We all strive daily to become better parents to our kids and thankfully, it’s the little but thoughtful things that make all the difference.
5 sure fire ways to become better parents
1. Say no to comparison
It is easy to look at our children’s age mates and assume ours are not developing as fast. Maybe your bestie’s 10 months old baby already took her first step and your one year old doesn’t even seem interested. He is contented crawling fast across the room. Babies develop at their own paces, so instead of comparing, get on the floor and help your baby practice. It is not a competition. Here are simple ways to help your baby learn how to walk.
2. Avoid Labels
As you call them, so they become. That “picky eater” label will only fuel the very behavior you’d like to discourage. Once your baby believes she is a picky eater, she subconsciously. Here are examples of how to reframe your words. Use “energetic” (not “wild”), “spirited” (not “stubborn”), and “careful” (not “shy”).
3. Let Your Child Make Mistakes
It is easy to jump in and save your child every time she is about to fall or find her way around an obstacle. This is how they learn. Leave them to make their mistakes as long as they are not dangerous ones. For example, your 2-year-old is building a leggo tower, and seeing that the block he’s about to place on top will crash the entire tower, you stop him from adding the block. Allowing your child to learn from his errors instills the lesson at hand better than an explanation ever could, says Christopher Lucas, MD, an associate professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine, in New York City.
4. Change is constant, embrace it
A baby who once loved a meal, can’t stand it anymore. That’s okay. Don’t get worked up mama. While she is visibly growing physically, don’t forget she is growing mentally and emotionally as well. When they evolve, we should evolve with them and expose hem to new meals, textures and activities so as they get bored with one thing, they are finding something else exciting at the same time.
5. Learn to pick your battles
If you set out with the mind to always have your way, your are setting yourself up for disappointment and resentment. Know the key things you cannot compromise on and those you really don’t mind bending over on and instill those key values. Pick your battles wisely with your little champ.
