Sometimes being a parent can feel like a challenge or a mystery. You do not have to worry unduly about it, though. No one is born with a complete, innate set of parenting skills. Learning how to raise your kids is a natural part of the process. Here are some tips for being a better parent.
Try to make sure that you never force a child to eat. If it is mealtime and they simply refuse, accept that and offer up nutritious foods when they do become hungry. If a child is truly hungry, he will eat what you put in front of him.
If your child has a problem with wetting the bed, it is important that you get the problem addressed as soon as possible. You do not want your child to be a teenager and still wet the bed. There are medications available that help to stop a child from bed wetting.
Discipline is important when raising children, but punishment can ruin a child’s future. Making the distinction between loving correction and angry retribution is critical; a child must learn to trust you before they will truly change their behavior. To build love and trust between your children (while also correcting their wrong actions) repeat the fact that you love them, even in discipline. Also, wait until you are calm before delivering discipline; never act in fury.
It is important that you properly discipline your toddler when they bite you or someone else. Letting them get away with biting will just make them think it is okay. To show your toddler that you mean business, firmly tell them they cannot bite or take away their favorite toy.
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.
As you buckle your child into his or her car seat, you should check to ensure that the shoulder straps are snug – not tight enough to cause red marks or indentations, but not loose enough that the child could wiggle out of the harness. To check whether or not the shoulder restraints are too loose or tight, try to pinch the straps together above the buckle. You should not be able to pinch them together.
If you have multiple children, keeping up with all of their prescriptions can be quite a challenge. Walgreens and other chain pharmacies offer iPhone and smart phone apps that allow you to scan the bar code on your child’s prescription medication and access information on fill dates, directions and refill status.
Don’t constantly compare your children to others, especially when they are very young. Each child develops at his own rate and many of the earliest milestones do not mean anything about the long term traits of your child. Just because Jimmy speaks faster does not mean that he will have a higher intelligence.
When raising teenagers, it may seem as if you are always focusing on the negative things they do. It is important to take some time out and praise them for some of their positive accomplishments. If all they hear is negative, it pushes them down, try some positive reinforcement; you will like the results you get from your teen.
A great parenting tip is to learn to speak to your child at their level. Don’t just bark orders at them all the time. They’ll just feel like they have no connection with you if you do that. Remove your ego, and learn to communicate better with your child.
A key parenting tip is to become active in your child’s school environment and activities. Becoming acquainted with the instructional staff and their curriculum goals can greatly help your child fulfill their true potential. This will enable you to work alongside your son or daughter and assist them when needed.
When you review helpful parenting advice like that above, you are doing a great service to your children and yourself. You make parenting less work and more fun. Self-education takes the mystery and the challenge out of parenting. What you are left with is the exciting adventure – the happy and heart-warming task of bringing your kids up well.