Child-rearing can be difficult, so learning positive techniques to help you manage your child is very important. The more tricks and tools you have up your sleeve, the better parent you will become.
Don’t push your child into anything before they are ready, such as potty training or walking, simply because their older sibling did it when they were a certain age. Each child is unique, and pushing one to do something when they simply are not ready, can only lead to an even longer delay in attaining the desired skill.
Stay with the same routine at night to get your child ready for bed. Having a predictable routine gets their sleep patterns regulated and they won’t fuss at bedtime because they know it is part of their daily routine. He or she will associate the nightly routine of bathing, pajamas and story-time with an impending bedtime. Your child is less likely to show opposition if he knows what to expect.
Reflective Material
Place retro-reflective material on all children who go to school in order to make their backpack and clothing stand out. You can buy this reflective material in strips that have Velcro. This material can improve your child’s safety when out on the road at night, reflecting their backpack off car lights.
You should motivate your child to get involved in extracurricular activities such as joining sports teams. This will help your children to make friends, develop top-notch social skills, and widen their horizons, all of which are important on their road to and through adulthood. Also, keeping busy with these activities keeps them away from engaging in negative ones.
No two children are exactly alike. What works for one of your children, may not work at all for another child. You may have to find different ways to punish the child, and come up with new reward systems. It is important to remember what you have, and have not, tried in the past.
From the beginning, help your child realize that they shouldn’t talk to strangers. In modern society, it is difficult for you and your child to determine who might be a criminal or predator. Remind them that it is okay to firmly use the word “no” and immediately walk in the opposite direction.
During potty training, take your child to the bathroom every few hours. They haven’t quite learned yet how to communicate to you that they need to eliminate and may only do so after it’s too late. Prevent accidents caused by this by putting your child on the potty every two hours whether they need it or not. This will help him remember that he might need to go.
Consider the message that your child is receiving from you. Your children need to know that they are able to trust you.
Our hope is that this article has given you some valuable, meaningful, commonsense ideas about how to most effectively parent your child or children. Even if you are not sure what to do, you will now know where you can turn to find the advice you need.