HowToDoThings.com Recent Parenting Articles

How To Build a Library for Kids

melhow36 — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 10:30:18 -0600

How To Pick a Day Care

DRivera — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:43:39 -0600

How To Make a Handprint Turkey

melhow36 — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:05:43 -0600

How To Encourage Kids to Play Dress-Up

melhow36 — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:12:37 -0600

How To Plan for Boomerang Children

mamapat — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:48:46 -0500

How To Pick a Child Care Provider

Vicsmagic1108 — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:38:23 -0500

How To Make a Diaper Wreath

Cassandra — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:28:04 -0500

Getting ready to throw a baby shower can be overwhelming. You want to do something special for the mom to be but you also want decorations and party favors that are quick and easy. Consider decorating the door with a diaper wreath. They are easy to make and a great gift the future mom can take home then use when she needs a clean diaper at hand.

Materials:
Package of disposable diapers (at least 1 dozen)
Wreath frame
Floral wire
Decorative ribbons, bows and baby toys/rattles/teething rings

Tools:
Scissors
Tape

How To Prevent Childhood Obesity in Your Child

mamapat — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:54:45 -0500

How To Raise Happy Fulfilled Children

jodydillon — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:34:27 -0500

How To Be a Good Step-Father

DRivera — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:04:17 -0500

How To Calm an Unsettled Baby

fionad — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:22:16 -0500

Your baby has just spent 9 months in the womb where there was a constant symphony of sound - your heartbeat and whoosh of fluids rushing in and out of the placenta. You will have heard these sounds from when your midwife was listening to your baby’s heartbeat with the Doppler stethoscope. All of a sudden, the poor little thing is expected to go to sleep in a quiet room. Is it any wonder a high percentage of newborn babies struggle to fall asleep?

How To Help Your Baby Develop During the Vital First Year

iansharland — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:04:00 -0500

How To Get Kids to Share

snugfits — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:34:56 -0500

How To Determine Whether Time Out is Discipline or Punishment

mobile mom — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:37:41 -0500

How To Be a Great Dad

Elizabeth69 — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:56:00 -0500

How To Help Your Kids Buy Presents Without Handing Over Cash

mamapat — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:38:08 -0500

How do you react when your child asks for money to buy a present for a sibling, a friend, a teacher, or even for you? Most parents will take them to the store, let the child pick out the gift, and then pay for it. Or, if the child is a teenager, you may give him a certain amount of money and let him buy it himself.

While the reason the child needs money is unselfish and properly motivated, you should still not just hand over cash or your credit card. "Why not?" you ask. After all, it is for a good reason.

As parents, we should constantly be looking for ways to educate our children and how to manage money is one of the most important lessons we can teach them. There are two ways to make this situation a positive learning opportunity.

First, let's look at allowances:

How To Help Teens Manage Their Anger

mamapat — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:25:16 -0500

In this fast-paced world, situations often get out of hand due to:

Workplace stress.
Busy after-work schedules.
Kids under stress from school.
Kids not getting along with other siblings.
Monetary concerns.
And so much more!

Parents must find ways to constructively manage situations that can cause eruptions of anger or that require conflict management. You, a parent, are the most copied examples of how to accomplish these things that your children ever use. It is up to you to manage your own anger and, by example, teach your children. How can this be done, you ask? The following are some suggestions:

How To Find a Nanny or Childcare

optimum — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:43:31 -0500

How To Make a Bunny Rabbit Cake

Cassandra — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:18:45 -0500

For a little fun in the springtime, consider adding a Bunny Rabbit Cake to your dessert plans. This simple-to-follow plan will be fun for you and the kids. You'll be sure to have a great time making and dining on this special dessert.

Materials:
Cake mix for 2 9" round cake layers
1 tub of whipped topping
1 package of baker's coconut (approximately 2 cups)
1 small package of licorice whips (black or red)
1 handful of jelly beans or gumdrops

Tools:
2 9" cake pans
Knife to spread the icing

How To Clean a Penny

Cassandra — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:51:07 -0500

If pennies are forming communities under your sofa cushions or in the bottom of your kids' pockets, it may be time to do something about it. Any mom who has ever emptied a child’s sticky pockets has likely come across some clumps of gooey and oxidized pennies.

Instead of throwing the mess out (since pennies can’t buy much anyway), save them by cleaning them. With a few basic household items, you can have clean pennies in a few moments.

