One of the magical milestones in a person’s life is the day they become a parent for the first time and the sudden realisation hits you that you are responsible for the care of another human being! It can be a daunting prospect for some, and with that in mind, here are a few dos and don’ts to remember.
• Do be clear when communicating – Your young child hasn’t a clue about the world around them and they naturally look for guidance from their parents. If you do not explain things clearly, your son or daughter won’t understand what is required of them and this leads to friction and frustration for the child. If it’s time for childcare in Liverpool, make sure you inform them in advance; a social visit a few days before the first day would remove any anxiety.
• Don’t compare your child with other kids – It is vital that you do not compare your child with others, especially in a negative way. This would seriously damage their self-esteem and that leads to other issues. Human beings develop at different rates and in different ways and just because a child picks up language slowly, that doesn’t mean there will be any problems in later life.
• Do be a good role model –Some parents say one thing and do something completely different; if you are complaining to your son about the state of his room, how about yours? If it is always neat and tidy, fair enough, but if you leave stuff laying around, how can you expect your son to be any different?
• Don’t be inconsistent with discipline – This only confuses the child, without clear expectations and inconsistencies, how could you expect a young child to know what they should not do? Some parents are emotional and when unhappy, they might have a different reaction than when they are in a good mood – the problem is the child doesn’t know this. Make the effort and be consistent in every respect and your child will quickly understand the rules of the game.
• Do show your love – Some folks have trouble expressing love and this impacts their children; make sure that your offspring know that you love them unconditionally, never use the threat of withdrawing that love as a tool to encourage good behaviour. Praise him or her when they do well at anything, self-confidence is vital in every stage of life, especially the early years. Here is a blog to help you overcome a few motherhood challenges.
• Don’t tell lies – Children are pretty smart and if you tell them untruths, it doesn’t take long before they realise that. Honesty is always the best policy and when you remind them that it is time to brush their teeth and he or she asks, “Why?”, take the time to explain. You don’t want your children to lose respect for you, so always be as honest as you can. Telling an untruth to protect their feelings would be OK and in trivial matters, it isn’t critical.
Take the time to prepare your child for schooling, which is a critical stage of life and they will acquire the tools for a successful and happy life.
