With the amount of books and videos available, you would think that everybody would be an expert on parenting by now. Unfortunately this is not the case because people are either getting bad advice, or they choose to not act on the advice that they are given. Use the advice provided in this article to help you be a great parent.
Sometimes, unpleasant disciplinary actions must be handed down. “First, feelings; then discipline,” is a highly effective approach that begins with a positive statement that acknowledges the child’s feelings (right or wrong) and then explains your reason for setting the disciplinary consequences. This can help reduce the levels of resentment following the action.
Do not feel ashamed if you want to take parenting classes. These classes are made to help parents cope with the stresses and difficult decisions that come with parenting. By taking these classes, you are showing that you are willing to do whatever it takes in order to improve your parenting skills.
If you plan to travel with preschoolers or toddlers, bring along familiar comforting items. Your child may become distressed if you take them somewhere new. Giving children a special toy or security blanket helps them in big changes.
Never taunt or belittle your child, even in a joking manner. A child’s self esteem is nurtured or injured from the beginning of life by his parents. Instead of telling your child, “You did that wrong”, try saying “Good job! Now let’s try to do it another way.” The smile you receive from this positive comment will tell you how much your child counts on you to develop positive feelings about life.
If you have a teenager of pre-teen that is unhappy with their weight, the best thing you can do as a parent is convince them they are fine just the way they are. Many teenagers turn to eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia, because their parents are not supportive.
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 sooth a colicky baby try some skin on skin contact. If you are breastfeeding you can place them against your stomach and offer them some food. You may find that talking to them in a soothing voice or singing a lullaby may stop the tears. You should always stay calm when dealing with an infant, if you find that you are becoming frustrated, take a break by handing your baby to a spouse or other trusted family member.
Let your child go barefoot as much as possible. There are multitudes of adorable footwear these days to adorn your little ones tootsie’s, but for the health of baby’s feet, barefoot is the way to go. Many pediatricians suggest that non-constraint of a child’s feet will promote their natural growth and your child would probably say it’s a lot more comfortable, anyway!
Allow your child an appropriate level of independence. For example, when your child is ready to walk to school by himself, consider whether or not it is reasonable and NOT whether or not you feel comfortable with it. You’ll never be totally at ease with letting your child do things on his own, so just relax and let him have some leeway.
To be a good parent you need to understand what the behavior of your child is. You need to know what makes them react a certain way and what things can be done to relieve any frustration that they may have. Once you spot the warning signs you will be able to alleviate any situation.
Have fun with your family and spend alot of quality time together. It is important to play with your kids because this is what makes them happy and will create happy memories. Children will be less likely to act out and misbehave if they have quality time with their parents.
Start giving your child healthy treats from the beginning. By offering sugary snacks and other unhealthy treats as either the normal snack or as a reward for good behavior, you are setting up patterns that will be very hard to break. Instead build those patterns with goodies that help them build healthy choices for years to come!
In summary, you have so much information available to help you with parenting, but either have not been able to take advantage of it or nothing has really stuck with you well. The information in this article has been provided in a clear and concise manner, so hopefully you will be able to easily use it to improve your parenting skills.
How The Be The Best Parent That You Can! was originally published on Spring