Training toddlers to use the potty can be one of the most challenging tasks for parents of toddlers. There are many books, resources, and products designed for potty training but it can still be challenging for many children and their parents. While potty training is a rite of passage for young children it should not be a harrowing experience.

Because potty training is challenging for most children at least at first, parents look for help when training their toddler. Here are six tips to make potty training easier.

Your child will be ready for potty training on their own time. While most parents would be happy getting potty training done as soon as possible, many children aren’t ready as soon as parents would like. It is very common for children, especially boys, to not be ready for potty training until age three or even three and a half.

If your child does not take to potty training right away there is nothing wrong with stopping and resuming it when they are ready. It your child is struggling it may be best to try again in a few months when your child is older and may be more receptive.

While accidents should not be rewarded, punishing or belittling a child is counter productive to potty training. Accidents should be handled matter-of-factly without criticism or making a child feel ashamed.

Using pull ups or other training pants that absorb like diapers may keep your child from learning quickly as they cannot feel the wetness. Cloth training pants or regular underwear that allow your child to feel wetness may help them learn better if they are having trouble learning with pull ups.

Many parents would not consider allowing their child to run around the house naked, but doing so can be a good potty training method. Many children find it easier to use learn to use the toilet if they are allowed to forgo pants and underwear.

Make our child feel good about using the toilet, but do not push them or stress out over it. Putting too much pressure on a child to potty train can be counter productive and cause them to have trouble learning.

Parents look forward to the end of diapers, but potty training offers new challenges to the parents of toddlers. Approach potty training only when your child is ready and be sure to use plenty of positive reinforcement and low pressure.

Source: Parenting

A traditional three wheel jogger stroller may be a bad decision for you and your family!

Parents with young children are more and more committed to staying fit. They want to be with their kids as they go inline skating, or enter a 10 kilometer running race, or join a moms and tots walking club. Many of these folks have went out and bought a jogging stroller to help them stay healthy and fit.

If you are an every-day runner, or if you run through rough terrain then a traditional 3 wheel jogging stroller is best for you. A jogging stroller is very lightweight and it has 3 sixteen inch wheels (two in the back and one in the front). The back wheels make it so that the stroller pushes easily and at the same time they provide a smooth ride for your kids. The front wheel is fixed in place which means that when you run, walk, inline skate, or whatever the stroller will roll straight-ahead. When you need to make a turn with the stroller the runner tilts it back a little bit onto the back wheels and then makes the turn.

Now don’t get me wrong the fixed front wheel is ideal for jogging, because it provides the stability and straight tracking that you need.

There are many moms and dads who want to use their stroller for running or jogging or in-line skating or powerwalking, but they also want to use to go to the store, or use it on a day at the zoo.

The fixed wheel is great for jogging but it becomes a nuisance when out shopping because the stroller has to be tilted back onto its rear wheels to make a turn. And it is not the easiest to manoeuvre down the aisles of a department store.

There is now a new style of jogging stroller on the market - one that can be effectively used for exercising (jogging/running, inline skating, power-walking, and so on) and can also be used for other practical purposes - going to the store, walking through the neighbourhood, etc.

This new-style stroller has a front wheel that (with a push of a button) can either be locked in place or can swivel. The 12? front wheel when locked in place makes the stroller great for running since the stroller will roll straight. Putting the front wheel in swivel (unlocked) position makes it super for navigating through a busy mall or an outing at a park. The strollers have large rear wheels (usually 16? diameter) which mean that the ride for your passenger will be very smooth. Listed below are some of the features of a swivel wheel jogger stroller…

* Super for running, jogging, speed-walking or even inline skating on smooth surfaces

* It’s like having two strollers in one. Use it for exercising with the front wheel locked in the straight position and use it for going to the mall (with the front wheel in the swivel position).

* Made of lightweight material which means they are made for smooth rolling and easy pushing. You won’t be straining yourself to put the stroller into and out of the trunk of your car.

* Made of long-lasting, rust-resistant aluminum frame.

* Passenger comfort. The two rear wheels are built similar to bicycle tires (spoked wheels with air-filled tires) making the ride for your child very smooth.

* Secure. Safety is always top-of-the-mind. The new style strollers are equipped with a 5 point harness that is easy to use and will keep your baby safe and secure in the stroller.

* Protect your child from the sun. Many of these “hybrid” strollers have a very flexible sun cover that can be positioned so that your child will be blocked from the harmful rays of the sun no matter which direction the stroller is moving.

* Simple to collapse. Many of the new style strollers have a one push ‘trigger’ that will allow the user to quickly fold the stroller into a smaller space for storage.

* Flexible-height adjusting handle bar. If your partner is 6 foot 5, and you are five foot 2 you’ll want a stroller that has handle bars that can move up and down with the touch of a lever. Many of the ‘hybrid’ strollers now have flex-height handle bars.

* Within your budget. A top-quality stroller (with a 20 year warranty) with a swivel front wheel (that can be locked straight) can be purchased on the internet for under $280.

Source: Parenting

Our primary job as an effective parent is to make sure our kids are able to function successfully on their own when they leave the house. Every decision we make should be made with that goal in mind. This knowledge and single-minded focus should help us to navigate the waters of parenting much easier, because we have a definite destination in mind.

Sounds hard? It is really easier than you would think. There are 2 areas where children need direction; problem solving and accountability. Children who are being ornery and basically disrespectful, are telling you that don’t know how to solve a problem. The easier part of effective parenting - go through the actions to identify and solve the problem. Then be sure to add the piece of accountability for the decisions they make, good and bad.

1. Problem solving is a process. Problem solving is difficult, otherwise we wouldn’t have any problems. Many kids with abusive behaviors don’t have the patience for the problem solving process. Parents need to understand the importance of problem solving in the learning process and not do it for the child. The time to start is when they’re young, because the problems are more easily solved then, even though the child may feel like they’re monumental. As they get older, they will be more able to solve the bigger problems if they’ve had experience with the smaller ones when they were young.

2. Coach them forward. All good coaches know that they can get the best out of their players if they stick to business and not to emotion. This too is our goal as effective parents. Being patient as we encourage them through this learning process will pay off in spades for them as adults.

3. Do as I do, not as I say. What? Yep that is how it really works. Your actions and words of course need to match. But if they don’t, they are going to copy what you do. Calmly handling life’s curveballs as their little eyes observe is your best teaching technique. Also let them start fending for themselves as soon as possible. Pushing the elevator button may seem like kids play, and looking at the directory to find the floor you need first, empowers them with life skills.

4. Provide strategic help and solutions. Only give them things they can handle. Offer supportive assistance along the way, don’t criticize them, and most importantly of all, don’t do it for them. As tempting as this may be, you need to let them succeed or fail on their own. We all know it’s easier to load the dishwasher or make the kids bed than to try to get them to do it, but what does that teach them?

5. Encourage exploration and experimentation. As they get to be a teen, you need to let them try out their own ideas for problem-solving and encourage and praise their resourcefulness.

6. Keep setbacks and failures in perspective. This is life in a nutshell. Both experiences provide fertile ground for ongoing training. Look at these as opportunities that they are and you win. Calm and steady as you go and they win too.

Parenting is a daunting task, especially when it comes to teenagers. Hopefully, these tips will help you to have the most effective parenting skills possible.

Source: Parenting