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Let Me Show You the Ways
14 Ways to Show Love for Your Child From the American Academy of Pediatrics
1. Use plenty of positive words with your child.
2. Respond promptly and lovingly to your child's physical and emotional needs and banish put-downs from your parenting vocabulary.
3. Make an extra effort to set a good example at home and in public. Use words like "I'm sorry," "please" and "thank you."
4. When your child is angry, argumentative or in a bad mood, give him a hug, cuddle, pat, secret sign or other gesture of affection he favors.
5. Use non-violent forms of discipline. Parents should begin instituting both rewards and restrictions many years before adolescence to prevent trouble during the teenage years. Once youngsters reach adolescence, allowing them to break important rules constantly without being disciplined only encourages more rule violations.
6. Make plans to spend half a day alone with your young child or teen doing something he enjoys.
7. Mark family game nights on your calendar so the entire family can be together. Put a different family member's name under each date, and have that person choose which game will be played that evening.
8. Owning a pet can make children, and especially those with chronic illnesses and disabilities, feel better by stimulating physical activity, enhancing their overall attitude and offering constant companionship.
9. One of the best ways to familiarize your child with good food choices is to encourage him to cook with you. Let him get involved in the entire process, from planning the menus to shopping for ingredients to the actual food preparation and its serving.
10. As your child grows up, she'll spend most of her time developing and refining a variety of skills and abilities in all areas of her life. You should help her as much as possible by encouraging her and providing the equipment and instruction she needs.
11. Your child's health depends significantly on the care and guidance you offer during the early years. By taking your child to the doctor regularly for consultations, keeping him safe from accidents, providing a nutritious diet
