Every month, parenting.org is going to highlight a helpful hint that begins with a letter found in the word PARENTING. Each tip will help you develop the confidence and caring skills needed for this wonderful and highly active period in your child's life.

Let's start with the letter P, for Positive Discipline:

• Playing is a great tool for teaching children positive behavior and social skills. Playing with your child is an excellent way to identify his or her needs and abilities, while helping you strengthen the parent-child bond. For instance, to teach your child to follow instructions without delay, play a game of Simon Says. You might try this: "Simon says touch your nose…Simon says pick up your red toy…Simon says put your toy in the toy box." When you finish, praise your child for listening and following instructions: "Great job of listening and doing what I asked right away!" This reinforces the behavior and makes your job easier the next time you have to tell him to stop pulling the dog's tail!

  Play is also a time for building self-esteem. You can do this simply by allowing yourself to follow your child's lead. Don't criticize. Don't correct. Your child is the play expert. Just be there and participate.

In the coming weeks, look here for tips on

• Addressing problem behavior. Your child is usually more interested in your reactions to the behavior than what you have to say.
  
  

• Responding immediately. Correcting problem behavior or praising positive behavior should be done the moment it happens.

• Encouraging good behavior. Remember: If children don't get attention for good behavior, they know they can count on receiving some for bad behavior.
  
  
• Never saying never again. If you've ever said to your child, "I will never take you there again," then you know it won't be long before you're eating your words.
  
  
• Teaching versus preaching. Teaching requires you not only to show and tell children what you expect, but also to model the behavior through your own actions.
  
  
• Involving yourself in daily activities. Involvement doesn't mean having a laundry list of activities. It simply means spending time together.
  
  
• Not too much television. Most of us know that too much of anything can be bad. Television is no exception.
  
  
• Getting real. When it comes to setting expectations for toddlers and preschoolers, keep it reasonable.

Did you know? Toddlers view fellow toddlers as objects - objects that move and make noise, but objects nonetheless.