Parenting tips

I came upon a list at MSN titled "The 50 Best Parenting Tips Ever". Now, I am not the biggest fan of these types of articles, but...on occasion they will have snippets that are worth capturing. That was the case with this article as well...while I can do away with some of the mundane suggestions, there are a few that grabbed me...

4. Praise your partner. Never finish a day without acknowledging -- at least once -- your spouse's role in the life of your children. (We all know how hard parenting is and how easy it is to not appreciate the role the other plays. I for one don't always do a good job of this and it is a good reminder to be active in that appreciation.)

15. Be romantic. Go out on dates, kiss in front of your kids, and say, "I love you" to your partner (with your kids in earshot). (Who are our kids going to learn from about how marriage is supposed to work? If we don't exhibit it, then they are likely to end up with marriages that don't have the traits that we are praying for them to have when they find their partner later in life.)

25. Put your baby down when she's awake. Letting her self-soothe is the key to her sleeping through the night. If you nurse or bottle-feed her before bed and she falls asleep, change her diaper one last time to wake her up. (I am putting this one in here for my wife :) )

50. Break the rules sometimes. Have ice cream for dinner, or wear pajamas all day on a snowy weekend. (These will be some of the best memories!)