Becoming a parent can be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do, but it won’t be free of frustrations, anxieties and fears. Children don’t come with instruction manuals, and every parent worries about making irrevocable mistakes. Fortunately, there’s a lot of great advice out there for nearly every parenting situation you may face.

When you are traveling with young children, try to keep familiar routines intact, such as meals and bedtime. Small children and infants are often stressed out by traveling. Replicating nightly routines can be a great way to help your children adapt to new surroundings and enable everyone to get a proper amount of sleep.

If your toddler is trying to climb out of his or her crib, lower the mattress if it is possible. This is because if a child is able to climb out of their crib, and they fall out, they could seriously injure themselves. Also, make sure to remove crib bumpers.

As unfortunate an event it may be, divorces happen all of the time. In order for you, a divorced parent, to hold a good relationship with your college aged and older children you must never get them in the middle of your divorce. This will push them away for you and your ex-spouse.

“Me time” is extremely beneficial to parents and these brief periods of time without the kids should occur at regular intervals. Ask a friend or a member of your family to watch them; even just a few hours can be beneficial. If parents don’t have time away from their kids, they often get more stressed, which increases the amount of tension in the house.

If you have multiple children, keeping up with all of their prescriptions can be quite a challenge. Walgreens and other chain pharmacies offer iPhone and smart phone apps that allow you to scan the bar code on your child’s prescription medication and access information on fill dates, directions and refill status.

Do not be the short order cook for your picky eater. If you make special meals for him every time he refuses to eat the meal that you have cooked for the family, he will not learn to accept different foods. Instead, let him choose from what you have prepared for the family. If he refuses to eat anything, he will become hungry very soon, and will accept other foods more readily in the next mealtime.

Use your smart phone to soothe your baby with noise. You can download a white noise application and then place the phone near your child. This is particularly useful if you are going for a walk or if your child is riding in the car. You do not have to use white noise; there are a wide range of other calming sounds available.

Use your smart phone to entertain your child. You can download a variety of applications and games that will leave your child mesmerized. This is particularly useful if you need to complete a chore or make dinner for your family. Letting your child play with the phone should give you a nice stretch of uninterrupted time to accomplish your goals.

If you find that you need to put eyedrops in a baby’s eyes, it may seem to be an impossible feat. Lay your baby on her back and set a favorite toy on her belly so she will look down at it. Place a drop in the corner of your baby’s eye and this way when she looks up again it will gently roll into her eye.

One of the biggest problems parents have with their children these days is getting them away from the computer, television, and video games. One solution to this is to show them how much fun reading and other activities can be. A great way to go about doing this is to take them to story time events at libraries and bookstores. Here, they might learn to enjoy reading by listening to interesting stories, and interacting with other children at the same time.

It is important that you limit what and how much your child eats a young age. By letting them eat whatever and how much they want, they will stick to this behavior and end up becoming obese. For example, instead of a bag of chips for a snack, over a small bowl of grapes.

When your children demonstrate an interest in or a talent for a particular activity, do all you can to cultivate their new-found hobby. Kids derive great benefits from excelling in any field, and they are far more likely to do so in a field they enjoy. Nurturing your child’s natural interests can provide a huge boost to their confidence and self-esteem.

One nice thing about being a parent is that you’re never alone. There’s always someone out there who has already dealt with the same issues you are struggling with. Don’t be afraid to listen to other parents and take their advice. Remember the tips you’ve learned and you’ll be able to better focus on the joys of watching your children grow.

Being A Better Parent With The Right Advice was originally published on Spring