With all the often-conflicting advice given to parents, do you sometimes wonder how any of us ever grow up to lead happy and successful lives? Do you wonder how to carry out your most important parenting responsibilities? Or even what they are? Do you know why consistency is so important in a child's life? Do you know what it means to stimulate a child's creativity and love of learning? Would you like to know what things are actually the most important, and get some ideas about how to make it work with your limited time between work schedules, home routines, and school stuff...?

While it seems insurmountable, there are some basics that, if you do them most of the time, will work -- absolutely! In this book you will learn the two most important foundations for raising terrific kids, and the three most important roles that you have for assuring your children's social and emotional health.

This short book is excerpted from the acclaimed book, "How Do Smart Kids Get Smart?" by Dr. Sharon Hill, a veteran educator. It focuses on the essential attributes of parenting during the first 5-8 years -- highly critical years -- of a child's life; years that are primarily spent with parents and perhaps a few caregivers.

This is a book about loving your children, and that love means many things -- providing for basic needs, knowing how to establish reasonable rules and apply them on a daily basis, being positive and loving even when imposing discipline, and helping them up when they fail. It's also about understanding what it is that makes all of us feel good about ourselves, and grow up with a positive outlook on life.

Being a parent is hard work.....you can't take a day off, or leave them for a few days with food and water like you do with your house pets. Children require continual love (which includes discipline), consistent stability and structure. Sometimes, given life events, you may be the only stable influence in their lives; making your love even more essential. You won't find answers to all your questions here.....but you will find out how to best relate to your children, and create a basic foundation that will lead to their success in life.

You will learn why caring and consistency are so critical; and the critical roles that you have in nurturing, challenging, and praising your children -- why it's so important, what fundamental skills kids learn, and how it affects their academic growth and achievement, emotional health, and social success.

And you will find a list of resources to get you started on your own learning journey. Raising a child is a lifelong journey, filled with lots of fun; but also lots of not-so-fun situations and events beyond our control. It requires continual learning, and an amazing capacity for loving and inspiring your children.