As a parent, you are your children’s’ single most important influence. The way you behave and raise your children will significantly impact their development. As they say, “the apple never falls far from the tree”.

However, healthy parenting is no easy task. This tiring, never-ending job does not have a black-and-white rulebook. You are rather left to respond, in real time, whatever your child throws at you.

Your actions and behaviour will shape your child’s mind, so you will want to be at the top of your game. However, this is an unrealistic expectation. Like all humans, parents have their ups-and-downs, and will not deal with every parenting situation perfectly.

For this reason, we are focusing on parents this month. We want to help you manage your parenting responsibilities in a healthy manner, so that you do not become overwhelmed by this mammoth task.

At the end of the day, happy parents who manage their child-rearing responsibilities in a healthy manner will be better placed to make rational parenting decisions. So tune in for a few tips on how you can improve your life as a parent.

Five ways to survive parenting when you are sick

Author: Bianca Wordley

When your child is sick, you are there with a hot cup of tea and some much needed moral support. But what happens when you get sick? You still have kids to watch over, and they are not going to nurse you back to health.

At the end of the day, you need to make the time to rest, otherwise, you will never recover. This will mean finding help and may require pushing some things to the side for the meantime.

Make use of professional healthcare, but don’t be afraid to call in a few favours from friends. They should be more than happy taking care of your child while you recover in bed.

Read on for more specific recovery advice.

Staying Lovers While Raising Kids

Author: Pamela Kruger

Having children can take its toll on your romantic relationship. A whole host of new, demanding responsibilities leave you exhausted and with little time for your partner. Furthermore, conflicting decisions about parenting issues you both feel passionate about can be a source of conflict.

On the flip side, raising your child with the person you love can be an incredible bonding experience. A healthy relationship between parents, including those that are separated, is also beneficial for a child’s social development.

This article interviews Philip Cowan, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of the Institute of Human Development at the University of California at Berkeley, as well as his wife, Carolyn Pape Cowan, Ph.D., adjunct professor of psychology at Berkeley. They have been studying the effect of children on couples’ relationships, as well as what couples can do to maximise satisfaction with their relationships in such circumstances.

Read the complete study for more information.

Types of childcare in Australia

Author: Byron Devin

As a parent, one of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make in the first few years of your child’s life is what type of care they’ll receive. Whether you want to go back to work, need the extra time to recharge yourself, or perhaps you’d like to expand your child’s personal development, it’s an important step.

But with so many child care options to choose from, which one is right for your family? The Australian childcare landscape is complex, with a multitude of different offers catering to a range of needs.

This article unpacks the various childcare options available to Australian parents, from long day care to family day care, preschool, kindergarten, family daycare, and a host of other childcare options.

Refer to the original article to learn about the types of childcare available in Australia.

Study finds most Australians support mandatory vaccination

Authors: David T Smith, Katie Attwell & Uwana Evers

The issue of vaccination has been thrust into the spotlight with the recent measles outbreak. Media coverage in the aftermath has meant many of us learning about concepts such as herd immunity, further illustrating the importance of widespread immunisation.

Australia’s ‘No Jab, No Pay’ policy clearly outlines the government’s stance. Through financial incentives and subsidy exclusions, it encourages parents to vaccinate their children. Furthermore, schools and childcare providers are beginning to follow in the government’s footsteps, refusing to accept unvaccinated children.

This study illustrating how Australians support the government’s vaccination policy. Ultimately, this bodes well for educators looking to implement vaccination policies.

Refer to the original study for more specific details.

In summary

Being a parent is a rewarding, complicated, exhausting and delightful job all rolled into one!

Vacancy.Care hopes this article has given you some helpful information to guide you along the path.

Happy reading!

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