Parenting Tips - Installment 1

I've been asked, a lot recently, about some key parenting tips. What are some ways to improve the relationship between the parent and the child?

There are a number of things that come to mind.  Since there are quite a few, I'll cover them in a couple of different blog posts. 

The most general, sort of all-encompassing parenting principle is to:

• Parent from a place of love. 

What does that mean?  It means to think about what you do, what rules you put into place, and how you talk with your kids and make sure you are coming from a place of love... not a place where you just have to be in control.

• Parent with integrity.  

Do what you say.  Be the example in this regard.  Every  time a parent says they're going to do something and doesn't, they are not keeping their word to their kids.  That teaches the kids that their parents don't always keep their word, but it also teaches them that keeping your word isn't an important character trait.  

• Parent with consistency.  

Letting your children know what to expect is a good thing.  They have a clearer understanding about what you think is good and what is not acceptable behavior.  And keep the consequences for unacceptable behavior consistent.

Being consistent also means sharing a plan with your spouse so that you and your spouse are on the same page.  You and your spouse are a team.  Your kids need to see you that way.

My next post will continue with more parenting tips, or parenting principles.  Until then, feel free to check out my Positive Parenting Tips page, or some of the pages specifically related to this post like "Good Parenting through Consistency", "Tough Love Parenting", "Raising Children" by Being the Example, Positive Parenting by Focusing on Your Marriage, and "Personal Values".

Baby Bottles

I visited some friends the other day, and several of them have babies of different ages.  I looked around at all of the different baby bottles that were being used by this small group.

That's the beauty of living today.  There are so many choices... for everything.  Bottles are no exception.

When I had each of my children, I remember going to the baby stores to look at all of the bottles.  I wanted to make the best decision I could on what bottles to use, and every time I had a child, I figured that there might be some new, better bottles now available.

I remember seeing the stores shelves just lined with an array of choices.  There were short, fat bottles, there were tall skinny ones, some had air vents to release the vacuum in the bottle to keep the baby from swallowing air.  There were bottles with all sorts of gizmos, contraptions, and different features to supposedly help prevent colic.  (Did any of your kids have colic?  Mine did!  You definitely want to find what works to make your baby happy when you think he/she has colic!)

Most of the bottles I saw when I was looking were plastic.  There were very few, if any, glass bottles.  I guess the manufacturers figured that people wanted the unbreakable plastic versus the glass bottles which, if dropped, could shatter.

But today, the microwave is such a part of how we warm foods, and most of the ladies I know with babies, warm their babies' milk in the microwave.  Do they put the plastic bottles in the microwave? I hope not, but guess that many do.

Today, you can read many, many articles about the potential hazards of warming any foods in plastic containers.  While I do see conflicting opinions in the things I've read put out there by scientists, there seems to be a general growing concern about the seeping of chemicals from the plastics into the food.  BPA is one of the compounds commonly used in plastics.

While there is research pointing the the positives for its use, there are also a lot of concerns about it.  For now, I avoid it.  I look for containers or inserts that say "BPA-free." I also try to use glass.  It is actually quite easy to use glass bottles because they are dishwasher safe.  You can use a bottle warmer (which are also sold in baby stores) to warm bottles to the correct temperature versus the microwave; warming glass bottles filled with milk isn't the best idea, at least for me.  The milk varies in temperature, even within the same glass container.  If I warm in the microwave, I make sure it IS in glass, and I make sure to always stir and check the temperature before giving it to a baby.

If you're looking for baby bottles today, consider all of your options.  Do what works for you.  If you need convenience, realize there are still quite a few options available that provide convenience, but might be considered safer through your use than other options.


Visit Positive Parenting with Purpose for general positive parenting tips.  Also, check out the pages on baby equipment, diapers, baby carriers, cribs, and baby monitors.  There are many other pages, as well, that talk about various baby supplies.