Having children is an amazing event. Actually surviving raising those children takes some perseverance. Too many people are afraid to learn new ways to parent their children. Take some time to read this article and learn some great new tips that may help you survive the parenting years.
To become a better parent, give yourself a break from time to time. Everyone needs a little adult only time and allowing yourself to enjoy it will make you a better parent. This time just for yourself will help to alleviate stress, and make you feel like a more well rounded individual.
Do not put work above your child. Of course it is necessary to work in order to support yourself and your family, but if you are never around, your child is going to feel like you are a stranger, which will make them not want to trust you or be close to you.
Having a picky eat can be very difficult at times. Make sure you are offering them plenty of different foods. Also make sure to serve their favorite foods often as long as they are healthy. Have them at least try one bite before they decide not to have any of it.
A great parenting tip is to not always let your child get what they want. If you let your child get what they want all the time, they’ll go through life thinking they’ll never have to hear the word “no”. Be reasonable with your child and tell them “no” when you need to.
As kids get to be older, they can still have the same difficulty in calming down as they had when they were small babies. You can provide them with a place to calm themselves by throwing a blanket over a table to give them a safe cocoon type place to regroup.
An important tip for young parents is to make time each day to read to your child. Exposing children to books and illustrations is a great way to introduce them to language and art. By doing this, you will help build their vocabulary and help them get ready to learn once they enter school.
When trying to get your kids to eat their food while they are being stubborn, it is very important to try and make the process fun for them. They don’t yet understand the great tastes and necessities of eating, so the only thing you as a parent can rely on, is that they have fun!
Regardless of how much your children may want one, do not allow them to have a television in their bedroom. There have been numerous studies that have shown that children that have TVs in their bedrooms sleep less hours than other children and they tend to weigh a bit more.
Your kids will still love you if your put yourself first. In fact, it will teach them to respect themselves which will in turn make them healthier, happier people when they have their own kids. Taking time for yourself leads you to be calmer, more rational, and a better parent overall.
Babies
If your baby or young child has diarrhea, make sure to give them Pedialyte and lots of fluids. Just like adults, babies and young children get dehydrated after they have had excessive diarrhea, which can cause severe health problems. If your child has diarrhea for more than a few days, bring him or her to the doctor.
Learn the signs of a baby on a nursing strike. Many parents experience a nursing strike and take that to mean that the baby is ready to wean. Actually babies go through periods where they are just less interested in breastfeeding in general. Babies do this generally when they are going through large developmental leaps. Just keep offering and they will come back to normal feeding rhythms.
Get your twins on the same schedule as soon as you can. Having two babies on two separate schedules can end up being the death of you. You have to get your rest where you can but twins who are hungry and sleepy at different times will keep you from doing so. If one wakes up hungry, feed him and then wake up the other one. Make sure to lay them down at the same time. It won’t take long before they start getting on the same schedule.
Many parents of twins purchase multiple cribs when they are putting together the nursery only to find out that their babies want to sleep together. Don’t buy two cribs until after you have had the babies. Some babies however will never be able to fall asleep if in the same crib. Find out which type of children you have before making the investment in a new crib. If you do want to buy it early, make sure they have a good return policy just in case.
Invest in swaddling blankets for your babies. Swaddling replicates the feeling of security that a baby had in the womb. For a newborn, this may be one of the only ways that they will feel comfortable enough to sleep. You can search online for videos on techniques for a proper baby swaddling.
As kids get to be older, they can still have the same difficulty in calming down as they had when they were small babies. You can provide them with a place to calm themselves by throwing a blanket over a table to give them a safe cocoon type place to regroup.
If your baby is breastfeeding, make sure that your child’s pediatrician or family doctor uses the World Health Organization growth charts intended for breastfed babies. Your baby may grow differently from formula-fed babies and these charts, better reflect the standard growth patterns for infants and toddlers that are nursing.
A parent’s job is never done, but making it through those first 18 years is a not so difficult. There are a million things that we can learn about how to parent but the most important thing is that whatever you do, you do with love. Keep learning, and keep loving and your kids will be the better for it.