• Take a few minutes at the end of each day to connect with your children with a hug, a smile, a song or a few minutes of listening and talking.
• Find ways to engage your children while completing everyday tasks (meals, shopping, driving in the car). Talk about what you are doing, ask them questions, or play simple games such as "I Spy."                                 

KNOWLEDGE OF PARENTING AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT: Parenting is part natural and part learned. Continue to learn new things about raising children and what they can do at different ages.    

• Explore parenting questions with your family doctor, child's teacher, family or friends.
• Subscribe to a magazine, website, or online newsletter about child development.
• Take a parenting class at a local community center or social service agency.
• Sit and observe what your child can and cannot do.
• Share what you learn with anyone who cares for your child.

PARENTAL RESILIENCE: Using coping skills during stressful times and the ability to bounce back from challenges.   

• Take quiet time to re-energize take a bath, write, sing, laugh, play, drink a cup of tea.       
• Do some physical exercise - walk, stretch, do yoga, lift weights, dance.
• Share your feelings with someone you trust.
• Surround yourself with people who support you and make you feel good about yourself.

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS: Have friends, family, and neighbors who help out and provide emotional support.     

• Participate in neighborhood activities such as potluck dinners, street fairs, picnics or block parties.
• Join a playgroup or online support group of parents with children of similar ages.
• Find a church, temple, or mosque that welcomes and supports parents.  

CONCRETE SUPPORT FOR PARENTS: Work to meet your family's day-to-day needs, including housing, food, health care, education, and counseling. Know where to find help if you need it.

• Make a list of people to call for support.
• Ask the director/principal of your child's school to host a Community Resource Night, so you and other parents know what help your community offers.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE OF CHILDREN: Children need to know they are loved, feel they belong and are able to get along with others.

• Provide regular routines, especially for young children. Make sure everyone who cares for your child is aware of your routines around mealtimes, naps  and bedtime.
• Talk to your children about how important feelings are.
• Teach and encourage children to solve problems in age-appropriate ways.

Remember, this is important for children of all ages. We sometimes forget when children are in middle or high school and think of them as "young adults", but they are still children and need their parents to nurture and connect with them.

For those of us who no longer have children in our homes, this is a job for us, too. We need to connect with both parents and children of all ages. If you can give some of your time, be a mentor to a child, but it's also important to mentor parents.

Adapted from "Preventing Child Maltreatment and Promoting  

Well-Being: A Network for Action