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Raising children is a responsible and enjoyable task. However, it can become a burden if parents have different ideas when it comes to rules and consequences, for example. Then it's easy to say: "But I'm allowed to do that with mom!" or "Dad is much less strict!". And there's already a conflict in the room. But do parents always have to pull together when it comes to parenting? First of all, it's completely normal for parents to disagree when it comes to parenting. Familienportal.NRW has compiled information and useful suggestions to prevent these differences of opinion from becoming a constant source of contention and jeopardizing family coexistence. For a child to grow up well, they need love, security, support and age-appropriate opportunities for co-determination. By observing children's rights in everyday life, you create the best conditions for your child to grow up happy and healthy. You can find out why children's rights are needed, which children's rights are included in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and what this means for parenting here.

As soon as it is certain that a baby is on the way, everything revolves around a healthy pregnancy. Not only does the belly grow from week to week, but so does the anticipation of the new arrival. During this exciting time, parents-to-be have a particularly great need for information. Will our child be healthy? How will the routine antenatal appointments go? Where will our baby be born? Hospital? At home? Or would we prefer a birthing center? What do we need to consider when choosing a place of birth? You can find answers to these and many other questions here on Familienportal.NRW. How do we find a midwife with free capacity in the region? Get valuable tips for finding a midwife who will provide you with competent and loving support before, during and after the birth. By the way, you shouldn't wait too long to start your search. Find out important details about prenatal care, medical support and prenatal diagnostics. Good to know: Expectant mothers and parents with a disability receive special support from the state. We explain what assisted parenthood is, how it works and where to find advice centers in North Rhine-Westphalia.

It is not easy for working parents to meet the demands of their job and at the same time meet the needs of their family. This raises many questions: How can we reconcile work and childcare? How can we find the right balance between work and family? Where can we look for support so that the constant stress doesn't make us ill? It is above all the many small, often invisible tasks in the organization of everyday life that can lead to stress and excessive demands. When was the parents' evening at elementary school again? The laundry still needs to be done. And who will pick up the children from soccer tomorrow? You probably know the feeling and your thoughts are revolving around upcoming to-do's. Here on the family portal, you can find out what is meant by the term "mental load" in this context and how you can work with your partner to find sustainable solutions for organizing your everyday life and thus achieve a healthy work-life balance.

When children start school, they begin to engage more with their environment, they show new interests and their friendships become more intense and enduring. Laughing together, experiencing adventures and sharing secrets: Friendships at primary school age are particularly important when it comes to your child's development. This is when the first deeper friendships are formed. They provide emotional support and are an important training ground for developing social skills - to name just two positive characteristics. On the Familienportal.NRW you will find helpful and varied suggestions on the topic of friendship in childhood. An important task for parents now is to strengthen their child and support them in building self-esteem and self-confidence. This makes it easier for them to face challenges and form relationships with other people more quickly. In this section of the family portal, you can read about how to give your child inner strength and which tricks you should look out for as parents.

From a gentle start to school to the transition to secondary school, parents and children have four eventful primary school years ahead of them. How exciting! If your child is about to start school, it's important to prepare for the transition from kindergarten to elementary school early on and ease your child's fears. You can find lots of advice and tips on how to make it easier for your child to settle in, how to encourage and motivate them to learn with joy and curiosity on the Familienportal.NRW. In North Rhine-Westphalia, parents can decide which elementary school their child attends. There are different school concepts to ensure that your needs as a family and parent are optimally met. You can find out everything about school registration, an overview of all school concepts in NRW and which aspects you should pay attention to when making your choice here. Before the first day of school arrives, there are other very practical questions that you will have to answer: Have you already thought about the right school bag? And what about school route training so that your child can soon make their way to elementary school safely on their own? Below you will find information and recommendations on all of these topics. Family centers are a place to promote and support children and families. They offer easily accessible services and advice for almost all aspects of everyday family life. We have summarized for you how you can benefit from this and how you can get help there.

