Parenting is one of the hardest, yet most enjoyable jobs ever. How can one person touch our hearts and drive us crazy all at the same time? Since parenting is no easy task, we have some tips that can help make parenting a little easier for your and your child.
As a parent, possibly the most important thing you can do for your children is provide them with a moral compass. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to instill a particular set of religious values, but make sure they have a clear sense of right and wrong. Children with a solid moral grounding are more likely to grow into adults you can be proud of.
Being around your children a lot can be very stressful. Make sure you take time out for you. Plan a dinner date with a good friend, go for a long walk to go to the movies by yourself. That little time away will be enough for your to recharge and be the best parent you can be.
If you need to use the restroom, and your baby is upset at being placed in their carrier, turn on the bathroom fan and sink. Both of these noises mimic the sound of your heartbeat, which your baby was consistently soothed by in the womb. This technique should give you a few quiet minutes to take care of yourself.
Raising teenagers can be a challenging task, but there are some approaches that may help. For example, instead of lecturing them you should try to discuss issues with them. Make the teenager feel free to speak, provide an open forum to exchange ideas. You will find this positive approach to parenting will work wonders with your teen.
In disciplining your teen, it is important to follow through with your threats. For instance, if you take away television from your teen as a punishment, be sure to follow through with enforcing this. Otherwise, they will see your threats as idle and having no meaning, and you will lose any control over them.
A great parenting tip is to not try and fill your child’s head with your own opinions and beliefs all the time. It is understandable that you want the best for your child, but you have no right to tell them how they should think or feel about everything.
Be sure to discipline with love. If you take the time to correct your child’s actions they are sure to develop into the person that you desire them to be. Set rules and stick to them and be sure to discipline your child immediately when they break the rules that you have set for them.
If your child comes and asks you a question about something and you do not know what the answer is you should be completely honest about that. Making up something is not going to solve the issue, so it is best for you to say you do not know and offer to help them find the answer.
Listen to your kids! Even when they are infants their chattering can tell you much about how they are feeling. Whether they are an infant or a teen, however, what a child is saying or not saying is often a dead giveaway as to what might be wrong. All you have to do is listen closely and use your intuition.
When you say you’re going to do something, like a punishment, do NOT waiver. The second you give in and revoke a punishment your child will know you can be broken. If you stick to what you say then your warnings will be heeded as the child will know you go through with your word.
Teach your children good eating habits early on. Always offer at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal. Limit sweets as snacks, and encourage them to drink water, milk, or juice. The habits you teach them now will follow them throughout their life. They can help prevent obesity and other illnesses as well.
Get your child to do chores as soon as they’re able to understand what you’re saying. From an early age your toddler should be cleaning up their own toys. There is no harm in making it a game, and you can continue turning chores into competitions until your child is old enough to move out!
A great tip to help you become a better parent is to pack a healthy lunch for your child to bring to school. Don’t just send your kid off with a bag of potato chips. Make them a healthy sandwich and give them some carrots or other vegetables to snack on.
Having teens can be hard, but taking the time to talk with them, and listen to them, will have long lasting positive results. Let them know that you love them no matter what, and try to identify with what they are experiencing. Too often we parents gloss over their feelings to lay down the law, when a little understanding and a good heart-to-heart can make all the difference.
Dive head first back into childhood yourself by playing with your child. Play with your child like another child would, really take a walk in their shoes. You will learn a lot about your child in the process and build a deeper bond with the child along the way.
If you have more than one child, spend special time with each of them individually. Allow them to decide what you do together; it can be something as simple as reading a book or as complex as a special community activity. This helps you develop a stronger bond as you get to know your child without anything else distracting you.
Now that you have a few helpful tricks up your sleeve, your parenting job should be just be at least a little easier. Try our proven tips and see if you don’t get one step closer to what you believe to be an ideal parent. You have nothing to lose with our tips, and everything to gain.
