Monday, March 3, 2014

Been there,Heard it,Seen it,Done it !



Have you ever ran into someone who asks “Do you have any tips into parenting ?” “How do you tackle your kid's tantrums?”...”How to cope up with feeding a fussy toddler?” and recently I even had some really thoughtful questions(Wow!)..”How can I get my baby sleep through the night?”….Personally I had struggled in this part...My son never slept through the night till he was 1 and half years old...He will be hungry all night, as if he had not eaten anything the whole day..! Well..I thought it is the natural part of becoming a parent..or because he had a dream in the middle of the night of some neighbourhood kid grabbing his favourite (mini) mini cooper or it is a mystery unsolved for centuries.....Every time I meet my son's pead, I shoot this most expected question ”My son is not sleeping through the night..What should I do?” I sounded like an SOS mom who is desperate for a night's sleep.....And my pead would reveal the most expected answer for my million dollar question,”Sleep patterns vary for every baby and night awakening is common” But I somehow managed to establish a sleep routine for my little one.....It was my little research of getting to know him better,his comfort,his complete No-No's before sleep...his most favourite pooh bear by his side....all these didn't happen in a night....but I have to practise this sleep rituals with him every night ! In the course of “baby and me” time I got an enlightened parenting idea “A Mommy knows best about her baby”...Anyone can give you a free of cost parenting tip but no one knows better than YOU how best to handle your kid....I am not here to give you the parenting tips which you can get in a click from a list of online mom groups,blogs and forums.But these are some of my personal parenting experiences.



  • Believe in your kid and let him be his own role model.Appreciate even the tiny things he does. I always go for “Experience project”-Allow him to experience things in his own way.Don't nag him or push him or constantly pin point that he is on the wrong track.Gently express your opinion and ideas to help him learn better.When my toddler wanted to use the scissor I gave a paper and scissor for him to manoeuvre.I was astonished to see him skillfully handling the scissors and snipping at paper.Now he is inclined to do things like snipping a thread, unbuttoning shirt,wear his shorts.Meantime,I remind him of safety and caution in using sharp things.
  • Identify their skills.Do not limit them with what you are interested in.A child's mind is limitless.Hence stay tuned with their world.His interest may be unrealistic but allow him to follow his heart..I had no idea of my son's interest in cars until he pointed out to our car and uttered “Nissan” when he was just 2 !Now that I introduced him to the world of cars,he can very well relate to the names just by looking at the car.
  • Teach them the use of money and savings.”Sing a song of sixpence,A pocketful of rye;Four and twenty Blackbirds, Baked in a pie..” How many of us remember having that piggy bank as a child? Allow them to hold the money,know the value and deposit in a piggy bank.Let them learn to spend,save,donate and invest.
  • Allow them to help you with house chores.Start young and start now.Start with giving them simple tasks,don't worry about imperfections and reward them for completing the task.Working alongside your little one will cheer you up.My little one is more interested in helping me out with laundry,sorting out groceries from super market,making the bed and folding clothes,wiping off the dinner table.By this way, he never dawdles since he has his favourite tasks lined up.Remember, whenever your kid wants to play outside or watch TV request him to complete a task before doing things he want to.Toddlers will be so happy in helping and hence starting it young help him to grow organised and responsible.
  • Don't show your stress.I always make sure my kid does not see the stressed version of me.When you are not yourself due to work related stress,financial or relationship stress,never show them to your kids.When your toddler spills a juice on your favourite dress by mistake and you yell at him despite he had done this hundredth time..then it is time to hold back and think whether it is the stress that is taking toll on you or it is the real you who yelled crazily at your child.I know we can't fake a “casual” look when we are actually in a bad mood.But you can take few minutes to get back to yourself before reacting to your kids.
  • Be a relationship role model.A child models everything we do...from the way we express our love to the bonding we make with others.An affectionate parental relationship not only strengthens love between each other but also you and your spouse end up as a relationship role models for your kid.Showing affection when kids are around will make them understand how a relationship should look and they tend to have a happy and healthy marriages as they get older.Kids staying in touch with their grand parents will have a good sense of family history and cultural heritage.My son always love the company of his grandmother since she dedicates lot of time playing,reading to him and telling stories.It is a two way learning.Like a tiny geek he teaches his grandma the nuances of using a tablet and my mom who can't keep up with his pace still love the joy of learning from the little man.Encouraging kids to have a close relationship with their grandparents benefits a healthy development....and of course happy grandparents !
  • Allow “free” play.The digital age children needs a play time outside this techno world.Even when I am busy as hell,I make sure to take him to the play area for an evening stroll where he meet with his friends,befriends the new neighbourhood kid and some friendly faces in the apartment.In this way he socialises,shares,make up games and negotiate rules.Playing outdoors help kids with socialising skills,improve their emotional quotient and decision making skills.Allow them to play,explore,discover and have great life experiences!
    Happy Parenting :-)

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