It can be difficult to maintain a strong relationship with your children. With work responsibilities and the stress of everyday life, parents sometimes forget to cherish the small moments with their kids.

Creating a strong relationship can be difficult as children grow up and their interests change. Here are 10 things to help you build a stronger relationship and create memories with your daughter that will last a lifetime:

1. Go on a parent-child date

Taking your daughter on a date is a great way to get personalized one-on-one time with her. You can plan a dinner out, a movie night together, go out for breakfast or make dessert together. It's all about spending quality time with her like you spend on date nights with your significant other.

2. Do something adventurous

Don't spend all your time together watching TV. Make sure you go do something with your daughter where the two of you can talk and play together. Go rollerblading, go on a bike ride or just roll down a grassy hill. You don't have to do anything dangerous, but do something that will get your daughter's adrenaline going. She'll think you're the coolest parent ever.

3. Make a craft together

Making a craft together will give you and your daughter something tangible that represents your relationship. Making crafts allows both parties to be creative and make something that is truly unique. Make something you can display in your home to give your daughter a sense of pride in her work.

4. Give each other a manicure

Nail polish can be messy, but every little girl loves trying mommy's beauty supplies. If you're worried about harmful chemicals on your daughter's nails, look for brands that are all-natural and safe for even the tiniest nails. While you paint her nails, you can ask her questions or tell stories.

5. Give her a massage

Whether your daughter is young or old, she'll definitely enjoy a massage. You can rub her back, massage her feet or rub lotion into her hands. She'll feel more relaxed, and you'll love the time you get to spend with her.

6. Read a book together

Reading books together is a great way to strengthen a relationship. Reading with your daughter will giver her the one-on-one time she needs while exposing her to new ideas and creativity.

You can create a special spot in the house as a reading nook for the two of you, and you can keep a list of your favorite books together. Turn this into a weekly habit of visiting the library together to find your next book.

7. Take turns telling stories

Kids love hearing stories from their parents. It's fun for them to learn more about their parents and to picture them as kids. Tell your daughter stories about when you were growing up. Then, you can ask her to tell a story.

You could also tell her made-up stories, and ask her to make some up too. This will get her to use her imagination and it will be entertaining for both of you.

8. Just snuggle

Sometimes kids just want a good snuggle, and you could probably use one too. It's nice to hug and be affectionate. It will show your daughter that you love her and that physical intimacy is important in a loving relationship. Plus, she may not let you hug her for long, so take advantage of the hugs while she's young!

9. Prank someone (nicely)

A fun thing you can do together is pull of a nice prank. Leave a nice note on someone's pillow for them to find, or ding-dong-ditch a plate of cookies at your neighbor's house. Pulling these nice pranks will give you two something to laugh about and will give you a unique secret to share.

10. Volunteer together

Bonding with your daughter can also include activities like volunteering. Whether you're participating in organized events or just helping some neighbors out with yard work, you will teach your daughter the importance of service while getting to spend quality time with her.

The time you spend with your daughter is priceless, so don't take it for granted. What are some of your favorite ways to bond with your kids? Let us know in the comments section!

The post 10 tender ways to bond with your little girl appeared first on FamilyToday.

Here are 10 simple ways to reduce your stress:

1. Have control of finances

The number one cause of stress in the United States is money. Being in total control of your finances is a great way to lower your stress levels. Saving for retirement, owning a home and creating an HSA can give you financial security.

2. Get enough sleep

Lack of sleep can cause much more stress than one might think. According to the American Psychological Association, 21 percent of adults feel more stressed out when they don't get enough sleep. If you are consistently losing sleep, you are turning yourself into a time bomb of stress. Take the time to recharge, and you will be able to work more effectively.

3. Plan ahead

It may seem like a no-brainer, but making time to plan out the week or a day ahead of time can be a lifesaver. Spend less time stressing about everything that needs to get done, and more time working on your to-do list.

4. Make a checklist

Along with planning ahead, writing down a checklist is a great way to visualize all you need to conquer. Being able to check something off this list allows for a feeling of accomplishment and relaxation in knowing you've gotten things done. A word of warning however, be sure the to-do list is a reasonable length to not encourage even more stress at the end of a day.

5. Set boundaries for your day

Setting boundaries such as not beginning to work before 7 a.m. or not working after 10 p.m. can ensure there is time for you to relax and unwind each day.

6. Take breaks

If your body starts to suffer from stress, take a break. During this time, use coping mechanisms or simply take a few deep breaths. While it may seem counterintuitive to take breaks, especially when there is a lot to do, doing so will motivate you and make you more efficient.

7. Have coping mechanisms

It's important to know how to cope with stressful challenges. Everyone's coping mechanisms are different, yours could be listening to music, talking to a friend, taking a power nap or do whatever helps you de-stress. Be aware of what coping mechanisms work best for you, and use them when needed.

