Posted on Mon, Nov 01, 2010 @ 07:57 AM
By: Ray Ebersole
The arrival of a newborn baby is not exactly full of fun and excitement. First-time parents, most especially, have a propensity to experience mixed emotions about the whole thing. This is probably the reason why most people turn to experienced parents such as friends or relatives for some much-needed parenting advice. Those who are not that lucky to have support groups normally hit the shelves of bookshops in a dire effort to get hold of My First Baby books.
Almost immediately, parents find themselves entangled in a predicament when the baby starts to cry. In reality, you don't really need to worry too much when this happens. Keep in mind that an infant basically throws a crying fit every time he or she is hungry, wet-bottomed, uncomfortable, provoked, or in pain. You simply need to attend to his or her needs in order to settle him/her down.
Having a checklist in handy may also help you a lot and eliminate the risks of experiencing a panic attack. Try to check through your list each time your baby cries to ascertain the cause of you’re his/her distress. Once the main problem has been identified and dealt with, you’ll soon observe your little one go back to his/her peaceable state. It's also an excellent idea to take advantage of this opportunity to lull your infant to sleep. This way, you can make use of the free time to do a few things for yourself.
Establishing Routines
As much as you want to hold your baby all the time, you simply can't-and shouldn't. Remember that you also need to take care of yourself, as well as perform certain house chores. Just imagine how you’ll be able to attend to other important matters if you always carry your baby around the house. Time-management is indeed a valuable skill that parents ought to acquire and develop.
Your little one is likely to become accustomed to a particular routine if you keep adhering to it. So start establishing a schedule for sleep and daytime naps. This way, you can squeeze in a chore or two while your little angel slumbers.
See to it that the place where you lay your baby down is safe, comfortable and well ventilated. Appropriate clothing and covers are also important as such factors can affect your infant's quality of sleep.
Utilizing Sounds
The truth of the matter is that babies can actually fall asleep almost anywhere. They can even doze off in the noisiest of places with no trouble. Of course, this requires a bit of getting used to. That's why parents who expose their little ones to the sound of a vacuum cleaner or other noise-producing household appliances earlier on have no problem performing house chores while the baby is asleep. Their infants have certainly adapted well to the noise.
Various sounds have also been proven to assist parents in settling their little ones down. Apart from recreating the 'shushing" sound-which is reminiscent of their time in the womb, playing some relaxing music is also an excellent way to lull a baby to sleep. Make an effort to turn this practice into a habit so that your baby will soon associate a particular melody with sleeping time.
If you just remain patient and resourceful, you’ll definitely come across a boundless supply of "My First Baby" parenting tips. So do all you can to get rid of-or at least reduce-the anxiety the goes along with becoming a first-time parent.
Article Source: http://www.parentingarticlelibrary.com
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Posted on Thu, Oct 28, 2010 @ 04:50 PM
By: Jean Tracy, MSS
Is your child lonely, sad, or angry? Would you like to teach your child how to make friends? If you don’t know how, I’ll share my secrets here.
First you need to know that research tells us the average child spends 25 hours in front of the TV each week. TV characters become their “friends” and their role models.
Speaking about role models, I remember teaching a new class of first graders. Everyone, except two little boys, was sitting tall in anticipation of story time. The two boys were rolling around slugging it out on the floor in the back of the room.
“Boys, what are you doing,” I asked. “We’re fighting. He’s Tom and I’m Jerry. You know, in the cartoon,” said the boy on top. “Don’t worry,” said the other. We do this all the time.”
Parenting Tip - Why These Kids Don’t Have Friends
Years later, as a child and family counselor, parents brought me their sad, angry and lonely kids.
These kids had one thing in common, “Nobody liked them. They had no friends.” They didn’t know how to make friends either. I’d ask them how they spent their time. “TV,” they’d answer.
I worried about these kids.
One day, while at my in-laws, I shuffled through their bookcase and picked out a book that opened my eyes. Suddenly, I knew how to help these kids. Can you guess which book?