Materials:

Dirty pennies (sticky is optional)
Water
2 tablespoons vinegar
1-2 teaspoons of salt
Empty cup
Paper towels

How To Raise a Polite Child

Lindseycl — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:35:20 -0500

How To Locate Sex Offenders in a Neighborhood

Van — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:51:38 -0500

How To Introduce Solids to Your Infant

3100 Caldera Blvd — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:50:56 -0500

Introducing solids is a fun and exciting time for mother and child, but it isn't easy to figure out when you should do that and how you should do that. You may have a grandmother who says, "He's already two months old and you haven't started feeding him cereal? How do you expect him to grow?!" On the other hand, many urge for a later start. The thing is, this is a decision that you as the parent need to decide. If you have questions, you should ask your doctor.

How To Teach Your Baby Sign Language

My Smart Hands — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:36:08 -0500

Many parents have heard of baby sign language, but may not know why signing with babies is such a positive thing. Also, they may not know how to begin signing with their child. In this article we will look at the benefits of signing with babies and how to teach your own baby how to sign.

The main reason why signing with babies is so beneficial is because it reduces frustration. Babies are able to make simple signs long before they have the ability to produce speech. We often see babies waving bye-bye or putting their arms in the air when then want to be picked up; these are simple gestures, or signs, that babies are able to make at an early age. So it stands to reason that they could use actions to say so much more. Signing with your baby gives them the tools they need to communicate their needs to you before they can talk.

How To Use Merino Wool and Cotton in Baby Clothing

LolaBen — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:47:43 -0600

This article details the importance of using the natural materials of Merino wool and cotton in newborn accessories and clothing. These materials are time-tested and are best for helping to keep your newborn as comfortable as possible, the way nature intended.

How To Help Your Children Make Career Choices

beawsviews — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:59:55 -0600

One of the most critical decisions to be made in life is the choice of a career path. While it is not wise to impose a career decision on your children, it is extremely important to be their primary counselors. This article highlights the essential tips that parents need to guide their children into their innate greatness.

How To Get Your Infant to Sleep

archana — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:25:47 -0600

I remember the first few months after my son was born. There were continuous fights between me and my mum on the universal controversy, 'to rock or not to rock'. My mum was all in for the age-old method of quieting fussy infants; she would put him in her lap and, cooing and singing, rock him to sleep.

My son loved it as I am sure did my mum. But for me, this was a continuous source of irritation. Every baby book that I found advocated letting children sleep on their, warning that rocking them during infancy could lead to a habit, which would continue till quite a late age.

How To Teach Your Children to Become Informed Voters

mamapat — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:40:44 -0600

With so much going on in the world, it is imperative that every registered voter should cast an informed vote in the upcoming Presidential election. However, it is not enough to vote once every four years; you should be voting in each city, state, and national election.

As parents it is our responsibility to teach our children to become voters, and even more important, responsible voters. I have several ideas to help you do that and they are as follows:

How To Make Moving with Children Easier

afriedl — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:01:54 -0600

The house is chosen, the paperwork is started and the bank visit is scheduled. In theory, your move from one house to another is going smoothly. However, the packing is taking longer than expected and now the children are upset about a new house. Where do you start? How can this possibly go smoothly? And will it be better once we're in the new place? Some simple things to consider can make moving much easier for children to handle. Older children can be easier to reason with and coerce into involvement. But what about younger kids?

How To Deal with Rebellious Teenagers

sara90 — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:18:00 -0600

Teenagers are at a critical stage in their lives, which is the transition from being a child to maturing into an adult. During this period of their lives they are going through vast hormonal changes and are experiencing pressure from their peers, the media as well as other external influences. At this significant stage in their lives they need their parents to become their friends rather than their parents or the high authority controlling their lifestyles. They need to feel help and support throughout this stage in their lives.

During this stage they are continuously seeking independence from their parents through all aspects in their lives. They are beginning to develop sexual desires and question the existence of god and spirituality in their lives. They desire to be treated as adults, and they are in constant search for their identities, finding the groups in which they belong and, more importantly, finding themselves.

How To Let Go of Adult Children

mamapat — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:53:30 -0600

It is here! The day you dreamed of for years has finally arrived. All those days of carpools and freezing as you watch your son stand on the sidelines hoping that today he will get in the game—they are over. The days of the door slamming shut and nagging your child about getting that “pig sty clean” are finally, blessedly at an end. You are filled with relief and joy.

What? You aren’t? Yeah, but, remember when you thought what a great day this would be and could not wait for it? Okay, you are feeling sad and already lonely—even though she does not leave for college for another week. Oh my God, what are you going to do?

