Disciplining your children is both one of the most important and most difficult elements of child rearing you can face as a parent. On one hand you feel a duty to raise your child with the correct boundaries and moral ideas that make us fit and proper members of society and the human race in general. On the other it is sometimes hard to make your children understand the meaning of your actions, particularly when your actions risk making you unpopular with them. In order to help parents strike the right balance when they dole out discipline, here's a check list of things to run through in your head when you feel you need to take action.

First off, make sure you are not losing your temper. This is, of course, easier said than done, and it is often our first reaction to simply lose composure if a child is being naughty. All this does is show the child that you are as irrational as them – remember they are still learning about the concept of reason and right. Even if you think they are deliberately misbehaving you need to keep calm as much as possible.

Secondly, explain why what the child has done is wrong. It is not enough for them to feel bad – they must know why they should not behave that way. “Because I said so!” is not a good reason to give a developing brain as to why they should or should not do something. In fact it just makes them more likely to do the same thing when your back is turned.

Studies on how to motivate people, from children to grownups, have consistently shown that praise and encouragement are the best motivators. The great thing about a rewards chart is that it gives on the spot recognition for good behaviour, as well as a visual aid (such as a sticker on the chart), helping them to visualise how their good behaviour has helped them progress toward a desired goal.

Reward charts help to teach the child good behaviour by offering a series of small rewards (stickers, spaces moved, etc) that move gradually towards something bigger. As the positive behaviour is reinforced through the recognition and encouragement, the behaviour becomes more habitual. 

One of the biggest benefits for parents using reward charts is that it helps to reduce nagging. The child definitely wants the reward, and therefore puts the effort into exhibiting the desired behaviour. With this system, the responsibility for earning the reward is completely on the child - which is a great way to help build their character. The satisfaction they receive through earning each sticker, and finally reaching their goal, goes a long way in boosting their confidence and preparing them for their next challenge.

There are many ways a reward chart can be used. Each child in a family can have their own chart (and even target different behaviours) or a group chart can be used with everyone's good behaviour contributing to reaching the end reward. A chart can run for a set period of time (i.e.: a week) or until a specified number of stickers are earned.

As much as we might not want to admit it, every parent has moments when our temper gets the better of us. It's all too easy to start throwing a tantrum because our child is doing the same, but it's important to try and keep cool and remember that there are a number of factors contributing to our anger – whatever the situation.

One of the first tips for controlling your anger is to ask yourself exactly what it is that you are angry about. Do you have some bad news you are dealing with? Are you dealing with some difficult marital issues? Are you not feeling well? Sometimes just the recognition that the cause of your anger is NOT your child can be enough to help you keep a lid on your emotions.

Sometimes you might need to give yourself a ‘time out'. Step out of the room for a moment to gain control of your anger or, if you can't do that, take a few deep cleansing breaths. It really does help. 

If you are angry or frustrated because of something your child has done wrong, try to convey your feelings in a patient and respectful tone. By using your words to express yourself, you are also teaching your child how to express their feelings. It is very important for a child to learn how to properly express negative emotions such as fear, frustration and disappointment. Always use respectful and positive language. Focus your disapproval on the behaviour, not the child.

Everybody at one point gets angry. It is only normal as we are all human. Children sometimes annoy their parents so much that they cannot control themselves. Sometimes the child does not do it intentionally. The way you as a parent deal with your anger is very important. Some people when they are angry beat their children so hard that they end up regretting. Sometimes we say things that are so harmful without even realising it. This may have a negative effect on the children that is why it is very important for every parent to learn how to control their anger.

First you should learn that never act in anger. When the child makes you very angry, if you take a cane and start beating them up in the name of discipline this is one of the worst things you can do. This type of discipline is not positive and may sometimes cause serious injuries the child.This is very possible because as you beat up your son or daughter, anger is controlling you therefore you may not realize that you are over doing it. You should never discipline your child under the influence of anger. One is always advised to wait until you have cooled down.

Many parents bring anger to their kids even if they are not the cause. For example, your work mate stepped on your toe at your workplace or your boss has annoyed you. You should not let your kid suffer for that. Let your work issues remain at work. When you come home be ready to interact with your children as a parent not as a secretary who has been fired. You should not also let your personal issues affect you so much to the extent of letting them out on your kids. You should remember that kids are very delicate and they never forget easily. You should also never forget that it is very easy to damage a kid's self esteem therefore take precaution when dealing with anger.

As it has always been said, Children are a gift from God. As much as barren women are desperately longing to have a child of their own there are others who are taking advantage of them. Any mistreatment of a child be it physically, emotionally or socially is simply referred to as child abuse. However you should understand the difference between disciplining a child and abusing a child. Many have misunderstood these two different things as to some people they may appear similar. Child abuse is mistreating a child making them feel pain. Cases of child abuse have increased in the last decade therefore we should be at the look out to people abusing children and report the cases.

Did you know that you can cause emotional child abuse to your child? This is simply done by saying hurtful things to them making them feel worthless. Sometimes we do it out of anger and we hardly understand what we are saying. This kind of abuse damages the self esteem of that particular child making them to feel undeserving. This can even affect their social life and education as well. Parents should always be careful about what they tell their children. You should not let your anger control you and always learn how to deal with your child. Words can be really hurting so you should be careful not to damage your child's confidence.

