Parenthood. From the infant stage all the way up to college, parents are in need of expert advice, support and sometimes a break from the everyday tasks of parenting. There are tons of resources out there, from tips from your mother, to mommy-and-me classes, to community outreach programs. And of course, the internet holds a wealth of information. But knowing if that resource is reliable and valuable can be trying. And who has time to hunt the internet for helpful tips, anyway? We certainly know how daunting it can be to find an article or blog that has ALL the answers in a one-stop place.

So, here are some of the articles that we found to be the most comprehensive and helpful on our search for the best parenting tips on how to deal with many of the behaviors that parents find frustrating, bewildering and funny!

The Best of the Best Parenting Resources for Children Aged 1-18!

SEPARATION ANXIETY:

Every parent has seen that crumpled, teary-eyed face as their little ones are left with a caregiver and you head off to work or date night. It often makes parents wonder about the difference between a healthy parent-child connection and an unhealthy level of stress associated with separation. While separation anxiety seems like an inevitable part of parenthood early on, it doesn't have to be. If you're struggling to ease your little one's anxiety when they're apart from you, try some of the expert tips from these awesome parenting blogs.

If you're unsure whether your child is suffering separation anxiety or just natural attachment to their primary caregiver, check out the great info from Baby Center.org and Aha! Parenting. For help easing your little one's anxiety, check out resources from Creative Child, Parents Magazine, and the Anxious Toddlers blog.

SIBLING RIVALRY:

When an unhealthy dynamic develops amongst siblings, it's something you'll want to nip in the bud. But how do you diffuse conflict between siblings in a way that leaves all parties involved feeling equally loved and supported? We've got the perfect conflict resolution resources for you if you find yourself in this predicament.

Kids Health.org offers an overview on sibling rivalry and common reasons for conflicts. It's possible that all you need to diffuse a tense situation in your family is a hint at what's causing it. If you've already determined the cause of bickering between your children but can't stop it, try these parenting pointers from Empowering Parents or Focus On The Family. Positive parenting expert and frequent Creative Child contributing author, Rebecca Eanes, also offers keen insight into handling sibling rivalry. For tips on how to create an overall peaceful environment in your home, read Eanes's How to Create a Peaceful Home, also on Creative Child. 

DISCIPLINE:

If there's one parenting topic with a wealth of conflicting advice out there, it's discipline. Many of us are familiar with old-school methods of discipline, like spanking and time outs, and many of us are not terribly happy with the results those old-school techniques yield. If you're looking to develop new disciplinary methods to teach your children about responsibility and consequences without damaging your relationship, look no further than these disciplinary techniques that put connection and teaching at the core of their methods.

Creative Child has 3 Alternatives to Time-Out That Work, plus tips for Connection-Based Discipline and Consequences That Actually Teach. Parents.com also has some surprisingly simple parenting solutions for the question of discipline that might leave you thinking, "Why hadn't I thought of that!"

Are you entering the realm of teendom? Here are some great tips for positive parenting your Tweens!

TANTRUMS:

TODDLER DEVELOPMENT STAGES

TANTRUMS:

While dealing with tantrums might be a disciplinary issue, it's a big enough topic to warrant its own category. Whether taming your kid's unruly tantrums has become a serious cause of concern or you're taking pre-emptive measures before the grocery store meltdown ensues, check out these useful tips for handling those toddler temper tantrums.

As the Mayo Clinic points out in a very helpful guide, temper tantrums are largely about self-control and the feeling of being out of control. Parents.com also offers a 10-point guide to coping with kids' fits. If you're still in need of resources after consulting these guides, check out Rebecca Eanes's Ultimate Guide to Tantrums. Before you know if, you'll be the expert on handling all of your toddler's behavioral issue. 

ATTENTION SEEKING:

Every child deserves a healthy amount of positive attention and feedback, but it can be difficult to know where to draw the line with attention seeking behavior. If you've got a kid who employs every attention-seeking tactic in their power to distract you at the most inappropriate times, rest assured that there are ways to set boundaries without damaging your child's self-esteem.

Family counselor, Marie Hartwell-Walker, Ed.D., offers wonderful step-by-step advice on the various kinds of and causes of attention-seeking behavior at PsychCentral. Rebecca Eanes's advice on how to answer bids for connection is another great resource for helping us turn toward our kids when they display attention-seeking behavior before it gets out of hand. Visit the Positive Parenting Connection for more help handling attention-seeking children.

 

GETTING YOUR KIDS TO LISTEN:

Okay, so you've got tantrums and attention-seeking down, but how do you get your kids to pay attention when you need them to? Like many of the life skills we teach our kids, listening is one that can be taught by example, but it also requires clear and pointed directions from parents to work. If getting your kids to listen is a struggle in your house, try some of these expert-approved tips. 

Let's face it, toddlers aren't the only ones who lose their tempers from time to time. Rebecca Eanes's article on Why We Yell and How to Stop if you want stop yelling and start communicating with your kids. Over at the Super Nanny blog, you can find a list of Top Tips To Get Your Child To Listen. Also consider the Ask Dr. Sears advice blog, which has 25 tips for effectively communicating with children. If you've tried your best to communicate effectively and are still finding it difficult to get your kids to listen the first time, try these pointers from Psychology Today.  

Related Article: STRENGTHS BASED PARENTING: Developing Your Children’s Innate Talents

TODDLER DEVELOPMENT STAGES

As parents we often feel rushed to have our kids reach those big developmental milestones, like walking, talking, or potty training, even if they're not yet ready. Put all that parenting pressure into perspective with these helpful resources.

In Brittany Ferrell's What's the Rush? series, for Creative Child, she shares her experiences with reaching various milestones with her daughter and how she learned to go with the flow. She's done the research and all of the trial and error with her little one to let parents know it's okay if things don't exactly according to schedule. For more help with the infant to toddler transition, check out From Infant to Toddler: The Terrible Two's, in which a psychologist dispels the myth of the terrible twos and helps us to embrace this transition with understanding and involvement.

HIGHLY SENSITIVE KIDS

Have you noticed perfectionist or shy traits in your child and struggled to meet their needs? Having a highly sensitive child in your family isn't always easy, but when you know how to interact with them and how to tailor your communication to reach them properly, it can certainly be rewarding.  

Here at Creative Child we've got plenty of expert advice from parents of highly sensitive kids, including Deborah Song's Learning to Embrace My Highly Sensitive Child and 10 Ways to Help Your Highly Sensitive Child Thrive, as well as Rebecca Eanes's Why I'm Not Toughening Up My Children and her tips for disciplining the sensitive child.

CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Admitting it might seem difficult if you're worried about judgements from strangers, or even your support group, but parenting is hard. It's even harder if you're a parent of a kid with special needs or disabilities. If you've ever felt alone in your parenting journey or just need a little extra advice, check out some of these insights from parents and experts.

Over at Psychology Today, Seth Meyers, a clinical psychologist and father of a special needs child, writes about the effects raising a kid with special needs has on parents and how he copes with those stresses. Abilities.com also has a wonderful list of 20 Things Every Parent of Kids with Special Needs Should Hear. The Office of Women's Health, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, offers great information and resources on parenting children with disabilities, so that they can reach their full potential to be happy and healthy kids and adults.

Whether you're a parent of a temper tantrum-prone toddler or highly sensitive kid, or you want to improve your communication skills to have a stronger relationship with your child, you don't have to feel overwhelmed with all the information out there. Try these tips and go with the flow of the journey that is parenting.

Leave your comments to let us know what works and doesn't work for you and your family!