1. Respond promptly and lovingly to your child's physical and emotional needs and banish put-downs from your parenting vocabulary.
2. Make an extra effort to be a good role model at home and in public.
3. Use words like "I'm sorry," "please," and "thank you."
4. When your child is angry, argumentative or in a bad mood, give him a hug, cuddle, pat, secret sign or other gesture of affection he favors and talk with him about his feelings.
5. Make plans to spend time alone with your young child doing something she enjoys.
6. As your child grows up, she'll spend most of her time developing and refining a variety of skills and abilities in all areas of her life. You should help her as much as possible by encouraging her and providing the equipment and instruction she needs.
7. Your child's health depends significantly on the care and guidance you offer during his early years. By taking your child to the doctor regularly for consultations, keeping him safe from accidents, providing a nutritious diet, and encouraging exercise throughout childhood, you help protect and strengthen his body.
8. Help your child foster positive relationships with friends, siblings and members of the community.
9. One of your most important gifts as a parent is to help your child develop self-esteem. Your child needs your steady support and encouragement to discover his strengths. He needs you to believe in him as he learns to believe in himself. Loving him, spending time with him, listening to him and praising his accomplishments are all part of this process.
10. Use plenty of positive words with your child. Try to avoid using sarcasm with your child. They often don’t understand it, and if they do, it creates a negative interaction.
11. Don't forget to say, "I love you" to children of all ages!

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