Be comforted in the fact that you are not the only parent to ever be surprised at the intensity of the sadness you are feeling. Let me give you some advice that might help a little.

How To Teach Babies Sign Language

lblau — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:51:20 -0600

My daughter Leah was born deaf, so we taught her American Sign Language (ASL) as her first language. When she was in preschool, none of her classmates knew how to sign, and I noticed they just stayed away from her. It broke my heart! She could do everything that other children could do except hear. Although I tried to teach ASL to those around her, I could not help but notice she remained a deaf girl in a hearing world. Would she forever be excluded just because she couldn’t hear? I couldn’t change the fact that she was deaf, so I decided to try to inspire the rest of the world to learn a little ASL instead. I knew I had to find a way to make it fun, engaging, and widely accessible, so I created series of DVDs and called it “Signing Time!” With fun music, animation, and of course with the help of Leah and friends who sign, every family with a DVD player now has the opportunity to learn a little sign language.

How To Tell if Your Child Has a Drinking Problem

mamapat — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:43:44 -0600

Plaguing many parents is the issue of teen drinking. We all know that underage drinking is illegal, but we also know that teens do it all the time. There are always unscrupulous store owners who will sell to minors and, as parents, we need to be vigilant to the signs that our child is drinking.

Sometimes the signs are obvious:

How To Welcome a Son-In-Law

mamapat — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:00:53 -0600

A new member is being admitted to your family. Your daughter is getting married. Some of you are pleased with the selection and are thrilled to welcome him into your family.

Others of you do not feel the same way! You have begged her not to marry him and prayed for the earth to open up and swallow him before the big day. But, alas, the day came and she let him put that ring on her finger and you watched her kiss his disgusting mouth.

Now what do you do? The best suggestions for dealing with this situation are:

How To Motivate your Delinquent Teen to Action

caribmania — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:49:58 -0600

How To Use Infant Massage to Relieve Reflux

IMIS — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:34:23 -0600

Massage on any part of the body causes increased activity or stimulation to a nerve in the brain called the vagus nerve. This nerve branches out to control various regions of the respiratory and digestive systems, including the esophagus and the stomach. To use massage successfully for an infant with reflux, follow the steps below:

How To Keep Your Baby Safe from Recalled Products

sarahchusid — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:13:57 -0600

Do you know if the products you use for your baby are safe?

Well, it’s sort of a trick question. Like most concerned parents, you’ve probably had your baby’s safety on your mind since day one. But what if you found out that the very items you purchased to keep baby safe and comfortable could end up seriously injuring your child, or worse?

Unfortunately, and contrary to many consumers’ beliefs, there is no requirement that children’s products be tested for safety before they are sold. With recalls in 2007 reaching a record high - over 25 million units - and high-profile recalls of everything from drug-tainted Aqua Dots to lead-laced Barbie dolls to collapsing cribs, parents are understandably anxious about protecting children under their care.

Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to keep dangerous products out of homes and the hands of children.

How To Tip at the Holidays

Elizabeth69 — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:32:21 -0600

Many people express confusion about proper etiquette when it comes to holiday tipping, especially for those who help us with our children. While offering a special year-end bonus is always optional, it is a common practice and is usually welcomed and appreciated by recipients. There are many people who make our lives easier throughout the year and one way to show them that they are valued is to offer a sincere thank you along with a monetary or other form of gift.

How To Make Sure Your Kids Drive Carefully

Denise639 — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:41:02 -0600

Driving is a privilege. It is a way to make our lives convenient and more efficient. The truth is, teenage deaths related to car accidents is rising, so talking about vehicle safety should be a priority on your list of topics to discuss with your teen as soon as possible. When you want to make sure that your teenager drives carefully, there are steps you can take to help her understand the importance of driving with caution.

How To Help Your Children Stop Nail Biting

bronwyn — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:17:33 -0600

All parents worry about their children's bad habits. Nailbiting, although not one of the worst things a child can do by any means, can be unattractive, annoying, and damage their teeth. Parents often punish or reprimand their children for biting their nails, but there are much more effective ways to help your children stop biting their nails.

