Although raising children is one of the – if the the single most – common human experiences, parenting is not a skill that comes naturally to every adult. Parents should not feel guilty about this fact. Every child is different, and the key to raising him or her right might come out of a process of self-education on the parents’ part. Check out this article for some helpful general information for new parents.
Make sure you’re teaching example. Your child is much more apt to learn behaviors when you exhibit these behaviors. It’s been proven that children learn mimicking those around them. So if you’re telling your kids not to yell in the house and you’re doing it, they’re more likely to follow what you do than what you say.
Don’t come up with a “one size fits all” idea of discipline. When disciplining your children, realize that they all respond differently to correction. While a time-out might be what one child needs in order to comply, that same method might not work for another. Find what each child responds best to: time-outs, confiscating toys, or extra chores, and then run with that.
Spend time with your children. While there has been a movement in recent years for parents to focus on “quality time” with their children, most children simply want “quantity time”. Even if you’re not doing anything, your child enjoys being around you – savor it. In addition, spending time interacting with young children is vital to their intellectual development.
For parents who have children that like to sleep in your bed, it is important that you get them to sleep in their own bed. This is because the older a child gets, the harder it will be to stop the habit. When they come into your bed, immediately put them back into theirs.
If your toddler is trying to climb out of his or her crib, lower the mattress if it is possible. This is because if a child is able to climb out of their crib, and they fall out, they could seriously injure themselves. Also, make sure to remove crib bumpers.
Here’s a cool tip for parents of twin babies: Paint your ba twins’ toenails to help tell them apart. As infants, even fraternal twins can look so alike that it can be impossible to know who is who, especially when you are sleep deprived. Assign a color of nail polish to each child and paint just one toenail of each to keep straight who is who!
A great parenting tip is to always be direct, yet calm whenever you have some sort of problem. This will demonstrate to your child how they should react in similar situations. If you’re passive aggressive, your child might respond to problems in a passive aggressive way which won’t benefit them.
The source of parenting skills is not nearly as important as their effects. Parents should consider any useful parenting instruction worthwhile. The tips in this article are just a small sample of the information available. If a parent continues to educate him or her self, valuable parenting assistance is sure to reveal itself.
