Being the parent of a baby, toddler or preschooler has so many rewards –
and those rewards are well earned by the numerous trials parents must
contend with at every stage. Let the following tips guide you through some
of the challenges you’re likely to face.
- Just one spoonful, please.
Getting young children to take a spoonful of nasty, bitter tasting
medicine is a nightmare most parents have experienced. So hide the
taste by mixing it with yummy strawberry or chocolate syrup. - Potty training challenge.
Rewards work wonders with potty training. Fill a bowl or basket
with small prizes your toddler can choose from with each use of the
toilet or potty chair. Keep it interesting by using a variety of
prizes. Some ideas for inexpensive rewards include Happy Meal toys,
stickers, gumball machine prizes, bite-size candy bars, mini
Play-Doh containers, markers or anything your toddler finds
intriguing. - Hair washing horrors.
Most youngsters love bath time play. But when it comes to getting
their hair washed, you’d swear you’re sending them through a
torture chamber. The issue is, young children hate water running
down their faces. The solution is to fill the tub only three inches
deep with water. Then roll up a rubber bathtub mat. Have your child
lie on their back with the rolled up mat underneath the neck. This
keeps your child’s face above water level while your child’s head
is tilted back, letting the water runs away from your child’s face
when you rinse. Once the hair is washed, fill the tub a little more
and reward your child with playtime. - Binky battle.
Are you beginning to question whether your toddler or preschooler
will be heading to school with a pacifier in his mouth?
Fortunately, this battle is far less challenging than parents
anticipate. If your child seems really dependent on it, the best
approach might be to wean him gradually. Make a new rule that your
toddler can only have it at nap time and bedtime. The bonus is your
toddler may be much more cooperative about naps and bedtime in
order to have the pacifier. Once your child has had time to adjust
to being without the binky during the day, move forward with the
final step and eliminate the pacifier altogether. - The hellacious temper tantrum.
It isn’t a pretty picture, I know. As a result, parents resort to a
variety of tactics to bring tantrums to a halt. But as long as you
aren’t in public and your child isn’t behaving aggressively, the
best choice is often to ignore it. Calmly tell your child you’re
leaving the room and will return when he calms down. Then just walk
away. This lets your child know the tantrum isn’t going to help him
get his way. Removing yourself from the situation also helps you to
keep your cool and prevents you from caving in to your child. - You win some; you lose some.
When playing games with preschoolers, it’s tempting always to let
them win. No parents like to see their child disappointed, or
worse, storming away. But teaching your child to accept losing is
essential to your child becoming a good sport. The next time you
play a board game, allow your preschooler to lose, and teach him to
shake the winner’s hand. Say ‘good game’ and praise him for
handling the loss well. - Eek! Germs.
It may seem counterintuitive, but don’t be a germaphobe around your
young child. Kids need exposure to germs to build up their immune
systems. This doesn’t mean you should intentionally expose your
child to the flu or allow your toddler to crawl around on the dirty
bathroom floor. But to a reasonable degree, allow your baby or
child exposure to dirt and bacteria. Don’t panic if your toddler
happens to eat a cracker that fell on the living room floor. Also,
get your baby or young child out of the house for exposure to other
people regularly. Studies have found children exposed to infections
earlier on build immunity and are less likely to be affected by
exposure as they grow. - Can I have my bed back, please?
There’s much debate over the issue of co-sleeping. But most experts
agree, it’s really up to the preference of parents. There are
benefits and drawbacks for children and parents alike. Often,
though, co-sleeping becomes a ritual parents never really intended.
Once it begins, it’s a challenge to get a child back to sleeping in
his own bed.
To recover ownership of your bed, tell your child, “You’re a big boy (or
girl) now, so it’s time to sleep in your own bed.” Then, as Meri Wallace
LCSW, in “6 Steps for Getting Your Child to Sleep Alone,” suggests, sit in
a chair right next to your child’s bed to keep him company. Over the course
of a few days, gradually move your chair further from the bed. Then, as
your child grows more comfortable, say you’re going to the bathroom or
kitchen, but that you’ll be right back. Do just as you promised.
Eventually, your child will adjust to your absence and be able to go to bed
alone. - Sleep, baby, sleep.
As a new parent, it’s a learning process to figure out how to get
your baby to sleep, especially after nighttime feedings. One of the
best techniques is swaddling your baby because that’s what he
experienced in the womb. Start with laying the blanket out flat in
a diamond, then flap the top corner over about four or five inches.
Next, lay your baby on the blanket with the base of his head at the
edge of the flap. Flap the right side over your baby, then fold up
the bottom corner. Finally flap the left side over and wrap it
around, so he is comfortably snug. - Just one more bite of veggies, please.
There’s no doubt vegetables top children’s most-inedible-foods
list. That’s because many vegetables have a slightly bitter taste
in comparison to other foods. There are two ways to overcome this.
First is to make vegetables more palatable by adding sugar, salt or
fat. This gives veggies the flavors children, and adults, often
crave. If you choose this method, just don’t overdo the added
ingredients to keep it healthy.An alternative approach is to reduce the sugary, salty and fatty foods in
your child’s diet. When the palate isn’t used to these additives,
vegetables tend to taste better. Keep in mind, children still need a
healthy amount of fat in their diets. But by and large, the American diet,
even for children, is far more fatty than necessary.
