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Being a parent requires you to work long hours for no pay, and regularly puts you in the sort of situations you never thought you’d be dealing with. It’s easy to get aggravated or to feel out of your depth. Luckily, there are many simple things you can do to make your job as a parent more manageable. Here are some tips that will help you do just that.
If you’re wrong or you’ve made a mistake, make sure your admit it. Everyone makes mistakes and it’s important that your child knows this. If you don’t admit to your mistakes, why should you expect you child to admit to theirs? Children learn by example, so make sure you’re setting a good example for them.
Need a break from parenting but can’t afford a babysitter? Give a play date a try. A well set up play date will give your child some extra socialization and stimulation. In addition, you’ll get to enjoy some adult time with the other parents who are present.
Eat dinner with your family as often as you can. Eating dinner with your children encourages healthy eating habits. It also allows you a chance to re-connect as a family, to discuss what went on during the day. When you eat together as a family, you know where your children are and what they’re doing in the evenings, which makes it easier to curtail or control destructive behaviors.
Tell your friends and family that you plan to breastfeed and educate them as to why. Let them know that you will have moments of stress and doubt and that they should help remind you of why you are doing this. If you provide family and friends a list of reasons why they will be much more likely to encourage and support you when things get hard.
You can make your disciplinary efforts far more effective, by trying to shift the focus of your words from only highlighting the child’s wrongdoing to using positive language. Children who are repeatedly criticized, have a natural tendency to resist discipline, which in turn, leads to increased instances of fits, discipline problems and poor conduct.
Do not smoke in your home if you have children living with you. Actually, consider quitting altogether. The effects of secondhand smoke are as bad as smoking itself. Breathing second-hand smoke in childhood is linked to a variety of respiratory conditions, such as asthma and bronchitis.
Establish a relaxing, fun bedtime routine to help ensure your child a good night’s sleep. When a child is having fun playing, or excited about what he is doing, it’s a real mood-buster to hear the dreaded words, “Bedtime. Right now!” Instead, try to wind down the evening with a 15 minute warning, followed by a bedtime snack, tooth-brushing, or maybe a few minutes of cuddling on the couch. An interesting, funny, or happy bedtime story is the perfect end to your child’s routine, as it gives him some alone time with you and helps him relax on his way to dreamland!
No one can be a perfect parent, but almost anyone can be a good parent. With the advice in this article, you’ll be able to do the best you can as a parent without getting overwhelmed. Keep our tips in mind as you deal with the day to day stresses of parenting. You may find that they’re now much easier to handle.