Have you always longed for an open, honest relationship with your child? Have you wanted to be the kind of parent that your child feels comfortable sharing things with? Have you found discipline a challenging thing for you to enforce? If your answer to any of the above questions were yes, the parenting tips below are for you!

A tip that goes unheeded by far too many parents is the suggestion that they remember to take time for themselves. Setting aside some personal time to decompress and maintain hobbies and interests will help moms and dads stay energized and engaged in the lives of their children. This will lead to a happier, more fulfilled family.

Think about how your children receive what you say. Your children should be able to trust you.

If you want to facilitate good study habits, make sure your child has a full belly. A child needs energy to study effectively. It will prevent them from becoming over tired and keep their brain working. A small snack, like an apple or some peanut butter crackers, can do wonders during study time.

If you have children in your home and you have a fireplace, make sure to get a fireplace or hearth gate. Thousands of children are injured each year from fireplace accidents. These injuries could have easily been prevented if the parent had taken safety precautions and gated off the fireplace.

Children often unconsciously reflect the image that parents project upon them, so make sure that whatever label you choose to apply to your child, it is a positive one. Instead of responding to a complaint of boredom with, “You’re driving me crazy, find something to keep yourself busy”, opt for a more encouraging directive: “You’ve always been such a great artists. Why don’t you try coloring or drawing for a few minutes?”

A great parenting tip is to be aware of how your actions can influence your child. If you curse a lot at home, don’t be surprised if your child gets suspended or sent home from school for bad behavior. Always try to set a good example for your child.

If you are concerned about germs and stickiness on your child’s plastic and rubber toys but don’t have the time to clean and dry each one, throw them in a mesh laundry bag and run them through your washing machine with a dye-free, fragrance-free detergent. Easy in, easy out!

Start focusing on nutrition very early in the child’s life. If you are able to convince them that they like healthy foods you can help them to avoid many of the health traps that the majority of adults suffer. You don’t need to deprive them of treats, but show them healthy tasty treats.

The Internet is a big issue for parents these days that did not really exist just a decade ago. Children are now able to go online and view all kinds of sex and violence-related material. The Internet has made this type of material much more accessible to children, and parents should be rightfully concerned. The best way to handle this issue is to be well aware of what programs the child is using on the computer, and properly manage parental controls on these applications.

Let your child go barefoot as much as possible. There are multitudes of adorable footwear these days to adorn your little ones tootsie’s, but for the health of baby’s feet, barefoot is the way to go. Many pediatricians suggest that non-constraint of a child’s feet will promote their natural growth and your child would probably say it’s a lot more comfortable, anyway!

A good parenting tip that is good to practice is to spend time with each of your children separately. Each child has a different personality and spending time separately will help them feel appreciated. It is also a way for you to have an experience with them that they will never forget.

Help your child get organized for school the night before to avoid a stressful mad scramble in the morning. Make sure all papers, homework, library books, lunch money, and other needed items are safely tucked in your child’s backpack before going to bed. Then relax and have a stress free morning send off.

Buy a fun ice pack to make immunizations less painful and scary. Kid-friendly ice packs are available in the form of animals, bugs and other fun shapes. By holding it to your child’s skin right before and after a shot, it will both distract him from the pain and the chill will soothe and numb the area.

Talk to your kids and listen when they talk to you. Welcome dialogue about uncomfortable topics as this will help you get to understand your children and their needs better! The tips above will help you become a better parent so your kid can be the best kid he or she can be!

Parenting Without The Hassle was originally published on Spring