Teach your child to crochet or knit. Even children of a young age can learn to knit, crochet, or fingerknit. When they are occupied with creating things out of yarn, they will not remember to bite their fingernails, and their hands would be too occupied to do so anyway!
Give children toys to play with. Play-Doh and clay are wonderful ways to keep children's hands occupied, as are pipe cleaners and twist ties. Children are very creative, so harness their nervous energy.

read more

How To Have a Positive Birth Experience

robin — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:58:15 -0600

‘I can do this’ is the best way to approach labor. It’s also a great way to step into parenting. The fact is, your body is designed to grow, give birth to and nurture healthy babies. And the fact is that labor is an act of love, physically and hormonally speaking. The contractions of labor massage your baby for a most responsive and alert beginning. The hormone that stimulates these contractions, oxytocin, is called ‘the love hormone’. It also stimulates the area in your brain that has to do with bonding, love, social connection. So when you love yourself, love your baby and have loving, patient people around you, you are helping with the positive work of oxytocin and labor.

During pregnancy:

How To Be Kind to Others

johnschurmann — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:49:47 -0600

Siblings can be very unkind to each other. As a parent, it can be hard to know what to do. Help is here! Try the following exercise with your children and teenagers, and spouse, if needed.

How To Be Kind to Others Worksheet

Directions: Answer the following and discuss before watching TV, using the telephone, or other activity.

How To Stay Current with Toy Recalls

bronwyn — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:57:15 -0600

Recent toy recalls have made parents nervous about what they are buying for their children. How do you know which toys are safe? Who would have thought that Aqua Dots could endanger a child's life? How can you make sure that your child is only playing with toys that do not contain lead or any other harmful components? Luckily, there are a few sure-fire ways to stay on top of toy recalls.

How To Teach Your Children About Money

bronwyn — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:15:19 -0500

All parents wants their children to be happy and successful. Teaching children about money from a young age is one way to ensure their financial success in later life. Even very young children can be taught about money, by words and actions.

How To Understand What Living With Autism Means

teacher — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:46:06 -0500

Since my son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in December 2003, my husband and I have learned a lot about our child's Autism. By the time our daughter received the same diagnosis in March 2006, we felt like experts in the field. In fact, that is what our children's specialists called us. We are living with Autism, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Both my husband and I have sadly witnessed on several occasions how our children's autistic behavior is misjudged by other people due to their ignorance about Autism.

How To Help Your Child Swallow a Pill

teacher — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:32:31 -0500

Swallowing a pill is not an easy task for anyone. While some adults may have a smaller throat, it is especially difficult to give a pill to a young child. Now try that with a child who becomes distressed or ends up having a full blown panic attack just at the thought of having to swallow a pill. Even worse, this situation can become a nightmare for both parents and child if this medication has to be given on a daily basis, as it is the case for Epilepsy. About a year ago, I found a way to solve it all!

This simple procedure can be used with both young children and adults; it is fast, efficient and makes any pill easy to swallow, while delivering the full medicinal effects of the given medication. Follow these simple steps!

How To Spot a Liar

JohnStejskal — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:06:52 -0500

The techniques bellow will show you how to tell if you are being lied to. These techniques are used by government agencies for interrogation. They can easily be utilized in relationships and in business situations. To make successful use of these indicators, it helps to know the suspect's ‘normal' body language and reactions to different situations.

How To Get Your Toddler to Nap

Elizabeth Pantley — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 19:07:00 -0500

All toddlers can benefit from a daily nap, and most parents know that. However, the reality is that many children resist naps. Here's how to make naps happen in your house:

How To Handle Sibling Rivalry

pepper1 — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 12:54:44 -0500

Even if siblings are well-behaved, they will have their occasional arguments or fights with each other. It is a normal part of life to have sibling rivalry. How fighting is handled has a lot to do with how severe or frequent it becomes, including the ages and personalities of children, and how parents handle it.

Sibling rivalries supposedly start when children are younger, and tend to improve as the children mature. It is thought that the age of the child has a lot to do with it. There is more competition among children closer in age.

It is very difficult to completely stop sibling rivalry, but there are always reasons why children fight.

How To Make Your Own Baby Food

J. London — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 16:29:12 -0500

Mothers know that purchasing baby food can be quite expensive. In addition to the expense, there is no assurance that the baby food you are getting does not contain added sugar and/or preservatives.

However, a simple and smart method can help mothers save on the purchase of baby food, and guarantee that the baby food does not contain additives. In addition, like the slogan often used by the restaurant Burger King, you can “Have it Your Way.” You won’t be forced to make food choices with limited selections.

In order to get started, you will first need to make sure you have the following items:

Blender
Ice trays
Plastic snack-size food storage bags

There are 3 simple steps on how to make your own baby food.