The initial state of happiness about an own child is often overcome with annoyance after even a short period of time. Children quickly grow an own personality, and it's the most vital task of the parents to help develop it and give it a shape. Otherwise, the little angel can turn into a little devil adding considerably to the stress in life you already have.
Like everything else in life, child education is a tightrope walk between strictness and letting loose. Drifting off either way causes more problems than it solves. But of course what sounds clear and obvious in theory is much harder to actually apply practically.
The suggestions here are no rules to follow, they're mere guidelines and should animate own thoughts and ideas. After all, it's up to you what you think is best.
1. Discipline
During the first six month of its life, a baby won't yet be able to understand the connection between "bad behaviour" and punishment. What it really needs during that time is care and loving, to tighten the emotional bounds to its parents.
Nevertheless, even a baby that small is fully capable of repeating actions that lead to a pleasant result. So if any sob makes you appear immediately on the cradle, you'll find that you have a miniature dictator soon who keeps you up and running with joy.
Between seven and fourteen months, children normally start testing their limits. This results from a growth in both mobility and stubbornness, so what's being put on test are the parents' patience with keeping their little ones from exploring, often eating and probably destroying the reachable parts of the household and for how long they can get away with it.
Babies at that age start challenging their parents by stubborn disobedience, but that should not lead to punishment. Be firm and persistent in telling and showing them what they're not supposed to do, but don't be rude or harsh. Their concentration usually doesn't last, so distraction is a great weapon. They still need a lot of love, and your reward will be a happy time with a sometimes annoying, but mostly very cute baby.
Going towards an age of two years, the obstinacy takes often a negative direction: "No" is the preferred answer to all "propositions" ranging from eating and choice of toys to taking a bath and going to sleep.
Discipline can become considerably harder to apply, but is vital to steer the course of your child's further development. It has to learn that the authority and decision is with the parents. Still, love and forgiveness is of even importance. Especially the father's role as an authority for the child and support for his wife can make this period a lot easier.
With increasing mobility, skill and curiosity a child between two and three years can keep its mother constantly busy, taking every moment of silence as an indication of a new disaster involving eating things, messing around with things and getting stuck in things.
This can really add to the load of stress parents already have, and the explosive emotional or even physical reaction might ease the moment, but on the long term increases the problem. So be as relaxed as possible and make sure you've got all valuable pieces of household equipment properly secured. When children receive a bump or scratch that's no drama - turning it into one will just make you and your child over-freightened in the future. Still, with all calmness, don't miss to tell your child when it did wrong and discipline when it's overdoing it.
In the following years, the focus of education should be on the child's character and attitudes. The influence of trends, friends and media is strong, and the temptation to try new things is high. At the same time, the control parents have over their children's activities is reduced, and especially when it comes to trends parents often lack understanding for the things that are "in".
So even though your child becomes more independent, it's important that you have time together and show interest in its experiences, interests and problems. Offer to talk about things, but don't urge. Show understanding and always be there as someone your child can talk to without fear - remember the days when you were in that age, and your feelings at that time.
And, most important: Be a paradigm to your child. You cannot expect it to do something you don't have the power or courage to do yourself. Respect is nothing that can be taught, but has to be earned, even by parents.
2. Rules of thumb
- Be just!
Don't expect your child to behave according to rules you haven't set. Especially young children often can't distinguish between right and wrong. So even if something is clearly a stupid idea for you, it might seem a brilliant one to it.
- Be firm!
If you give in to your child's defiant reaction, maybe because you're just tired of the whole thing, you lose much more than that fight. You give away authority and respect.
- Forgive!
After a confrontation is settled, reassure your child of your love and show that you're not resentful.
- Don't ask for the impossible!
No matter what your means of education are like, you can't expect a child to behave like an adult. Children sometimes behave irresponsibly - that's built-in.
- Don't forget the love!
In the end, no matter how much trouble you might have with each other, don't forget to show that you love your child. And when it comes to decide how to educate, how to reward and how to discipline, listen to your heart what's the right thing to do.
Brigette Meier is an occassional author for http://www.e-nterests.com - visit the site for more interesting articles.
best cleaning company Highland Park ..Are you looking for the Ultimate Airplane Themed Party Games... Read More
Ever blown your top to your children, only to regret... Read More
While most fathers aspire to become the best Dads they... Read More
The citizens of the early Roman Republic enjoyed an education... Read More
Kids today no longer live the kind of privileged lives... Read More
Under the "No Child Left Behind Act," public schools whose... Read More
Peaceful Parenting? ideas are very different from other kinds of... Read More
You have just received a call from your child's teacher... Read More
Dear friends here we will charge up our mind with... Read More
Dear Sir, It was with some interest that I read... Read More
Do your children have a McChildhood? Do they experience the... Read More
We're all familiar with the over-indulgent parent. But there's another... Read More
This is the third and final article in a series... Read More
Isn't it ironic that a country whose constitution allows for... Read More
Many years ago, my children were raised on the various... Read More
(Excerpted from Jim Rohn's 2004 Weekend Leadership Event)You have to... Read More
Incest is sexual activity, ranging from fondling to intercourse, between... Read More
Do you have a wild child? Then this article may... Read More
This time, I would like to talk about a subject... Read More
Is Homework Really That Important?Dear Friends,I no longer teach in... Read More
Annie easily slipped into becoming the sole caregiver of her... Read More
Maryann is so focused she's blind. She's slipped over the... Read More
Late vs. Too LateEvery now and then, I'll hear a... Read More
Let's face it.The job market is getting tougher every day.Computerization... Read More
For parents, keeping our kids safe is a constant top... Read More
high-end home cleaning Winnetka ..This is one of the most common questions asked of... Read More
Detox To Conceive.. If you're having trouble conceiving... Read More
Public-school teaching is structured in such a way that it... Read More
What is Happening in the brain of children, teens, and... Read More
Do you have a wild child? Then this article may... Read More
Some people can concentrate on an assignment, to the exclusion... Read More
In school, kids are encouraged to create, draw, color, paint... Read More
Is it hard to communicate with your teenager about issues... Read More
1 "Law of Belonging": The greatest need of teenagers (after... Read More
ADHD comes in differenty forms, or types. What... Read More
The hot new reality TV show "Nanny 911" has been... Read More
When you hear the phrase, 'guerrilla parenting techniques', what images... Read More
Bearers of life, wipers of noses, givers of unconditional love... Read More
Many times, we are so conditioned in how we speak... Read More
Compulsory attendance laws are school authorities' first assault on parental... Read More
As part of the whole-language (or "balanced") reading-instruction philosophy, many... Read More
Single parents are not often thought of as good parents.I... Read More
Teaching kids to deal with conflict effectively and peacefully is... Read More
What one word best sums up summer fun? Water. I... Read More
Dear Sir, It was with some interest that I read... Read More
Do you feel like someone has abducted your sweet, innocent... Read More
Baby names are as diverse as the people to whom... Read More
Uh oh.Your kids arrive home with their school reports and... Read More
Get into their world. The world that teens are growing... Read More
Like anything else in life, there's a method to the... Read More
Parenting |