No parents are ever perfect! Even if you think back on your childhood as being amazing, your parents made mistakes, too. The beauty is that a few mistakes will rarely lead to permanent damage in a child. That said, here is some advice from parents like you on how to do the very best you can rear a child.
When your child is working on homework, make sure to provide a distraction-free environment. Minimize noise and talk around their area, and turn off the TV. If they're on the computer, make sure they're only using programs directly related to the assignment. Distractions make it difficult to focus on the work and turn a quick assignment into a long ordeal.
Respect your child's privacy. This is especially important in the teen years. If your child knows that you respect them, they will be more likely to come to you with problems. A child also needs to feel a sense of security in knowing that some matters don't have to be shared.
Have fun with your family and spend alot of quality time together. It is important to play with your kids because this is what makes them happy and will create happy memories. Children will be less likely to act out and misbehave if they have quality time with their parents.
Establish a relaxing, fun bedtime routine to help ensure your child a good night's sleep. When a child is having fun playing, or excited about what he is doing, it's a real mood-buster to hear the dreaded words, "Bedtime. Right now!" Instead, try to wind down the evening with a 15 minute warning, followed by a bedtime snack, tooth-brushing, or maybe a few minutes of cuddling on the couch. An interesting, funny, or happy bedtime story is the perfect end to your child's routine, as it gives him some alone time with you and helps him relax on his way to dreamland!
Do not lean on older children to get through a rough spot in your marriage or when getting a divorce. Although you may feel the need to share unnecessary details with them, putting your children in the position of counselor is inappropriate. In addition, doing so can cause them a great deal of stress if they are unable to "fix" the problems you are having.
Know your kid's friends and who they are hanging out with. This means having their parent's contact information and actually using it. If you build a network of parents who know each other and communicate, then you will have a group that you can turn to when you need to check up on your kids or seek out help.
In the end, no one's advice is perfect, either. Your situation will call for different reactions than my situations with my children. In fact, each child will need different treatment to deal with their own personality type. Just remember that your kids will grow up to be healthy, happy adults as long as you love them, and that's the easy part!
When your child is working on homework, make sure to provide a distraction-free environment. Minimize noise and talk around their area, and turn off the TV. If they're on the computer, make sure they're only using programs directly related to the assignment. Distractions make it difficult to focus on the work and turn a quick assignment into a long ordeal.
Respect your child's privacy. This is especially important in the teen years. If your child knows that you respect them, they will be more likely to come to you with problems. A child also needs to feel a sense of security in knowing that some matters don't have to be shared.
Have fun with your family and spend alot of quality time together. It is important to play with your kids because this is what makes them happy and will create happy memories. Children will be less likely to act out and misbehave if they have quality time with their parents.
Establish a relaxing, fun bedtime routine to help ensure your child a good night's sleep. When a child is having fun playing, or excited about what he is doing, it's a real mood-buster to hear the dreaded words, "Bedtime. Right now!" Instead, try to wind down the evening with a 15 minute warning, followed by a bedtime snack, tooth-brushing, or maybe a few minutes of cuddling on the couch. An interesting, funny, or happy bedtime story is the perfect end to your child's routine, as it gives him some alone time with you and helps him relax on his way to dreamland!
Do not lean on older children to get through a rough spot in your marriage or when getting a divorce. Although you may feel the need to share unnecessary details with them, putting your children in the position of counselor is inappropriate. In addition, doing so can cause them a great deal of stress if they are unable to "fix" the problems you are having.
Know your kid's friends and who they are hanging out with. This means having their parent's contact information and actually using it. If you build a network of parents who know each other and communicate, then you will have a group that you can turn to when you need to check up on your kids or seek out help.
In the end, no one's advice is perfect, either. Your situation will call for different reactions than my situations with my children. In fact, each child will need different treatment to deal with their own personality type. Just remember that your kids will grow up to be healthy, happy adults as long as you love them, and that's the easy part!
No comments:
Post a Comment