Being a parent or guardian requires a lot of commitment. You want what’s best for your child and set out to ensure he or she has whatever is needed to be ready for adulthood. Even for those with some experience, taking on this type of responsibility one more time may seem daunting. By choosing to incorporate each of these six elements in your plans for nurturing your child, there’s a good chance that your efforts will pay off.

Physical and Emotional Well Being

Learning how to care for one's physical and emotional well being is definitely part of the parent's responsibility. By the time the child reaches the age of six, the idea of being physically active through play, sports, or spending time doing things that require movement should seem almost second nature to your child. The activities can be spontaneous or planned. Whatever the form, the goal is to promote the idea of being as physically fit as possible.

Emotional well being is important. As your child grows, connecting with others will help aid in maintaining a healthy emotional balance. From passive activities like enjoying stories together via Toronto Wiki Tuesdays or engaging in activities like coloring and chatting with other children, the ability to connect with others increases. Those connections go a long way toward helping children find healthy outlets for whatever emotions they’re feeling.

Developing Healthy Nutritional Habits

Early in life is the time to learn about healthy nutritional habits. Cultivating an appreciation for fresh fruits and vegetables, lean sources of protein, and how to include variety in meals are habits that will serve your child well in the years to come. Even things like managing portions responsibly will help curb the potential for weight gain that’s related to overeating.

Social Development

No one is born with all the skills needed to interact with others. The first lessons are learned in the home, then with others who live close by. The process continues through pre-school programs and ultimately school itself. At all times, parents and guardians aid in the development of skills that helps the child identify productive ways to interact with others.

Remember that there are resources like the Child Engagement Conference that can help with this and other aspects of child development. While you may feel somewhat lacking in one or more areas, making use of those resources aids you in exposing your child to information and ideas that make a difference. You may learn a thing or two that helps you as well.

Attention to Medical Needs

The need for medical attention is present at all times in life. Use those early years to teach by word and by example that taking care of general health is a good thing. That includes seeing a doctor or dentist when it’s time for a checkup or if there’s some type of ailment that needs attention. The goal is to help the child feel more comfortable seeing a medical professional and being open about what he or she is experiencing.

Providing Cognitive Experience

Cognitive stimulation is key for all of us. Identifying what type of experience resonates most with your child will take some effort. Some children connect primarily by visual experiences. Others do so mainly by audial or kinesthetic experience. While all three approaches are likely include in the mix, identify the one that seems to provide the stimulation your child needs. There will also be time to employ the other two along the way.

Love and Attention

Through it all, it’s important that your child receive your attention and love. It can come in the form of words, taking the time to listen when your child wants to talk, and in general doing things that convey that you’re there and that you care. Your love and attention provide a safe place to begin developing emotional attachments that make it easier to befriend others and develop emotional relationships that can last a lifetime.

There’s a lot of responsibility involved with raising a child. You’ll also find there are plenty of rewards along the way. Consider each of these areas and relate them to what you’re doing today. They may provide inspiration for some fresh ideas on how to nurture your child.