8. Meditate

Taking time away from stressful situations is a great method for keeping anxiety at bay. Meditation helps clear the mind, makes us aware of what the body needs and prepares the mind for challenges ahead. Meditate for at least 10 minutes at the beginning or the end of the day.

9. Know how to communicate

One of the most important things for managing stress is being able to communicate with those around you about what you need. If you feel stress at work, know how to ask your boss or coworker for direction or help. If you feel stress at home, communicate to family members about what you need.

10. Organize your home

Everyone has a closet filled to the brim with extra clothes they don't need, or a room so messy you can't even see the floor. One of the biggest sources of stress is clutter. Reorganizing a desk, donating old clothing items and throwing out expired items can help clear up the visual space, which effectively clears up mental space as well.

The less unnecessary stress you have, the happier and healthier you will be. While some anxieties are unavoidable, it is important to not let them control you. Remember, most stress can be helped with simple planning and self-care.

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In today's visual-driven world, it's easy for kids to pick up on their supposed "shortcomings". More than ever, parents need to be aware of how their children feel, and what they can do to help make their kids feel better if they have low self-esteem.

Here's a list of 10 things that you can do right now to help improve your child's self-esteem:

1. Tell them what you love about them (often)

Everyone knows that kids need to hear you say that you love them. Some people don't feel the need to say the words "I love you" because they feel as if they show their love through their actions, but this is simply not enough for children. Not only do kids need to hear you say "I love you," but they also need to hear you say what it is that you love about them. Make sure they know that you notice all of their amazing qualities.

2. Don't nitpick

It's our job as parents to help correct bad behaviors in our children. But if you are constantly pointing out your child's flaws, that's all that they will notice about themselves, too. Let the small stuff go and always highlight the good in your child.

3. Encourage their talents

Kids need to have something to be passionate about to feel good about themselves. Let them find something they love and then be endlessly supportive of their endeavors. Like this amazing kid dancer, you never know where their talents may take them.

4. Help them have a healthy lifestyle

Help your children to feel good emotionally by feeling good physically. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables and taking time to exercise will help improve your child's mood and give them much more energy to learn, work hard and love the things they do.

5. Take care of their hygiene

Trying to get children to brush their teeth or their hair is often a battle parents don't want to fight. However, neglecting things like oral health can have serious consequences for a child's well-being and self-esteem later in life. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends orthodontic screening and treatment for children as early as seven years old.

6. Listen to their concerns

Kids need to know that you care about what is bothering them in their lives. If they feel like they can't talk to you, they can believe that no one cares about their problems. This can lead to emotional problems and lower self-esteem as they grow into young adults.

7. Apologize

You might feel like you are the authority figure in the relationship, making it seem like you shouldn't have to apologize, but that's not the case. Parents have great opportunities to be the shining example to their children, teaching them how to act and what to do should they ever find themselves in a similar situation.

Also, with apologies comes respect. A relationship of love and respect in the early stages of a child's life helps them grow into loving and respectful adults.

8. Treat them with respect

While you and your child are not peers, that doesn't mean that kids are less-deserving of the respect you ask of them. If you respect them, they in turn will respect you. A respected child will have higher self-esteem than a child who isn't respected.

9. Spend quality time with them

Your children need to know that they are a priority in your busy life. They need to know they are important enough for you to slow down and play with them. Make sure to set aside time every day to spend with your kids without distractions. Perhaps even make a weekly plan to do one-on-one activities that your child will remember for years.

10. Invest in their hobbies

If you treat you child's hobbies as though they are inadequate or dumb, they will start to feel like they are stupid too for liking the things that they like. If you value their hobbies, they will feel valued and validated in spending time on them.

While it is hard for kids to feel good about themselves in today's world, if you are vigilant in taking care of their physical, mental, and emotional needs, they will learn their worth early on in life. People who feel confident are people who are more motivated and able to achieve more things throughout their entire lives.

The post 10 things you can do right now to help your child’s self-esteem appeared first on FamilyToday.

1. Take the stairs

Unless you work on the 30th floor, elevators are your health nemesis. Beware of escalators and walkways as well. Experts ask that you get a solid 30 minutes of exercise daily, but science is also telling us that breaking up that 30 minutes into 10-minute blocks gives the same results. Making the decision to climb those stairs is a great way to elevate that heart rate and get your blood moving.

2. Walk while you talk

Many desk jobs require employees to do business on a phone for at least a few minutes every day. Where possible, train yourself to get up and walk around while having conversations. Headsets are pretty inexpensive and make this tip much easier to accomplish. No need to limit this tip to phone conversations, though. Walking with a coworker while brainstorming or scheduling can actually increase creativity.

