Be there to encourage and support your child, and offer praise for a job well done. But also remember to step back and allow your child to learn from their own mistakes and develop their way of doing things. We all know from our own life experiences that there’s always more than just one way to do something, and just because your child is doing it differently than you would, doesn’t make it wrong. Who knows, it could present a terrific opportunity for you to learn from your child as well.

In addition, try not to become too overbearing or nosy when it comes to their social life. Be available for them should they need to talk and encourage them to share their troubles with you and help them sort through a problem. But if they say they don’t want to talk about it or they just need some time to figure things out for themselves, respect that needs by letting them know you’re available whenever they need you. This is an important part of growing up, and allowing a child to figure his way through things is an integral part of that process.

I remember getting spankings until I was around 6 or 7 years old. I did everything I could to avoid making my mother and father angry. I haven’t spanked my son that often, but I have had to pop him when nothing else would work. Today, parents are looking for alternative methods of discipline and avoiding the dreaded spanking.

By the time your baby is 4 years old, you should have already laid down basic rules, no more than 4 or 5. The most important part of setting the rules is to stand by them. Go over the rules with your child whenever they break one. And do not try to explain yourself to your child. You are the parent, what you say goes.

Praise your child for any good behavior they demonstrate. This reinforces the idea that having good behavior is much better than bad behavior. We spend a lot more time scolding them for the “bad” things they do than on the “good” things. A simple “Thank You” is beneficial to your child.

Saying “no” makes a child very angry. It means that they do not get their way or something they want. Use a firm tone with authority, not an angry one. Make sure your child understands that when you say “no,” it means no. Don’t give in if your child continues to ask or plead; just stand by your decision.

Help your child understand the consequences of their actions or choices. For example, if you are resting and your child is playing too loudly, you can give them the choice of sitting with you and reading a book or going to play in their room until you come to get them.

The one that my husband and I have started using is the “time-out.” My son hates to sit still. If we have asked him to stop doing something or he yells, we tell him to go to the “time-out” room and think about his actions. Then we say when he is ready to talk about it, we sit down and talk. This works for most of his bad behavior.

There are many other alternatives; here is a list of sites for you to take a look at:

• * The Top 10 Tips for Disciplining Toddlers by Clare Albright
• * Positive Discipline For Toddlers and Preschoolers by Meg Berger, M.Ed.
• * Help! I Can’t Control My Four-Year-Old and Don’t Want to Resort to Spanking! at http://Parenthood.com

There are some benefits, which result from breastfeeding for infants. Among them, immediate milk that does not have to be heated as it is already at body temperature. In addition, some experts believe that breastfeeding decreases the risk of specific ailments while increasing the healthy development of teeth and gums.

Along with the infant, there are positive results that stem from breastfeeding for the mother. Among them, a nurturing feeling toward her infant, a quicker return to the mom’s pre-birth weight, and may help to prevent certain illnesses later on in life.

Often, the infant may refuse breastfeeding at first for a variety of reasons. Normally, these can be determined and corrected with proper instruction from a physician. These may be occurrences that go away by themselves or it may be an indication of an infant that has certain medical conditions that prevent them from feeding properly.

Mothers who have certain medical conditions or are taking certain medications should not participate in breastfeeding her infant. The reason is that either the illness or the medication itself may be transmitted to the infant during this time, which can be very harmful to him/her. For this reason, the mother must inform her doctor about any medications or ailments that she currently has before beginning to breastfeed her child.

Many new mothers do not realize it, but breastfeeding may cause soreness and even bruising. This is natural but can also be a sign of improper positioning. These instances will usually clear themselves up but should be checked by a physician to be safe.

This article is to be used for informational purposes only. The information contained herein is not intended to be used in place of, or conjunction with, professional medical advice or recommendations for or against breastfeeding. Before deciding to breastfeed their child, the new mother must consult a licensed medical doctor to determine the best course of action for his/her situation and the safe feeding of her child.

1. Gerber Foods, the baby food manufacturer, has an excellent parenting website, http://www.gerber.com, filled with information on parenting issues for those with infants to toddler-age children. Parents Resource Center is particularly useful, a 24/7 live help forum for parenting questions and problems that arise in the middle of the night as well as those in the more civilized hours.
2. Do you have a toddler that you’re toilet training? Do you need to share your parenting experiences and get advice on what you are doing right or wrong? http://www.pottytrainingsolutions.com is a parenting website that offers easy-to-read advice on parenting toilet training. Their series of helpful articles and parenting take you through the entire process, and the FAQ sections help with basic parenting advice.
3. A successful parenting website relies on trust and who has better credentials on parenting than the people who have brought us the PBS show, Sesame Street for all of these years. Their parenting articles on http://www.sesamestreet.org/parenting give advice on parenting toddlers as well as older children. Recent parenting articles have included “How to Raise an Eager Reader” and advice on keeping your parenting resolutions. There’s also nutrition information and recipes as well as kids’ activity ideas. It’s a great parenting resource.
4. Parents of teenagers will appreciate the free parenting tips on http://www.byparents-forparents.com. In addition to articles, some self-tests allow parents to measure the effectiveness of their parenting techniques. Another highlight of the site is the open parent/teen forum that gives both teens and adults the chance to share their thoughts.
5. Work-at-home moms can sometimes feel isolated. Visit http://www.wahm.com to share ideas with like-minded moms (and dads). There are parenting articles, an active parenting forum, and even a section with job leads featuring telecommuting positions and freelancing gigs.
6. And, finally, for those times when you need a lighter moment, there’s http://www.parentinghumor.com, a well-written website dedicated to the lighter side of parenting.

Remember that you’re not alone. All parents need advice sometimes. There are thousands of parenting resources online. There’s a wealth of information available for parents with children of any age, from parenting workshops to parenting forums.

It seems to be a natural tendency to react rather than to respond. We pass judgment based on our feelings and experiences. However, responding means being receptive to our child’s feelings and emotions and allowing them to express themselves openly and honestly without fear of repercussion from us. By reacting, we send our children the message that their feelings and opinions are invalid. But by responding and asking questions about why the child feels that way, opens a dialog that allows them to discuss their feelings further, and a better understanding of where they’re coming from. Responding also allows you to work out a solution or a plan of action with your child that perhaps they would not have come up with on their own. Your child will also appreciate the fact that maybe you do indeed understand how they feel.

It’s crucial in these situations to give your child your full and undivided attention. Put down your newspaper, stop doing dishes, or turn off the television so you can hear the situation and make eye contact with your child. Keep calm, be inquisitive, and afterward offer potential solutions to the problem.

Don’t discourage your child from feeling upset, angry, or frustrated. Our initial instinct may be to say or do something to steer our child away from it, but this can be a detrimental tactic. Again, listen to your child, ask questions to find out why they feel that way, and then offer potential solutions to alleviate the bad feeling.

Just as we do, our children have feelings and experience difficult situations. By actively listening and participating with our child as they talk about it, it demonstrates to them that we do care, we want to help and we have similar experiences of our own that they can draw from. Remember, respond – don’t react.