Parenting is a Journey

Every parent experiences both challenges and joy with their young children. Parenting young children is hard work! Very young children can’t communicate like adults, and it can be difficult to understand what they need. Many parents struggle through the challenges and feel like they aren’t doing a good enough job, especially if they themselves had a tough time as children.

The good news is that you don’t need to know all the answers in order to be a good parent. In fact, it may help to think of parenting as a process through which you’re learning new things all the time. And just like learning anything new, the more you practice, the better you get.

There are simple things you can do to improve the connection with your child that will help you feel better, too. For example, doing things like talking, reading and singing with your child bring you closer together, and teaches them important social-emotional skills that will boost their ability to learn and improve their relationships with others.

This tipsheet includes a few research-based ideas that can help you develop strong connections with your child and teach them important social-emotional skills.