(of children aged 0 - 18 plus)

* 1) Love your baby.

Your baby should have plenty of kisses and cuddles. It will not be long, before your baby will give response to all this loving attention. You will talk to your baby and get a lovely smile in return. Several times a day! Your baby will probably soon start 'talking' to you in the
international language all babies use. You will listen and respond in a positive way. This is all part of a healthy development. Always give encouragement.

* 2) Be firm.

A baby and young children should know that they are put to bed in order to sleep. This is very important! If you hear a little grunt from the baby and as a result picks him/her up for a cuddle, both you and the baby will be punished
for a long time! The baby will learn very fast that a little grunt (or maybe a little cry if the grunt does not work) will result in a lovely cuddle. How nice! But unfortunately the parent(s) will lose a lot of sleep - and this is quite unnecessary! Unless your baby is unwell, you must be firm. Let the child have a little cry. When it
does not result in a nice cuddle, the child will learn this quite fast. Both the parent(s) and the child will feel much better for it! No unnecessary lack of sleep.

* 3) Discipline is taught before your child is two.

This is not a printing mistake. Unless your child has learnt basic discipline by the age of two, both you and your child will suffer later. Your child will know your 'No' command and obey it. This is the important command you have used only now and again - not 10 times a day, which would not work at all!

* 4) Your child's questions is about learning.

All children learn by asking questions. Before they can read they cannot benefit from printed text in books, on TV or a computer monitor. Give your child the best explanation you can give at the time. Your child does not need a lecture, which he/she will not understand. Maybe your child will be satisfied by knowing that this is
something he/she will understand later. Please never stop this important learning process!

* 5) Encouragement: the greatest promoter of all.

There is no better way of helping your child progress in any field than to use encouragement. If you have to give criticism (positive, of course), this has to be after you have given praise to some of his/her work first.

* 6) Your child's interests are the guidelines for his/her future.

By getting a broad-based education, this opens up more chances to choose from a number of different studying/training courses. The more choice, the better. None of us are destined for just one future job. Most youngsters of today will have to retrain a few times during their working life. This shows the importance of having as wide
a choice as possible, based on your education and regular further studies/training.

* 7) Support your child in his/her chosen field of future employment.

Your child will possibly have a completely different view than you, of what he/she would like to do in his/her working life. Hopefully he/she will have had the chance of some useful work experiences, while still at school or
college. Professional advice and other help to choose future training/employment would also be helpful. Give your son/daughter your full support!

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Credits: Carl Schyberg