Helpful Parenting Resources
We bring parenting resources together. Here you can find helpful parenting tips and links to various national and regional resources that can help you address the challenges of parenting.
- Criticize the behavior
- Criticize the behavior, not the child. When your child makes a mistake, don’t tell the child he/she is “bad.” Instead, explain what the child did wrong and how he/she can correct the behavior. If the child runs away from you in the parking lot, explain why that isn’t safe and tell them what they should do instead..
- Why, why, why?
- Why, why, why? You’ll hear that a lot. Try to be patient. It’s your child’s way of understanding all the new things they’re experiencing.
- Keep it simple
- Answer you child’s questions with short, simple sentences.
- Give your child choices
- Give your child choices. Let them choose their clothing — and don’t cringe if they mix colors or patterns. Let them take pride in their choices.
- Take a break
- When you’re frustrated, take a break. Everyone needs a break from being a parent once in a while. If you have another adult in your family, take turns getting away, or ask another friend to help. Visit friends, take turns sleeping late on the weekends, or run errands solo.
- Imitate your baby's sounds
- Imitate your baby’s sounds. See if he will repeat it back to you.
- Model the behavior you'd like to see
- Model the behavior you’d like to see. If you lose your temper, so will they. Don’t argue with your child. Remain calm and do not yell.
- Draw on your child's back
- Draw on your child’s back. Trace a letter or picture on your child’s back with your finger. Infants will like the feeling; older children will enjoy guessing what you traced.
- Make food fun to eat
- Make food fun to eat. Make a picture with breakfast or lunch food and let her gobble it up. For example, banana slices on cereal make a nice smiley face. Bread triangles and curly pretzels make a reindeer. Add a little tomato for a red nose.
- Pay full attention
- Give your child your full attention every day — if only for a few minutes. Read a book, play with a toy — show them you care.
- Go on a pretend trip
- Line up chairs and pretend you’re taking a trip on a train, bus or airplane.
- Make believe
- Put stuffed animals under chairs and make believe it’s a zoo
- Teach self-control
- Help your child practice ways to calm himself down. Show him how to take a deep breath or count to ten when he begins to feel angry or upset.
- Take the time to listen
- Take the time to listen when your children talk. It shows them you think they're important and you're interested in what they have to say.
- Dance, dance, dance
- Put on you favorite music and dance, dance, dance.
- Children need Love
- Children never outgrow their need for love. Even as your child gets older, keep giving lots of loving pats, hugs and back rubs. And tell your child you love them every single day.
- Hop like a bunny
- Give your child a chance to use their large muscles everyday, even when it is cold outside. Ask your child to move like different animals—hop like a bunny, slither like a snake and crawl like a bear.
- Make your child feel safe
- When they’re scared — comfort them instead of saying, “There’s nothing to be scared of.” Show them you've taken steps to protect them.
- Tell made-up stories
- Ask you child to tell you a story.
- Visit the library
- Sign up for a library card. Most libraries will allow young children to get their very own library cards. Let your child pick out some books to take home. Look for special reading programs where your child can earn prizes when the two of you read together.
- Keep a regular schedule
- Provide order in your child’s life. Keep a regular schedule of meals, naps and bedtimes. If there’s a change in schedule, tell your child about the changes ahead of time.
- Get outside
- Take a walk in the neighborhood. Sit beneath a tree. Enjoy the fresh air — it’ll refresh you and soothe your child.
- Fussy baby?
- Dance. Slow or fast, the movement can soothe a gassy belly or a fussy baby.
- Read to your baby
- Read to your baby! Be expressive, try different voices, point to and talk about the pictures. Make it fun for both you and your baby.
- Parents make mistakes
- Parents make mistakes. And sometimes you’ll do things you don’t mean to — like yell. But if you think you're having trouble controlling yourself, get help so a pattern of abuse doesn't start. Call the Parental Stressline between 6am and midnight at 608-241-2221 for help.
- No parent is perfect
- Being a parent is very rewarding and very challenging. No parent is perfect, and none of us have all the answers. It's okay to ask questions—or to ask for advice or help.
- Talk, talk, talk
- Tell your baby what's going on around her. She may not be able to talk back to you yet but hearing lots of words will help her learn to talk and read later on.
