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Great parents raise children who are smart, confident, kind, independent, and equipped to thrive as young adults. But knowing how to be a great parent is hard! There’s no single resource or guide that will answer all of your questions, and for the most part, parents have to figure everything out through trial and error. To make things easier, the Toddler’s Travels blog offers up the following advice you can use in your own parenting strategy.
Balance Boundaries and Freedom
- Knowing when to provide support can be challenging, especially as your kids get older.
- Parental Roles: How to Set Healthy Boundaries with Your Child
- How to Give Your Older Kid More Freedom
- 12 Tips for Raising Confident Kids
Develop Daily Routines
Routines are important for establishing healthy habits and providing a sense of structure that can give children greater confidence.
- Why Family Routines Matter and How to Improve Them
- Best Ways to Help Children Fall Asleep at Nap Time
- Routines and Teens: How You Can Help
Teach Essential Life Skills
Give your children the life skills they need to cope with the world and thrive as adults.
- Learn About Building Healthy Relationships Through Be Strong International
- Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Kids
- 5 Ways to Encourage Self-Directed Learning in Young Children
- How to Encourage Self-Control in Tweens and Teens
Be a Role Model
Children learn what to think and how to behave by observing their parents. Be a good role model for your children and practice what you preach!
- Monkey See, Monkey Do: Model Behavior in Early Childhood
- Modeling Behaviors You Want Your Children to Practice
- Find Ways to Help Your Children Develop an Appreciation of Nature
- How to Be a Role Model for Your Teen
As a parent, you want your kids to live happy and successful lives. There are several great ways to support your children as they progress through every stage of development. Set healthy boundaries, give your kids freedom, establish routines, model desirable behavior — everything you do today will set your kids up for a successful future.
I love winter in San Diego anyway, but we’ve never experienced winter weather like this one since we moved here in 1996. For the past 3 weeks we’ve had warm, balmy and just glorious weather like today; 72 degrees with 16% humidity, and it’s projected to continue for the next 10 days at least. Driving home yesterday I saw a guy walking along without his shirt on and several women running in tank tops, people out golfing and playing tennis, many people at the beach, out for a walk with their baby or like my elderly neighbor just sitting in the sun on their porch. So Mid-westerners and East Coasters, get out here and take a break from that extreme cold spell you’re going through- it sounds brutal!
San Diego is lovely in the Fall, Winter and Spring- much less crowded. You can get up close to all the animals at our World Famous San Diego Zoo enjoy having no lines at LEGOLAND in Carlsbad, or have a blast with your kids at the water park there. Or do all three parks and visit SeaWorld- walking under the shark exhibition is my favorite part.