3. Plan meals

Fast food and restaurant meals are loaded with extra sugar and salt that are unnecessary. By taking the time to plan an entire week of meals on Saturday or Sunday (including snacks), the vending machine stops and fast food runs can be limited. Planning meals and snacks will also give you more willpower to resist the office treats that circulate.

Going out to eat can be good occasionally; it promotes team building and a treat-yo-self Friday is sometimes necessary to get through the last day of work. But on those days when it's not a treat-yo-self kind of day, try joining your team on a lunch walk, doing some yoga together or just taking a break from sitting while you eat your homemade lunch.

4. Deskercise

It's a thing. We promise! Every hour, make a point of getting up and walking to a far bathroom or coworker's desk, doing some stretching or yoga in your cubicle or some weight exercises like calf lifts, pushups against your desk and tricep dips against your chair. Do what feels good to you to get your body moving and give your eyes a rest from the computer screen.

5. Get rid of your chair

Standing desks are wonderful, as are exercise balls as a replacement for chairs. Standing for a couple of hours every day builds muscle and may even encourage pacing.

Exercise balls improve posture and core strength. Plus, they are simply more fun than a simple office chair. Alternatives to chairs are abundant; bring up a few options to your boss and see if new seating is in the budget.

6. Try an app or wearable device

Apps like Team Better can be a great way to incentivize taking the small steps towards healthy goals. Have the office download the app and see who will win a giftcard at the end of each month!

Most wearable devices have a sedentary monitor and will buzz or alert you when you have been sitting for over an hour. Make it an office goal to get up and do 10 jumping jacks every time your wrist buzzes.

Do you feel inspired? The work you do may be fun and rewarding; don't let your office habits ruin it. Keep your body moving and working to keep your mind in tip-top shape. Implementing these tips may be hard at first, but as you get going, expect others to follow. Maybe have a floor-wide yoga session daily or a group that walks together at lunch time. Finding little ways to increase activity will make a difference in your body and how much you enjoy work. So get to it! Take a break on us.

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At first, your newborn baby is most likely not going to sleep through the night. On average, infants sleep about 17 hours a day. This sounds like a restful schedule for you, but it's really not. So what do you need to know about infant sleep patterns? The more you understand, the better prepared you'll be to ensure your infant gets the sleep he or she needs, not to mention enough rest for yourself.

How do infants sleep?

Of course, not every baby will be the same. Some will start sleeping through the night at only a few weeks while others will be take longer. For example, you might get a reverse-cycler, where your baby has day and night reversed, which you can read more about in this article by KellyMom. Depending on your schedule and feeding preferences for your baby, reverse-cycling may or may not be a good thing.

One thing you can count on is that your baby is not going to be born with a perfect sleep schedule. She might start out waking up every few hours, start reverse-cycling, stop reverse-cycling, sleep through the night a couple times, and then start waking you up again a few times a night needing a diaper change and to be fed.

During the first few weeks, your newborn will wake up hungry around every three hours on average. Some newborns are so sleepy they have to be awakened to be fed. This will stop after a few weeks, and you'll get more waking hours with your baby. The number of times he wakes up during the night will usually decrease with time. Typically, by the time your baby reaches one year, he should be able to make it through the night without waking up to be fed.

Remember to get sleep yourself

Newborns might sleep a lot, but their sporadic patterns will most likely leave you exhausted. If this is the case for you, Van Winkle's reports that background noise can help you sleep. Not only can white noise help you sleep, but it can be good for your baby, too. If you don't have a fan or something else to make a constant noise, there is an app for white noise or lullabies that can help babies (and you) sleep better.

Know the signs of your tired baby

How do you know when your baby is tired? She will be grumpier and fussier than usual, she may rub her eyes or cry. Don't wait too long after she starts showing signs that she is tired. That will only make it more difficult for your little one to fall asleep. Recognize the signs quickly so you can get your baby in a pattern of going to sleep right when she starts to get sleepy.

Establish a routine

Infants are like adults in the sense that having a specific bedtime routine can be helpful. For example, do bathtime right before bed, listen to music or read a book. Don't run around, energetically singing and talking to them, and playing with toys the same as you would during the day. Have a calm, bedtime routine that lets them know it's nighttime, and do just the opposite during the day. Go about your normal daytime routine. If you tiptoe around the house all day so as not to wake the napping baby at three in the afternoon, just as you would do at night when people are sleeping, your baby won't understand the difference between night and day. You can also check out tips from other parents on Owlet for how to get your baby to sleep.

The most important thing to remember is to be patient. And after a couple months, try to set up a schedule to get your child used to a routine. Every baby is different, and it will take some time to learn what your baby is all about.

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