Everyone needs someone who can offer them advice, encourage them, and give them that little bit of motivation to make their lives a little easier. Below are some Positive Parenting Tips (0-17 years old) that I have personally learned from raising my children.

Below are some things you can do to help your baby during this age range: 0 – 1 year old.

Simply talk to your baby. Talking calms, him/her.

Try answering him/her when your he/she makes sounds by repeating the sounds and adding words. This will help him learn to use language.

Read to your baby to help him/her develop and understand language and sounds.

Sing to your baby and play music to help him/her develop a love for music. Research shows that music will help with brain development.

Praise your baby and give her/him lots of loving attention.

Spend time cuddling and holding your baby to help him/her feel cared for and secure.

Play with your baby when he/she is alert and relaxed. Also, watch your baby closely for signs of being tired or fussy so that she can take a break from playing.

Distract your baby with toys and move him/her to safe areas when he starts moving and touching things that he shouldn’t touch.

Take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Parenting can be hard work! It is easier to enjoy your new baby and be a positive, loving parent when you are feeling good yourself.

Below are some positive parenting tips recommended by the CDC to help your preschooler during ages 1 – 2.

Read to your toddler daily.

Ask her/him to find objects for you or name body parts and objects.

Play matching games with your toddler. This is a great age to identify shape sorting and simple puzzles.

Encourage him/her to explore and try new things.

Help to develop your toddler’s language by talking with her/him and adding to words she starts. For example, if your toddler says “baba”, you can respond, “Yes, you are right―that is a bottle.”

Encourage your child’s growing independence by letting him/her help with dressing himself/herself and feeding himself/herself.

Respond to wanted behaviors more than you punish unwanted behaviors (use only very brief time outs). This is the age that helps him/her understand better by showing and telling. Always tell or show your child what she should do instead.

Encourage your toddler’s curiosity and ability to recognize common objects by taking field trips together to the park or going on a bus ride.

Below are some positive parenting tips recommended by the CDC to help your preschooler during ages 2 – 3.

Set aside time to read books with your toddler.

Encourage your child to pretend play and use their imagination.

Play follow the leader with your toddler.

Help your child to explore things around her/him by taking her on a walk or bike ride.

Encourage your child to tell you his name and age often. Repetition is good at helping him/her to remember.

Teach your child simple songs like Itsy Bitsy Spider, or other cultural childhood rhymes. Music encourages brain growth.

Give your child attention and praise when she/he follows instructions and shows positive behavior. Avoid giving attention during defiant behavior like tantrums. Teach your child acceptable ways to show that she’s/he’s upset.

Below are some positive parenting tips recommended by the CDC to help your preschooler during ages 3 -5.

Read to them daily. At home, at the library or bookstore.

Let them help with simple chores.

Encourage them to play with other children. This teaches them the value of sharing and friendship.

Be clear and consistent when disciplining your child. Explain and show the behavior that you expect from him/her. In other words, show him/her what they did wrong, tell them why it was wrong, and explain the reason why it must be done correctly. Whenever you tell him/her no, follow up with what he should be doing instead.

Help your child develop good language skills by speaking to him/her in complete sentences and using “grown up” words. Teach him/her to use the correct words and phrases.

Assist your child through the steps to solve problems when she/he is upset.

Give your child a limited number of simple choices (for example, deciding what to wear, when to play, and what to eat for snack). It teaches him/her responsibility.

Here are some tips that I have learned about ages 6 – 8. I hope that it may help someone else as well.

Show affection for your child. Recognize his/her accomplishments.

Help your child develop a sense of responsibility by assigning him/her with appropriate household tasks.

Talk with your child about school, friends, and things he/she looks forward to in the future.

Talk with your child about respecting others.

Help your child set his/her own achievable goals—she’ll/he’ll learn to take pride in herself/himself and rely less on approval or reward from others.

Help your child learn patience by letting others go first or by finishing a task before going out to play. Encourage him to think about possible consequences before acting.

Make clear rules and stick to them, such as how long your child can watch TV or when she has to go to bed.

Do fun things together as a family, such as playing games, reading, and going to events in your community.

Get involved with your child’s school. Meet the teachers and staff and get to understand their learning goals and how you and the school can work together to help your child do well.

Continue reading to your child. As your child learns to read, take turns reading to each other.

