There is not much more in life that is as exciting as the prospect of raising your own child. What follows is some tried and true advice to guide you through the maze of child-rearing.

Your children are always watching your behavior as a map for how they should behave. You want your kids to feel like they have complete faith in your honesty.

You can have your child lay face up on the counter with their head over the sink and a towel under their neck and let them have a small towel for their face and eyes. If your child is afraid of having their head underwater, or does not like water poured directly on their head, this will making washing their hair much less stressful for everyone.

When traveling with a small child, try to keep the same bedtime and mealtime routines as you have at home. Travel takes its toll on young children, particularly infants. However, if you follow their normal bedtime ritual no matter where you are, they are likely to have no problems sleeping.

If your teenager is contemplating college choices, try not to put too much pressure on him to do what you want. Teens who feel that they have to go to a certain college may choose another out of spite, or even opt out of college entirely.

Never give any type of soda to a baby or toddler. Concentrate on offering your child beverages that include vitamins and other nutrients, such as water, sugar-free juices and milk.

Place retro-reflective material on all children who go to school in order to make their backpack and clothing stand out. You can buy this reflective material in strips that have Velcro. That way, your kids will be easily spotted by motorists and crosswalk attendants during darker parts of the day.

Children are very different from one another. Just because one raising a child style is effective with a child does not mean it will be as effective with another. Not only does this include rewards, but punishments as well. Regardless, keep in mind the techniques that were effective in the past.

After reading the preceding advice, you should have a firm foundation in place for building an effective raising a child experience. Also consider that being a parent may differ greatly from one person to the next. Even though billions of children have been raised in the world, there is no one “sure-fire” way to be a parent. Use the advice that applies to your life, and try to have an open mind to trying new things. Remember that raising a child is an exciting time for both you and your child, so enjoy every moment you have, because they do indeed grow up so fast.