Parenting Tips

Raising kids is one of the toughest and most fulfilling jobs in the world — and the one for which you might feel the least prepared.

Here are nine child-rearing tips that can help you feel more fulfilled as a parent.

Daniel and Aviva are in constant power struggles with their 3 year old, Gracie. They give her a choice about whether she wants Mommy or Daddy to read books to her. She chooses Mommy, but the second Aviva starts reading, Gracie insists, “No, Daddy reads books!” Aviva calls for Daniel, but — shocker — Gracie has changed her mind again and wants Mommy. At breakfast, Gracie asks for toast but insists on a whole new piece because Aviva cut it on the wrong diagonal. When Aviva tries to convince Gracie to accept the toast because it’s the same piece of bread regardless of how it looks, Gracie tells Aviva that she “doesn’t know anything about food” and that she wants daddy to make her toast the “right” way.

Every summer, about two weeks before the beginning of school, my phone lights up at an alarming rate. With staggered start dates around the country, the concerns about back-to-school anxiety come in waves and continue through most of the fall. Good news: you’re not alone.