Use discipline to guide and protect your child, rather than punishment to make him feel bad about himself. Follow up any discussion about what not to do with a discussion of what to do instead.

Praise your child for good behavior. It’s best to focus praise more on what your child does (“you worked hard to figure this out”) than on traits she can’t change (“you are smart”).

Support your child in taking on new challenges. Encourage her/him to solve problems, such as a disagreement with another child, on her/his own.

Encourage your child to join school and community groups, such as a team sports, or to take advantage of volunteer opportunities.

Below are some positive parenting tips recommended by the CDC to help your preschooler during ages 9 – 11.

Spend time with your child. Talk with her/him about her/his friends, her/his accomplishments, and what challenges she/he will face.

Be an active parent. Be involved with your child’s school. Go to school events; meet your child’s teachers.

Encourage your child to join school and community groups, such as a sports team, or to be a volunteer for a charity.

Help your child develop his/her own sense of right and wrong. Talk with him about risky things friends might pressure him/her to do, like smoking or dangerous physical dares.

Help your child develop a sense of responsibility by involving your child in household tasks like cleaning and cooking.

Talk with your child about the importance of saving and spending money wisely.

Meet the families of your child’s friends. This gives insight on who will be around him/her.

Talk with your child about respecting others. Encourage her/him to help people in need.

Have a discussion about what to do when others are not kind or respectful.

Help your child set his/her own goals. Encourage him/her to think about skills and abilities he would like to have and about how to develop them.

Make clear rules and stick to them. Talk with your child about what you expect from his/her (behavior) when no adults are present. If you provide reasons for rules, it will help him/her to know what to do in most situations.

Use discipline to guide and protect your child, instead of punishment to make him feel badly about himself.

When using praise, help your child think about her/his own accomplishments. Saying “you must be proud of yourself” rather than simply “I’m proud of you” can encourage your child to make good choices when nobody is around to praise her/him.

Talk with your child about the normal physical and emotional changes of puberty. Let them know that it’s a normal part of life and everyone goes through it.

Encourage your child to read every day. Talk with him/her about his homework.

Be affectionate and honest with your child and do things together as a family.

Here are some tips that I have learned about ages 12 – 14. I hope that it may help someone else as well.

Be honest and direct with your teen when talking about sensitive subjects such as drugs, drinking, smoking, and sex.

Meet and get to know your teen’s friends and family.

Show an interest in your teen’s school life.

Help your teen make healthy choices while encouraging him/her to make his own decisions.

Respect your teen’s opinions and take into account her/his thoughts and feelings. He/ she feels respected when he/she knows you are listening to her/him.

When there is a conflict, be clear about goals and expectations (like getting good grades, keeping things clean, and showing respect), but allow your teen input on how to reach those goals (like when and how to study or clean).

Below are some positive parenting tips recommended by the CDC to help your preschooler during ages 15 -17.

Talk with your teen about his/her concerns and pay attention to any changes in his/her behavior. Ask him/her if he/she has had suicidal thoughts, particularly if he/she seems sad or depressed. Asking about suicidal thoughts will not cause him/her to have these thoughts, but it will let him/her know that you care about how he/she feels. Seek professional help if necessary.

Show interest in your teen’s school and extracurricular interests and activities and encourage him to become involved in activities such as sports, music, theater, and art.

Encourage your teen to volunteer and become involved in civic activities in her community.

Compliment your teen and celebrate his/her efforts and accomplishments.

Show affection for your teen. Spend time together doing things you enjoy.

Respect your teen’s opinion. Listen to him/her without playing down his/her concerns.

Encourage your teen to develop solutions to problems or conflicts. Help your teenager learn to make good decisions. Create opportunities for him/her to use his own judgment and be available for advice and support.

If your teen engages in interactive internet media such as games, chat rooms, and instant messaging, encourage him/her to make good decisions about what he/she posts and the amount of time he/she spends on these activities.

If your teen works, use the opportunity to talk about expectations, responsibilities, and other ways of behaving respectfully in a public setting.

Talk with your teen and help him/her plan ahead for difficult or uncomfortable situations. Discuss what he/she can do if he/she is in a group, and someone is using drugs or under pressure to have sex or is offered a ride by someone who has been drinking.

Respect your teen’s need for privacy.

Encourage your teen to get enough sleep and exercise, and to eat healthy, balanced meals.