Being a single parent is not an easy task in fact, it could be the hardest responsibility one can have in this life. Many of the single parents out there did not plan for it so when they find themselves in this situation it becomes really shocking. Bringing up a child to being a responsible adult can be really stressing especially when you are alone. The first and the most important step that you need to take is accepting the fact that it is your responsibility to bring up that child without your partner. Be it divorce that led to you becoming a single parent or a partner's rejection after getting pregnant should not affect you so much.

The next thing that you can do is devoting yourself to bringing up the child in the best manner possible. This means that you have to provide for that child's needs. You should be able to understand that with or without your partner's help, your kid has to eat, have shelter and have clothes above all things. I know this can be really hard especially if you do not have a stable job. Thanks to the government nowadays there are different organisations that give help to the single mothers. You can enroll to such charity organisations and get help.

Bullying is intentional tormenting of a child either physically, psychologically or verbally. It is a common phenomenon that children are bullied at school. The child who is being bullied often gets scared and develops a multifaceted personality. Every parent should teach his/her child as to how to deal with this situation. The children should know that they are no less than the one who is bullying them and that they should not be scared of that person. They should be repeatedly told that they should never become victims of such activities and report immediately, in case they are bullied.

You should teach your child to tell you about any bullying activity in school. You should be friendly with him/her. This will not only help you realise their problems but will also allow them to confront such situations. If your child tells you that he is being bullied then you should console him and offer comfort and support. You would obviously be upset about this but you have to act normal in front of your child. Sometimes, children are reluctant in notifying you because they feel embarrassed or ashamed that they are being bullied or worry about the fact that their parents would be disappointed with them.

Parents should praise the child for being brave enough to talk about the phenomenon. Remind him/her that he/she is not the only victim and there a lot of people who are bullied. Emphasize on the fact that it is the bully who is behaving badly and not your child. Let the child talk to person he is most comfortable with. This would help him speak freely without any hesitation.

Charity is defined as the act of voluntary giving to help those who are in need. Charity is the routine of giving money, time and goods to unfortunate people. Giving charity is a religious act and is often referred to as almsgivings.

The poor, especially widows and orphans, are often given charity. Some groups prefer giving charity to the people of their own community, religion, nationality etc. Most forms of charity are pertained to providing food, shelter and clothing to people. Tending the ill is also a form of charity. Visiting the imprisoned or home bound, educating poor children, ransoming captives and providing dowry for poor women are also laudable charitable acts.

If we are privileged enough, practicing charity is a must. Giving charity makes you feel relaxed and so, the importance of giving charity is not only restricted to religious grounds. Giving money for charity makes you feel better as it is a humanitarian act. Atheists practice charity as the act is related to humanitarian help and does not, always involve religion. The feeling you experience after giving charity is amazing. It makes you feel that you have helped humanity and have done justice to your earnings. Giving a part of your earnings would not only help the deprived but also bring economic stability in the society. If the unfortunate people would be helped, their problems will be foreshortened and as a result, the crime rate would also decrease substantially.

Vaccines are a liquid form of dead microbes which are injected into the body to produce immunity against diseases. Vaccines typically work by including the immune system to generate antibodies that attack certain viruses or bacteria. Vitamins are macronutrients needed by the body to function properly.

The vitamins are essential for our bodies. Vitamin C is needed for teeth bones and firm gums. Vitamin B is required for growth, digestion and proper functioning of nervous system. Vitamin A is needed for eyes and for resisting infection. Green, leafy, and yellow vegetables are source of vitamin A. Cereals and meats are the best sources of vitamin B. Citrus fruits and tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C. Lack of vitamin A can cause night blindness, lack of vitamin B can cause beriberi, which leads to reduction in appetite. Lack of vitamin C will cause a condition known as scurvy which is characterised by bleeding gums.

Vaccines for smallpox, chicken pox, hepatitis, polio etc. are all injected with short intervals of time to the people so that they do not encounter the disease. Few of these vaccines have to be injected only once in a lifetime. If you have encountered chicken pox once that does not mean that it cannot attack you again. We should get ourselves vaccinated so that no such disease can attack us. The vaccine for hepatitis really proves to be beneficial as it helps counter any kind of hepatitis virus. The small pox vaccine proved to be really beneficial a couple of years back when the small pox was completely eradicated from any area where it was epidemic.

Temper tantrums can be an embarrassing experience, especially if they happen in public. Most parents do not know what to do, and often add to the trouble by getting angry, loud or even violent. Believe it or not, there are various things, we as parents can do to avoid our children having tantrums in public places.

We live in a demanding world, where everything is speeded up to a pretty stressful level. Parents are busy, and mums often have to work away from home, making it difficult to meet their children's needs for enough love and attention. It would probably be better if mums could stay home, while the children are small, or at least until they are about 6 or 7 years old.

Small children need more sleep than older children, and their little bodies require a nap in the afternoon. If they go to Nursery, Kindergarten or Pre School, that is often not possible. By the time mum or dad come to pick them up, in the evening, after work, the children are simply exhausted. Having to go shopping on the way home is too much for their little patience, and that is usually why temper tantrums often occur in the Supermarket. Growing children get hungry more often than people expect, and if they are both tired and hungry at the same time, it would probably solve the problem, if they are given something to “munch” on, while mum is shopping. Perhaps a bag of little oatmeal biscuits or something nutritious like that would be good. Then, of course, the tired child might be upset because he is thirsty; so keep a small bottle of water or natural juice on hand. The better prepared you are, the less trouble there will be.