It may seem draconian to institute 'house rules', but if children are expected to behave in certain ways, you have to let them know what the rules are! House rules are those simple rules that ask your family to comply in certain ways, such as always taking shoes off when you get home, washing your hands before meals, remaining at the dinner table until you have finished your meal, keeping your bedroom tidy and so on.

When teaching your children the discipline you wish them to follow, you need to state your rules clearly. There's no need to write them down, indeed, young children won't be able to read them even if you do! But giving clear guidance as to what they should or should not be doing makes it easier for your children to learn and abide by your rules.

House rules might be based on manners or good behaviour; growing children learn by knowing what the rules are or where boundaries lie. Once they have a clear set of rules in mind, their broader behaviour will also be guided by these principles. Many rules will be obvious and simply reinforce good behaviour, you may have your own quirky rules that other parents might not apply; there's no harm in that at all, but do ensure that you apply any such rules consistently in your own home.

It is quite legitimate that parents be exempted from rules - children must learn that adults enjoy privileges that they one day will also grow into. However, if the rules don't apply to yourself or other adults in your home, then make sure that your children are aware of this so that they don't see non-compliance from adults as a green light to ignore rules themselves!

When it comes to parenting, everyone does things differently, but there are four main styles of parenting that most of us fall into - what sort of parent are you?

Authoritative Parenting sees parents explaining rules and reasoning with their children, and explaining their expectations.  Parents will often forgive their children rather than punish them, but when they do punish, they explain why and take care that the child understands.  Parents accept age-appropriate behaviour but expect a level of maturity and in return, offer a level of independece.

Authoritarian Parenting takes a strict approach, requiring conformity to rules with parents demanding high expectations that their children may find difficult to fullfil.  Such parents may punish rather than reason with their children, and may be less open to understanding to the individual needs of children.

Permissive Parenting takes a more open approach to parenting, allowing children to express themselves as they wish, and giving them the freedom to do as they wish.  Parents are responsive to the needs of their children but do not enforce behaviour.  Children brought up in an indulgent way may find it difficult to accept authority later in their lives but at the same time, may adapt to independent life better than children parented in other ways.

Neglectful Parenting describes a much more hands-off approach where parents are disengaged from their children - they lack warmth and involvement in their childrens' daily lives.  They provide basic needs but neglect to nurture their children or offer the emotional support that other children enjoy.

Childminders also care in similar ways and for the best results, childminders should take on children who are being nurtured in a style similar to their own.  A sympathetic environment beyond their family life will help to comfort children rather than confuse them.  Similarly, if you are seeking a childminder for your children, try to identify your own style of parenting and look for a childminder that appears to work in a similar way.

Children today hear so much praise, but too much general praise is not necessarily good for them.  Rather than shower them with hollow priase every time they do something, observe what they do and point out the particular things that impress you.  So rather than "that's a brilliant painting!" every time they splash some paint on a page, notice particular elements of the picture and show that you are really looking closely.  "I like that big yellow sun and the tree."  This shows them that you appreciate what they've done, rather than just winning some meaningless praise.  So, notice what they specifically do, "You slid down that slide and landed safely on both feet!", rather than "Well done - that was a great slide!"

That said, praise where you think it is deserved.  If your little one bristles with pride then that's great.  Just don't over do it!  To be honest, praise is a great parenting tool and its's an easy - and free - way of enforcing good behaviour in children.

It's a daunting moment when you arrive home with your first baby for the first time. Your life changes in a BIG way, suddenly everything revolves around your new bundle of joy! Initially you might be nervous and even fearful about the responsibility, and this is a time you need support more than any other time. Your new baby is, to you, the most important thing in the world, but you must not forget yourself! You may find yourself sleep deprived and exhausted for the first few weeks of parenthood, but unless you keep yourself in good health you will only make early parenting more difficult. Make sure that you receive enough food and sleep to keep going; babies are much more resilient than you might at first believe; if you can keep yourself fit, healthy and happy, you are creating a better environment for your baby to grow up in.