Accepting the responsibility of parenthood is one of the most exciting experiences in life. This article provides advice on some of the most common child-rearing concerns.
Taking some time to pursue your own interests shows your children that different people have different interests, and talents. Spending time on your own doing the things that you enjoy allows you to maintain your own sense of individuality.
Never feed a toddler or infant soda pop, even if it is diet. Give your baby nutritious beverages, like milk and sugar-free juices; water is also important for proper hydration.
“Me time” is extremely beneficial to parents and these brief periods of time without the kids should occur at regular intervals. Get a member of your family to babysit them, even if he or she can only watch them for a couple hours. If parents don’t have time away from their kids, they often get more stressed, which increases the amount of tension in the house.
Regardless of age, any child who walks to his or her school should wear retro-reflective materials as part of an outfit or on a backpack. You can buy this reflective material in strips that have Velcro. In the winter months when light is scant, reflective tape or strips increase the visibility of your child to drivers.
If children live in your home, avoid smoking in the house. In fact, consider simply quitting smoking for good. Secondhand smoke is equally as harmful as actually smoking. Children who are exposed to second-hand smoke experience a higher incidence of respiratory issues such as asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia.
If your child is not having an easy time cutting teeth, try putting cucumbers, carrots, or sour pickles in their mesh teether. Other ways of relief might work, but your child will tend to continue chewing on something that has a taste. The longer a child uses this tasty teether, the more relief they will feel and the happier you both will be.
Focus on creating a clear, positive set of household rules without being too prohibitive. This makes it easier for all family members to coexist peacefully. Rather than saying “no hitting,” for instance, tell children to “touch gently.”
If you are going to take your children on a long road trip, stop as often as you can to keep them from getting too cranky. Your natural temptation might be to hustle through the journey as fast as you can, but a relaxed pace, with plenty of pauses, will cut down on backseat squabbling. There plenty of places to stop along the way, like restaurants, parks, or anywhere with some open area to let your children stretch their legs out.
Make sure to pack comfort items for your child if you take them on a trip. While a vacation is meant to be a fun time of rest and relaxation for the family, young children may view it as a disruption to their routines. If you keep some favorite and familiar toys from home, you can help a child adjust to a new place.
This article should give you a good start on your way to becoming a good parent. You also need to realize that being a parent isn’t the same for each person or even different children. The right choice can change from one parent and child to another. You are free to use your own judgment and taste to pick out the suggestions that you feel will be most helpful to you. As your children grow and develop, so will you. So enjoy each moment of this special time in your child’s life.