Being a parent is hard work but it does have great rewards. Children are our best chance to make a difference in the world. What they become depends on how they are raised, taught and the opportunities they are given. They depend on their parents for everything for the first dozen years of their life.
Hold your breast with your fingers underneath and holding your thumb on the top when breastfeeding. Use the hand you use the most to support the head and the other hand for holding your breast. Place the nipple near his nose and he will open wide to take it in. This will provide the best latch for success.
Learn this trick for the best way to release the baby from the breast. When he is done eating on one side, take your pinkie and bring it in between your breast and the baby’s gums. This will release the suction allowing you to take him off the breast. Whatever you do, don’t try to pull him off, it will hurt.
Do not try to introduce the bottle to a normally breastfeed baby who is hungry. A hungry baby will not understand what the bottle is for and will reject it immediately because he at this point only associates food with the breast. Get the baby used to the bottle when they are not hungry so that they can learn that it provides food as well.
If you have multiple children, keeping up with all of their prescriptions can be quite a challenge. Walgreens and other chain pharmacies offer iPhone and smart phone apps that allow you to scan the bar code on your child’s prescription medication and access information on fill dates, directions and refill status.
If your children are playing with toys and sets that have dozens of tiny pieces or parts, use a cookie sheet as a sort of place mat. The raised edges will prevent small pieces from being scattered around and lost forever. And clean-up is simple: just tilt the cookie sheet and pour everything back into its box or container.
If you are cutting your child’s bangs and can’t seem to make them look right, do not trim them from ear to ear. Try starting at the end of one eyebrow and cutting in until you get to the end of the other eyebrow. This will make your child’s bangs look like they were professionally cut.
A great parenting tip is to give your children some privacy sometimes. If you’re always paranoid about what they’re doing or who they’re hanging out with, you can lose a lot of your children’s trust. Learn to back off from time to time and let your children have some privacy.
The internet can have a big influence on teenagers today. They can end up spending a lot of time on online social media and watching internet videos. It is important to regulate what your teen has access to, to ensure they are getting influenced by appropriate information. You should move the computer into a family area for more control. You will see a positive difference in your teen.
Use your smart phone as a baby monitor. If you are visiting someone’s home or you are on vacation and do not have your monitor, you can download an application that will let your phone function as a monitor. If the baby makes a noise, your phone will call a number that you put into the application.
Using win/win negotiating strategies to help resolve the every day disputes that often arise between siblings can go a long way to help reduce fighting. When children quarrel, focus on trying to help them see that there is a solution that will get everyone’s needs met. Ask for their suggestions first and then offer more of your own.
Make sure you have your child’s password for any social media sites so you can easily monitor on-line activities. Whether you ever log on to their account or not, knowing you can encourages your child to be more responsible with the information or photographs shared and their interactions with others.
For toddlers who are picky about their meals, add vegetables that have a strong flavor. Adding a cup of finely shredded carrots to spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce is undetectable, as is mixing yogurt into mashed potatoes. Both methods get your toddler much needed vitamins and nutrients without them even knowing it.
Engage your older children in making sure your home is safe for a baby or toddler. While older children enjoy more freedom in the household, they may not understand why their small toys or art supplies are dangerous to their younger sibling. Explain the dangers and involve them in keeping your home safe for everyone.
One of the most important things to remember when raising a child is to stay calm. No matter how angry or upset you get, you need to take a deep breath and calm down before you react. If you react while you’re upset or angry, you’re liable to make rash decisions that you’ll regret.
Always praise your children for the things they do correctly. Punishment won’t work if you don’t also reward your kids. They have to have the balance of both to remember that doing good is worth it. Even if it’s just a kind word, reward your children for their good behavior.
Start teaching your child to do chores at a young age. Even a 3-year-old can be taught to do basic chores, like feeding the dog or picking up toys. This will instill in your child the idea that he plays an important role in the family. It will boost his self-esteem.
Parenting isn’t a 24 hour job. Being included into a child’s life requires a level of moderation when it comes to how immersed a parent is. When children are young they require a lot of attention, but as they grow up it’s wiser to let them mature on their own. Often the children who have the least amount of social skills are the ones who have most of their decisions decided for them by others, namely their parents.
Even though most parents work hard to give their children everything they need, sometimes it is not enough. I have two children and four grandchildren and believe the one thing children need from their parents is to know they are loved. Just giving them material things is not enough.