Being a parent requires you to work long hours for no pay, and regularly puts you in the sort of situations you never thought you’d be dealing with. It’s easy to get aggravated or to feel out of your depth. Luckily, there are many simple things you can do to make your job as a parent more manageable. Here are some tips that will help you do just that.
What experts say is true– reading books to your child is very important. Children learn just about everything by reading, from colors and numbers, to shapes and letters. Experts believe that 30 minutes of book reading each night could have your child on the way to reading before they even reach kindergarten!
Use a pump or hand express milk if you are engorged and the baby is not ready to eat when breastfeeding. There are few things more painful to a new mother than having produced too much milk and not having a way to release it. Our bodies gradually start to produce only what is needed for the baby but it takes a little while to regulate. By expressing some of the milk you can reduce the pain until baby’s next meal.
Getting into an argument with your child is never fun, and when emotions are flying high, it can be easy to lose your cool and say things that you regret. When you feel yourself getting very upset, give yourself permission to take a time out. Walk out of the room, take a short walk, read a book – give yourself a chance to calm down.
If you have kids, have your home tested for lead. Young kids put just about everything in their mouth. When they accidentally ingest paint that has lead in it, they can become very sick and in some cases, they can even die. If you think your child may have ingested lead, bring them to the doctor to get a blood test.
Just like other relationships you may have in your life, communicating is the key to connecting with your child. By letting them know you are interested in what they have to say, they will feel like they can trust you. By you communicating with them, they are more likely to respect you.
Learn the signs of a baby on a nursing strike. Many parents experience a nursing strike and take that to mean that the baby is ready to wean. Actually babies go through periods where they are just less interested in breastfeeding in general. Babies do this generally when they are going through large developmental leaps. Just keep offering and they will come back to normal feeding rhythms.
Never administer medication to your child for any “off-label” conditions unless the child’s doctor has given you specific written instructions to do so. Children do not always react to medication in the same way adults do. For instance, giving a child Benadryl to help induce sleep might actually have the opposite effect of hyperactivity.
Make your kitchen baby-friendly to help you during the tough time of dinner preparation. Having an area in your kitchen set up for a baby or small toddler to play safely while still interacting with you makes them less clingy and allows you to finish meal preparation without worrying about safety.
No one can be a perfect parent, but almost anyone can be a good parent. With the advice in this article, you’ll be able to do the best you can as a parent without getting overwhelmed. Keep our tips in mind as you deal with the day to day stresses of parenting. You may find that they’re now much easier to handle.
