April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. \u00a0The US Department of Health and Human Services<\/a> has\u00a0a website with a wealth of resources to help prevent child abuse and also to help parents deal with various stages of child development:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Babies<\/strong>:\u00a0 For example, it is critical to bond with your baby during the first few years of life to help to ensure the growth of the baby’s body and mind. \u00a0Touching, affection, and holding your baby when she is fussing and crying for long periods is essential. \u00a0When changing diapers, feeding, or bathing your baby, look into his eyes, smile, and talk to your baby. Strong and Thriving Family Tip Sheets<\/a>, Babysitting Vetting Guide<\/a><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" National Child Abuse Prevention<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3016,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-parenting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.destinationsitters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.destinationsitters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.destinationsitters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.destinationsitters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.destinationsitters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.destinationsitters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5646,"href":"https:\/\/www.destinationsitters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244\/revisions\/5646"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.destinationsitters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.destinationsitters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.destinationsitters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.destinationsitters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Here are a few highlights:<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Toddlers:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 When your toddler has a temper tantrum, try to direct your child’s attention to something else, give your child a choice in small matters, and praise your child when she shows self-control and expresses feelings with words. \u00a0Don’t you also lose control; remain calm and wait out the tantrum. \u00a0
School-age children:<\/strong>\u00a0 School-age children mature unevenly. \u00a0They may still throw tantrums or need to be reminded to brush their teeth, for example. \u00a0They may get distracted easily and may be overly concerned about “fitting in.” \u00a0Model the behavior you want them to see. \u00a0Communicate with them with respect. \u00a0Talk with them about what you expect. \u00a0Offer support and understanding about issues with school and friends. \u00a0Talk with your children about values early on.
Teens:<\/strong>\u00a0 Teens may spend less time with you and more with their friends. \u00a0They are likely craving independence, questioning rules and authority, testing limits, being impulsive, and making mature decisions sometimes but childish ones other times. \u00a0Many children’s brains don’t finish developing until the age of 25. Try to take advantage of routine activities to reinforce the connection between you and your teen; make room in your schedule for special times. \u00a0Have family meals (at least schedule some “required,” regular nights for such meals). \u00a0Get and stay involved. \u00a0Be interested. \u00a0Set limits. \u00a0Get to know your children’s friends.
For more insights, please visit the website listed above.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n