Parenting Advice From Mom

Parenting advice takes many forms. We primarily think of it as advice as we parent our own children--and do we ever need it! However parenting advice can take other forms as we may deal with being a single parent, have a teen parent in the family or deal with our aging parents. If you are a member of the sandwich generation---taking care of your children and an aging parent at the same time--you need all the help you can get.
Parenting advice begins with an encouragement to trust your instincts and your heart. Parenting is the ultimate learn-as-you-go venture. Few of us begin the adventure with our first newborn with more than a vague idea of how we’ll do it or what it takes.

At every stage of our child's life we find we need advice about new challenges. The most overwhelming first challenge can be: will my baby ever learn to sleep through the night? Our first son was was an active baby who rarely slept. We were exhausted. I was looking for all the advice I could find about babies and sleep! Our first daughter, born two years later, slept at least twenty hours out of twenty-four and we had to wake her to feed her.

We eventually raised five children, two sons and three daughters, and none of them had the same sleep habits or sleep patterns. As I became a more experienced mom, I did learn some ways to help our babies sleep better and longer. I finally learned to relax and the day finally came, of course, for each of them when they reached that wonderful goal of sleeping through the night!

With all a parent has to do, both at work and home, it is important to stay organized. I would recommend this downloadable ebook that is titled: The Complete Guide to Organized Parenting.

Being a parent is a lot of things, but easy is rarely one of them. For many adults, being a parent is both the most rewarding and most challenging thing we’ll ever do. And as a parent, we have our fair share of big, important issues to deal with through the years.

Parenting creates stress for both moms and dads. We know about giving out-of-control kids a timeout but have you ever considered a mom's (or dad's) timeout?

There is much we can do to nurture a wonderful parent and child relationships.

Some of the best advice to parents is about "little" things: taking time for late-night conversations over cocoa, dealing with missed curfews (and resulting consequences), planning for shared meals, playing catch in the park and daily help with homework.

In some ways, though, the little things ARE the big things. Every day occurrences add up to big differences in the lives of our children our teenagers and even our adult children. In other words, parenting matters every day.

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

In simplest terms, most parenting advice can be summed up in three short phrases:

Talk to them, sing to them, read to them, love them, protect them.

There are seven key parenting principles for the development of emotionally healthy kids:

Your child is a separate being. Parents often fall into the trap of trying to mold their children into exact images of themselves, but children need to be allowed to have their own personalities and identities.

You have been entrusted with the sacred task of helping your children become everything they are capable of becoming. Help your children discover their own unique talents and strengths. Listen to your children when they tell you their interests, their hopes and their fears. Nurture their talents and give your child the opportunity to develop them.

Vital to your child's development will be a consistent experience of being loved unconditionally. Your child needs to know that they will always be loved by you, regardless of their behavior, performance or achievement.

Every child needs carefully determined and consistently maintained limits. While many parents struggle with discipline, it is crucial to set limits. Consistent limits not only make the children feel more secure, but also help the parents in having better-behaved children.

Parents must decide how to discipline their children in the most effective way. Decide how to best discipline your children, and keep that plan consistent. And while punishment is necessary at times, I encourage you to balance that with praise for your children for the things that they do right.

A child should be helped to dream a great dream for his or her life. Help your children realize their dreams and their potential for their life.

Assisting a child to develop character and adopt values is crucial. Developing character in your children is crucial to them turning into adults of integrity. Make sure your children are treating others with respect.


If I had my child to raise all over again, I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later. I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less. I would do less correcting and more connecting. I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes. I'd take more hikes and fly more kites. I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars. I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

~Diane Loomans, from "If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again"

Parenting Advice From Others

Essential Tips For Moms If you sometimes feel overwhelmed and alone, know that you are not. Take advantage of the research and findings on this site. Advice for moms includes everything from, how to be a happy mom, to finance, to parenting tips, to PMS, and more.

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