“How to Win Friends and Influence People”
It was Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” I knew I could bring these social skills down to a child’s level. I knew I could help parents teach the ideas in this book to their kids
But some parents said, “I don’t have time,” until I asked them, “Do you take your kids to games, music lessons, and doctor appointments? Do you eat dinner together? Do you put your kids to bed at night? Because if you do, you may have more time than you think.” So, parents, how do you teach social skills?
Parenting Tip - Role Play Social Skills with Kids
Yes, you role play. You and your child practice acting out a scene with a social skill your child needs to learn. Your child becomes the youngster he wants as a friend. Then switch roles. Do this several times.
Parenting Tip - Use Charts to Help Your Kids Make Friends
Make a chart with the social skill he’s learning. At the top it might say, “My goal is to practice smiling and being upbeat with everyone I see.” Give your child a star each time he tells you how he was friendly.
Each week teach your child a new social skill. Role play it at home. Tell your child, “Practice at school, in the neighborhood, and at sports practices." Add his new social skill to his chart too.
Can you see how simple it is to role play? Can you see role playing a social skill in the car, at dinner, or at bedtime? Can you imagine how happy your child will feel making friends?
Conclusion for Teaching Your Kids How to Make Friends
Start teaching social skills today. Practice them yourself. If you do, you’ll raise a friendly child and you’ll enjoy being friendlier too.
Article Source: http://www.parentingarticlelibrary.com
Want more social skills to teach your kids? See my video and receive 50 social skills to choose from at Social Skills Kit for Kids at www.kidsdiscuss.com/parent_resource_center.asp?pr_id=kd011 Watch your kids build fun friendships. Feel their happiness too.
Posted on Sat, Oct 23, 2010 @ 08:30 AM
By: Jennifer Houck
Dear Mom,
I try to leave my child and the minute I walk out of the room, she starts crying or screaming for me. Please help this gone crazy mom of how I can help my baby let me leave her for just a little bit. I think she has toddler separation anxiety but I just want to know how to overcome this.
Thanks,
Carol
Carol,
It is normal for your baby to be going through what they are going through. For nine months, they were attached to us 24 hours a day 7 days a week. We were their lifeline and they have to learn their independence from us. Their whole mentality knows they are sensing this whole new freedom from mom, but yet they have reservations about beginning new things. The mom can help teach them independence by taking baby steps and not trying to separate from them without building up the process. You may ask, what steps can we take?
Start out small. Let them play in the living room as you go to the next room (room needs to be in eye view) to do a certain task as folding clothes. Make sure you are keeping eye contact with them and reassuring that mom is right here. Speak in positive, upbeat words. The first time may not work, but just keep repeating yourself and do it over and over until they are fine with you being in the next room.
Stretch the time being gone. When dad or another caregiver comes home, go and take a shower or soak in a nice bubble bath. Reassure the child you will be back. Never sneak away from the child as this will leave a bad coping skill with her and think you are never coming back. Give it 15 or 20 minutes and show your presence to the baby. Hug her and let her know you missed her, but will always return when mommy goes. After you do this a few times and she gets used to the idea of you being gone for that short amount of time, try going to the store for a longer period of time. You can continue to stretch each trip until you feel comfortable with the time you are being gone, for example if you are trying to build up to a night out of town with your significant other.
By taking things slowly, it will help you and your child overcome toddler separation anxiety with much less tears, heartbreak and stress. The baby will continue to grow her independence from you and will soon love her new found freedom of having playtime with dad, grandma or grandpa, or other special friend.
Hang in there mom it will get better and know other moms are going through the same thing as you right now.
Fellow Mom,
Jen
Article Source: http://www.parentingarticlelibrary.com
Jennifer Houck is the owner of the online Parent Center at www.ilovebeingamom.com to where you can find many more resources and tips to help in the daily journeys of raising a toddler.