Read Every Day

Reading and writing are two of the most important skills that your child can develop and will be strong determiners for their success in school and later on in their careers. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, developing a daily family reading routine -- which may start with bedtime stories for young children and toddlers and evolve into set family reading times later in life -- can help boost your child’s love of reading. It’s important to start young -- the AAP recommends beginning a daily reading routine by the time your child is six months old and choosing books that are interesting to them so that reading becomes an enjoyable treat, rather than a chore.

Hydrate in a Healthy Way

More than 60 percent of our body mass is water, and staying hydrated is essential to good health and body functions. But how we hydrate our bodies is just as important as how much we hydrate. For young children, sodas and juice drinks are loaded with sugar, caffeine and other additives that are unhealthy and can lead to obesity. Teaching your children at a young age to enjoy drinking water is a great way to keep them healthy and avoid weight problems later in life. For many children, the sugar rushes and crashes that come with these drinks can cause behavioral issues, and opting for healthier beverages can help with regulating schedules for naptime and bedtime, as well as keeping them from feeling sick and cranky when their sugar crash hits them.

Focus on the Positive

Kids internalize the messages we send to them about their worth, and they learn how to cope with stress and disappointments in life by watching their parents. As a parent, it’s important to instill in children a strong sense of self-worth, offering praise for accomplishments, teaching them a sense of ambition, and making sure that they know that they are each unique and perfect creatures in their own ways, despite any challenges, disabilities or setbacks that they may encounter in life. Managing our own stress and passing on stress management tools early in life will help them bounce back faster and more completely from disappointments in life and may reduce their risk of developing dangerous behaviors, including smoking and habitual drinking, later in life.