When you have young children, you quickly realize that parenting can be challenging. You’re constantly trying to keep them happy, engaged, and safe.
You want to provide the best possible environment for them so they grow up confident and happy people. But with as much as we know about child development, it can be a little overwhelming. And with all of the different advice available online, it can feel like it’s getting harder and harder to find good insights on how to raise happy kids. That’s where these two years of parenting have really taught me: what not to do.
Even though we’ve gone through some difficult moments over the past few years, I wouldn’t change anything if I had it all again. These are just a few of the best parenting tips I would have found earlier if only I had known sooner!
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Most parents want to do everything for their children and try to carry the load on their own. But when you’re a new parent, it can be overwhelming to know what to expect. And if you’ve never seen the baby up close before, it can also be difficult to know what they may need or how they should be cared for. So remember—don’t be afraid of asking for help! If you need more guidance, talk to other parents or your pediatrician. In fact, some experts will say that as a parent, you should have another person who is not related care for your child at least once a week in order to maintain healthy relationships with them. But if you feel like you’re supposed to take care of everything yourself because you think it will make them stronger, just know they are still going to need more time with family members throughout their life. They might even need professional help later in life too so don’t feel bad about using resources when needed!
Don’t Be Shallow With Your Praises
We all want to be good parents. We want our kids to grow up confident and happy. And while it’s important to praise your child, you should also make sure that they are learning how to appreciate the little things. It’s easy to think that our children need constant praise in order to feel loved; but in reality, they will thank you when they see their hard work paying off. I would have told myself these two years ago that my children are more than capable of learning and appreciating what is given to them through experience.
Don’t Forget To Play Outside
You might want to make sure you’re not spending too much time indoors. It can be hard as a parent to remove yourself from the chaos of your life, but try and make sure you go outside as often as possible. Young children need to get fresh air, exercise, and playtime: it all helps them grow. Even if it means playing five minutes in the backyard before dinner, or getting everyone outside for just ten minutes on a beautiful day. It’s worth it!
Spend Time Together
One of the best ways to raise happy children is to spend time with them. If you’re trying to go back to work and your child is in daycare, it can be easy not to spend as much time together as you’d like. But even if you have a stay-at-home parent, it’s important that they spend time with their children.
If you want your children to grow up confident and happy, make sure you are spending enough time with them. There are many activities that parents can do with their kids that can help develop those strong relationships between them. A few of my favorites: reading out loud, playing games like chess or checkers, making a list of things they love about each other (this is great for parents who have trouble expressing themselves!), taking walks outside together.
Set Clear Rules And Stick To Them
I wish I had set clear rules and stuck to them from the start. It’s so hard to know what your kids’ limits are when you have little ones, but by taking time at the beginning of their life to set a few ground rules, you can avoid some future conflicts and make sure that everyone is on the same page. This might mean making sure you and your partner agree about things like screen time, toilet training, and other important topics. You can also lay out what acceptable behavior is in your household. The key is setting clear rules and sticking with them.
Take Time Out For Yourself
It’s difficult to find time for yourself when you have kids, but it’s important.
Take a half-hour break every day and do something that relaxes you.
You might need to take some extra time on Sundays to get everything done and make sure your weekends are really a priority.
If you need an idea, relax with a cup of tea or coffee, walk outside, watch TV in your pajamas, read a book–whatever makes you happy
This is the best thing to do for your family as well. It will help them feel secure in their environment and create stability for everyone involved.
Stay Consistent And Communicate Often
When you have children, you need to be consistent. Consistency is important for a number of reasons. You want your children to feel secure and sure about what will happen next in their day.
Consistency also teaches your kids how to establish routines that they can rely on. If you’re consistent with the expectations you set for your child, they’ll come to expect those things from themselves as well. The more consistent you are, the better your child will feel about themselves and their world. The other parenting tip that I wish I had learned earlier was communication!
Of course we all know how difficult it can be to be consistent with keeping up with our own lives when we have so many responsibilities as parents.
But sticking to a routine of communication often helps reduce anxiety levels for everyone involved in the process of raising a family. If you don’t like talking on the phone or writing emails, just do it less often!
The less time you spend communicating, the harder it is for both parties involved – especially if you do it over text message or social media apps!
Conclusion
As a parent, you always have a lot on your plate. It can be overwhelming, but by following these five tips, you can handle the day-to-day parenting responsibilities and still have time for yourself.
As a new parent, you may not yet know what you need to do to be the best parent you can be. So take the time to talk to other parents, read up on baby development and learn how to be a better parent.
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