No doubt the day your child was born was the happiest day of your life. The bond between you and your child is profoundly strong. Use the tips about being a parent in this article to strengthen and energize that connection, so the bond with your child will flourish.

Expecting parents shouldn’t spend lots of money on nursery equipment. Many high-quality items, from cribs to bedding, can be found much more reasonably priced at your local retail or discount store. Due to the short useful life of items like these, friends and family members may have old equipment that they are no longer using, as well.

Transitions are hard on preschoolers. In many cases, shifting between projects or tasks can be so upsetting that your child may even wind up in tears.

Parents with teenagers should try to abstain from forcing their own preferences for college; letting the child decide what to do will make the teenager both happy, and responsible for their own mistake, if they believe it is one later on. Teens who feel pressured may make an entirely different choice as a way of shunning their parents’ control.

Don’t smoke at home when you have kids. In fact, consider simply quitting smoking for good. Secondhand smoke affects health just as much as firsthand. Children who are exposed to second-hand smoke experience more risk in developing respiratory problems, such as asthma, bronchitis or pneumonia.

Toddlers have short attention spans, and are easily amused, so switching up the toys in their toy boxes can help to keep them amused with the same old toys. The interest span of a toddler usually only lasts a couple days. Keeping things in rotation preserves the sense of curiosity kids have in their toys, and removes the need to keep buying new ones.

Having a strong, meaningful relationship with your child when they are young is so important, and it will positively effect them once they are teenagers, when they are less likely to want to open up. Apply the tips from this article to build and strengthen this relationship.