Parenting is a complicated part of life that everyone has an opinion on. You might feel like you are failing if you don’t do it a certain way. No matter who you are or what your parenting style is, there are some universal practices that you can do that will help support your child’s development.

Show Love

Healthy child development San Francisco CA happens in a safe and loving home. This doesn’t mean you can not discipline your child, discipline is important to teach children about safety and right and wrong, but a child needs to feel loved in order to grow. Don’t stress if you don’t feel like the perfect parent. A child feels loved when their needs are met and they are given autonomy to learn and grow.

Read a Bedtime Story

Reading is such an important part of the development of a child. It helps your child with understanding language, speech and as he or she grows they will start to understand more about complex ideas like sharing and friendship that will prepare them for their interactions in real life.

Establish Routines

Routines help a child feel safe when they can predict what will happen. It sets up clear boundaries so they don’t always have to feel like they are guessing what will happen next. Routines don’t have to mean a strick minute by minute schedule, but more of an idea of what you do when you get up in the morning or get ready for bed. This helps a child learn what is appropriate and then they can branch out to independence and try doing the routine on their own as they get older.

All children will develop at their own pace and in their own way, but with a parent’s support through things like reading, showing love and providing a routine it can aid a child to develop in a healthy way that will help them as they grow.