Child-rearing is hard. That’s why you need to learn as many parenting skills and techniques as you can, as early as possible. The more you know and understand about positive child-rearing and healthy parent/child interactions, the more effective you will be at raising happy, well-adjusted children.

If you are pregnant, avoid spending large sums of money on nursery equipment. Some department stores, such as Walmart, have high quality items at affordable prices. You can get everything you need for a fraction of the price by shopping at one of these stores. Friends and family members who are no longer using their baby furnishings may allow you to use them.

Transitioning between tasks can be challenging for preschool age children. In many cases, shifting between projects or tasks can be so upsetting that your child may even wind up in tears.

It is crucial that parents of teenagers do not put too much pressure on them when they are deciding which college to go to. Teenagers will often rebel against their parents’ wishes if they feel they are being overly controlling.

Research has shown the danger of second hand smoke to children, so don’t smoke at home. In fact, it’s a good idea to stop smoking completely. Inhaling secondhand smoke can be just as harmful as smoking cigarettes. Children exposed to second-hand smoke are at risk of developing respiratory diseases like bronchitis, asthma and even pneumonia.

If you child is teething, chill some pickles, cucumbers or carrots and let your child gnaw on them using a mesh teether. While other methods of relief do work, your child is more likely to continue gnawing on an item if there is a taste involved. Chewing on the item for a while can really make your child happier and less cranky.

Our hope is that this article has given you some valuable, meaningful, commonsense ideas about how to most effectively parent your child or children. Perhaps you won’t have the answers, but at least you will know how to find the answers.