With the amount of books and videos available, you would think that everybody would be an expert on parenting by now. Unfortunately this is not the case because people are either getting bad advice, or they choose to not act on the advice that they are given. Use the advice provided in this article to help you be a great parent.
A tip that goes unheeded by far too many parents is the suggestion that they remember to take time for themselves. Setting aside some personal time to decompress and maintain hobbies and interests will help moms and dads stay energized and engaged in the lives of their children. This will lead to a happier, more fulfilled family.
Make sure that your child is getting enough sleep each night. If they do not get enough sleep, they tend to lose focus throughout the day, which could prevent them from doing school work and other activities. Try not to let them eat or drink anything sugary for at least a few hours before bedtime.
Use clothes or items from the mother to wrap a bottle in if the baby is having trouble getting used to drinking from it. The smell of mom in the clothing will help calm the baby because he will associate it with his mother, thus making him more likely to give it a try.
As unfortunate an event it may be, divorces happen all of the time. In order for you, a divorced parent, to hold a good relationship with your college aged and older children you must never get them in the middle of your divorce. This will push them away for you and your ex-spouse.
When your child goes to the doctor’s office, be sure to tell the nurse or doctor if your son or daughter is taking any kind of over-the-counter vitamin or mineral supplement. Even though these products do not require a prescription, they can interact with or decrease the absorption of prescription antibiotics or other medications.
Never administer medication to your child for any “off-label” conditions unless the child’s doctor has given you specific written instructions to do so. Children do not always react to medication in the same way adults do. For instance, giving a child Benadryl to help induce sleep might actually have the opposite effect of hyperactivity.
If your child must take a liquid medication, ask your pharmacist for dosing spoons, bulbs, or oral syringes instead of using kitchen spoons or measuring cups. Standard kitchen measurements can hold as much as three times the amount of a dosing implement, increasing the risk of overdose, stomach upset, or wasted medication.
In summary, you have so much information available to help you with parenting, but either have not been able to take advantage of it or nothing has really stuck with you well. The information in this article has been provided in a clear and concise manner, so hopefully you will be able to easily use it to improve your parenting skills.