"What are we doing today?" This is probably the most frequently asked question by children of primary school age at weekends, on public holidays and during vacations. At this age, children are particularly curious, adventurous and keen to have fun with their parents. Luckily, North Rhine-Westphalia has so much to offer. The varied nature, exciting museums, natural wildlife parks and many sights are just waiting to be discovered - whether on foot or by bike. And if the weather doesn't really want to play along, you can download free classic games from us - including sinking ships and cheese boxes. The Familienportal.NRW has all kinds of tips and ideas for joint activities that are also easy on the wallet. The summer vacations are coming up - hooray! But what if you haven't planned a vacation with the family? No problem, we've collected some tips for fun-filled vacations at home. From forest bingo and geocaching to moonlight hikes. These family adventures are guaranteed to keep boredom at bay. As wonderful as vacations are, they are always a challenge for working parents. You may ask yourself: "How do we bridge the time off school?" Find out how you can ensure reliable childcare for your child during the school vacations in our article on vacation care.

At home, children experience love, security and care, can grow with new challenges and develop self-confidence. However, there are also arguments and disputes in everyday family life, for example about household rules or school topics. Conflicts are part of social coexistence and, ideally, they can be resolved together. Is your child not sticking to the agreed screen time? And bedtimes are only accepted with a lot of discussion? Every family knows them: the stressful and challenging phases as a family, which sometimes last shorter and sometimes longer. On the Familienportal.NRW you will therefore find easy-to-implement tips for dealing with family stress - with a wide range of suggestions to help you reconnect with each other. Children can also encounter arguments, conflicts or even bullying in other places: at school, after-school care or in clubs, for example. If your own child becomes a victim, parents can support their child in dealing with such conflicts and help them to avoid them. Here you can find out which solution strategies can help and where you can find specialist services and advice centers to turn to if you need professional help. Valuable tips are also provided by expert Tanja Honka from the "School Psychology and School Psychological Crisis Management" regional office.

What a milestone: your child is going to school! A new stage in life that changes the way we live together as a family and brings with it new challenges. Many new questions arise, such as whether your child will be able to cope with all the demands in class or how family life and school life can be reconciled? Or are disagreements creeping in between parents because new parenting issues are arising at this stage of life that they can't agree on? Our free parenting advice service can help you with all these and many other questions - on site, by phone or online. Don't be shy: every question is justified and your concerns will be taken seriously. Everyday life with children can be stressful, and parents need to manage their time well for hobbies, friendships and their partner. Ups and downs in a couple's relationship are quite normal under these conditions. However, if everyday family life is characterized by arguments and frustration over a longer period of time, free marriage and family counselling can help couples find their way back to each other. Because sometimes couples simply have to learn to talk to each other again, to really listen to each other and to understand each other's needs. You can find information on counseling services and contact points in your area here.

A lot of questions in the family revolve around money: How can families save money? In which areas do families receive tax relief? How high are the tax allowances for parents and children? You can find the answers to these questions in a well-structured overview on the Familienportal.NRW. You will also find an overview of state benefits for families and how to apply for them. Did you know, for example, that you can claim some of the school fees for private schools as a special expense against tax? Have you been wanting a nice home of your own for your family for some time, but don't know how to finance it? Our expert will give you tips to help you buy your own home. Pocket money is a good opportunity to talk to children about finances for the first time. But how much pocket money is appropriate for primary school children between the ages of 6 and 10? And how can I teach my child to handle money responsibly? You can find helpful information on this topic on Familienportal.NRW.

As parents, it is important for you to support your child as they grow up in a health-conscious way and help them to stay healthy, become self-confident and resilient. A healthy lifestyle and physical and mental well-being do not necessarily come automatically, especially during periods of major change. The phase from teenager to adult is one that is characterized by experimentation and trial and error. The first beer, the first all-nighters, the first self-created dishes with friends and the first dramas in relationships and with friends. Much of what young people try out during this time does not necessarily fall into the "healthy" category - both in terms of nutrition and mental health. But many things are (in moderation) part of growing up. As a parent, how can you help your child develop an understanding of a balanced diet and a good level of exercise? How can you help them to deal responsibly with stress and pressure? Find out on the Familienportal.NRW how you can promote your child's independence and health awareness and what role you play in this as a parent. Let yourself be inspired by our tips and information and support your child in growing up healthy