As with any job, you must be educated on parenting, before becoming successful. Use this piece to garner the right ideas and tips to increase your quality and consistency as a parent.
Sometimes, the best reaction is no reaction at all. When your child throws a temper tantrum or fit, remain calm. Do not try to bribe him or her to behave, but also avoid making irritated or caustic remarks with the intention of threatening or shaming the child. Instead, continue speaking normally, getting chores done and addressing the child, as if he or she was not acting up.
While the advice of close friends and family can be very helpful, you don’t need to listen to the unsolicited tips from every aunt, cousin and coworker. Of course they may mean well, but at the end of the day the child is yours. The same goes for parenting tips from any other source, take them with a grain of salt.
If you have trouble getting your child to not do something, it is generally best to specifically instruct them to do something else. For example, if you do not want your child to run down the stairs, instead of stating “don’t run,” it is better to state “please walk down the stairs.” When told not to do something, a child is more likely to instinctively ignore the instruction. Also, it avoids situations where the child might decide to be clever and jump down the stairs instead.
Check toys for safety before allowing your toddler to play with them. Look for things like long cords, sharp edges, lead paint or parts small enough to swallow. This is especially important if you have older children in your home. Toys appropriate for a school-age child can be dangerous to a toddler.
If your child has a hard time settling down for bed, try white noise. You can use a dedicated white noise machine, a radio tuned to static, or even apps from your mp3 player or cell phone to create soothing background noise. Playing a relaxing song or CD on loop can also put your child to sleep.
To soothe a fussy or colicky baby, try babywearing. Using a wrap, sling, mei tai or other carrier keeps your baby snuggled close to your body, and he or she can feel your movements and hear your heartbeat. Your baby may even nap in the carrier, allowing you to do housework or have your hands free for other tasks.
Homework can become very frustrating for children. Sometimes, the amount of homework our children bring home can seem daunting, to say the least. When your child seems too stressed-out during his evening sessions, try suggesting a homework time-out to ease the tension. Having a snack, drink, or maybe just some conversation about his day will sometimes do the trick. Breaking the work up into more manageable tasks can help as well.
As was stated in the beginning of this article, being a good parent is really a matter of proper education and information. If you know the right ways to handle the struggles of parenting, it doesn’t have to be as difficult as it is made out to be. Apply the advice from this article and you’ll be well on your way to being a great parent.
