Most of the time, learning how to be a parent can only be done on-the-job. A variety of resources are available to improve being a parent skills, but the most important thing is common sense. Doing research allows you to be a confident parent who uses intuition and second-hand knowledge.
Be honest when talking to your child, and be honest when they are around you. Let your children know they can count on you and trust you.
Lay your child on the counter in the kitchen and lay a rolled towel under his neck; use the faucet water and put it on his hair and scalp. If your child is afraid of having their head underwater, or does not like water poured directly on their head, this will making washing their hair much less stressful for everyone.
“Me time” is extremely beneficial to parents and these brief periods of time without the kids should occur at regular intervals. Ask a relative to take care of your children while you do something relaxing. Parents can get stressed from the constant demands of bringing up a child and need to take the time for themselves to to relax, which will have a positive benefit on the entire household.
Do not smoke in your home if you have children living with you. As a matter of fact, this is an excellent reason to just quit. Secondhand smoke is just as bad as actually smoking. Exposure to second-hand smoke puts children at higher risk for respiratory conditions like pneumonia, asthma or bronchitis.
Every child has his or her own unique character. Successful approaches you developed to parent one child may have no effect at all on your next one. This applies to both punishments and rewards. Remember which techniques work well, and which ones do not.
When you are a parent, it is especially important to make time for taking care of your own needs. Even if you’re having a stressful and hectic day go ahead and take some time to relax, you want to re-energize yourself. You will feel better, and your children will be happier as a result.
If a parent has a child who suffers from ADHD or other behavioral disorders, the parent may find it hard work to keep the child busy. These children have tons of energy and they can misbehave if they are not kept busy. Get your child involved in as many active pursuits as possible! Try going to the park or going for bike rides.
Parents should focus on positive reinforcement when they need to deal with a child’s difficult or negative behaviors. Remember that children do not always understand their emotions; nor do they have the skills to express their feelings. One of the best ways to help them is to show them how they can express themselves properly.
Anger is rarely useful for parents. The adult should be responsible for controlling their feelings of anger. Anger displayed in the presence of children can damage their self-esteem and provides a negative model for dealing with frustration. Especially avoid getting angry if the event wasn’t caused on purpose.
As the article above stated, child-rearing is a process and is not just about letting things happen naturally. To improve your skills as a parent, use the information presented in this article when you have to deal with the challenges that many parents face.