This is a contributed post and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Meet The Harris Family.

Becoming a parent is the most incredible experience in the world. After the long pregnancy, morning sickness, backache, stretchmarks, and labor, it all becomes totally worth it. You’re handed this beautiful little bundle of joy and they are all yours. You suddenly forget everything else in the world and you feel like you’re the only two people alive. It’s a feeling that can never truly be described, even by parents who have been through labor and childbirth multiple times. It’s understandable that you want nothing but the best for your children, and here are some little things you can do to help your children thrive in life.

• Set up savings

One thing that many parents choose to do for their child when they are young, is to set up a savings account for them. This is helpful for when they are older as they are able to pay for their college tuition, or invest it into something that’s going to help them out later in life. Even if you don’t have a large amount of cash to spare each month, putting away even a very small amount will mount up over the years and give your children an incredible start in life when it comes to them wanting to fly the nest.

• Join the PTA when they’re in school

When your children are at an age where they are starting school, it’s a good idea to join the school’s PTA (parent/teacher association). This will give you the chance to air your views on many issues that happen in school including head lice, bullying, and school trips. If you wanted to be extra helpful, you could suggest educational school trips for your school to host for your children. NST provide school trips worldwide, so it might be worth taking a look and seeing which trips would be suitable for the children at the school your child attends.

• Encourage extracurricular activities

There’s something incredible about the moment when your child comes home from school and tells you that they want to take part in an activity after school. This can be a range of different things from arts and crafts, to sporting events that they enjoy. Whenever possible, allow them to attend these extra curricular activities so that they can explore their interests and gain skills which could potentially help them later in life.

• Always let creativity flow

One thing that children have is incredible minds. They are able to create games and scenarios from almost nothing and that is truly amazing to watch. If your child shows interest in something, then let the creativity flow as much as possible! Many people have careers that have stemmed from something that they enjoyed as a child, so it’s definitely worth it!

Take these four ideas and apply them to your lives when it comes to your child’s future. Remember, these steps don’t have to be big gestures, give all that you’ve got and you can enjoy watching your children thrive.