For a simple recipe you follow the instructions and mix the ingredients and hey presto you're a cooking success. However when it comes to parenting it is not so easy, even with a proven recipe by the time you through exhaustion, tiredness, sickness and all of the other wide range of surprises into the mix being a parent is not so straight forward. So if you a new parent relax, when your kids have grown up and left home you'll finally be an expert, a bit late I know but until then just take on board some advice from others (and ignore stuff that doesn't suit you) and muddle through like everyone else does. If you are having trouble with the recipe just keep adding extra dollops of love and that will go along way to childhood raring success. Have you just discovered that you are going to become a mother and that suddenly you seem to have all these cravings which may seem crazy to a normal person like having pickles or ice cream in the middle of the night? Most mothers to be experience these cravings during their pregnancy. And the most common foods that most women crave for are chocolates, ice cream, pickles, fruits which give a tangy feeling in the mouth and chips.No one knows why these cravings actually occur and that too only when a woman is in the process of becoming a mother. A normal woman who is weight conscious will certainly not go near these foods but these same women when they become pregnant crave for these foods and have them to satisfy their cravings.It is Mother Nature who is actually behind these cravings. This is because women need all those extra calories as their growing baby is taking away all the nutritious so they have to supplement for what they are losing in their bodies. The growing babies inside the woman require plenty of vitamins and iron and calcium for the complete formation of the bones and other tissues etc. So the babies absorb all nutrients fro the mother. The intending mother should find healthy and satisfying snacks to satisfy these cravings. It is certainly not easy to find such healthy snacks. Most of the foods are just empty calories and do not provide good nutrition. Most pregnant women eat just about anything to satisfy their cravings for the moment they do not stop to think whether the food is nutritious or not or whether their baby will benefit from it.If you a new mother and have these cravings for food but you want to eat only nutritious foods so that you and your baby both benefit then it is best that you start looking for information on recipes for Mother hood. You will be able to find plenty of books on this topic written by mothers who have undergone the same symptoms during their pregnancies and how they managed to take nutritious food. They will also give the recipes for such food which you can prepare and have.There is another place where you can scout for recipes. That is the internet and it saves you the trouble of going to the bookstore. You can sit comfortably at home and browse through all the web sites under the title Recipe for Motherhood. You will so many interesting articles on the subject that you will surely gain a lot of information. There will be articles by moms who have experienced similar symptoms that you are undergoing and they would have written what they did to tackle their cravings etc. Effective Parenting One of the most fulfilling jobs in the world which is also the toughest is to raise children and it is in this field that the parent is least prepared as there are certainly no educational institutions to teach anyone how to be a good parent and award certificates on successful completion. The best way to be an effective parent is only through the trial and error method.The child sees itself through the parent’s eyes. So your very words and actions as a parent affect the child’s self esteem. Never belittle or make your child feel worthless when comparing with other children instead praise your child’s accomplishments so that it will make him or her feel proud. Make positive statements to your child.Always make sure to praise your child whenever he or she does something good. Passing compliments to your child for his good behavior will help him grow up into a healthy adult .Reward them with hugs and kind words and lots of unconditional love.Be consistent with your discipline and always set limits for your child to follow. This helps the child to differentiate between acceptable and non acceptable behavior. Being consistent teaches your child what to expect from you.Make your children your top priority in your life no matter what. With working parents it is difficult to spend plenty of time with children. But it is important that what ever time you spend with your children is really quality time which does not make them feel that they are missing you when you are not there. Teenagers need more undivided attention from their parents than younger children as the time spent between them is far less as the opportunities become lesser. Be a good role model for your child to follow. Children love to imitate their parents when they are growing up. Be constantly aware that your children are observing your every behavior and make sure to cultivate and express good qualities like honesty, respect to others, friendliness, kindness and tolerance as your children are sure to pick up these good qualities very fast from you.Make communication your other priority as you must reason with children to make them understand and learn from their mistakes. Always make your expectations clear like what you actually want from them. And this can be realized only through effective communication.