PARENTING TIPS,

READY FOR BEING A PARENT?



You have been preparing to be parents for what seems like forever. Think you'll be ready when the day comes? You may be surprised. You are expecting your first child and before you know it you will be holding your little baby snugly in your arms. Then what? After about nine months in anticipation, new parents are often faced with a big surprise. Their baby is not just a baby but a human being with his own personality. He is not someone they can mold entirely. He has his own ways -- already -- of expressing his needs and desires -- and many new moms and dads just aren't prepared for thatYour relationship is the foundation for your family. Children flourish in an environment in which the love and cooperation between parents is strong. Your readiness for parenthood should include a shared vision for how your children will be raised, as well as a workable plan for raising them. Speaking to other parents and discussing how you see others raising their children would also be enlightening.
Being a parent is one of the most fulfilling experiences a person can have. There is a natural instinct that seems to come to a new parent, but there are bits of advice that can help when you are challenged in the growing up years. The most important thing however, that any parent can give their child, is a sense of being loved.



PARENTING BAD HABITS..



You have been preparing to be parents for what seems like forever. Think you'll be ready when the day comes? You may be surprised. You are expecting your first child and before you know it you will be holding your little baby snugly in your arms. Then what? After about nine months in anticipation, new parents are often faced with a big surprise. Their baby is not just a baby but a human being with his own personality. He is not someone they can mold entirely. He has his own ways -- already -- of expressing his needs and desires -- and many new moms and dads just aren't prepared for thatYour relationship is the foundation for your family. Children flourish in an environment in which the love and cooperation between parents is strong. Your readiness for parenthood should include a shared vision for how your children will be raised, as well as a workable plan for raising them. Speaking to other parents and discussing how you see others raising their children would also be enlightening.
Being a parent is one of the most fulfilling experiences a person can have. There is a natural instinct that seems to come to a new parent, but there are bits of advice that can help when you are challenged in the growing up years. The most important thing however, that any parent can give their child, is a sense of being loved.

Having unrealistic expectations
There are many reasons why kids act out—from being too young to being too hungry or tired. Understanding your toddler’s temperament and modifying certain situations accordingly can be crucial. “If you take a toddler to a sit-down restaurant at 7:00 at night, you can’t reasonably expect him to sit still for the entire meal,” explains Ingram. “At 7:00, a toddler should be winding down to go to bed, not being tested on good manners.”
Taking things too seriously
Toddlers simply aren’t civilized yet, and it’s important to maintain that perspective. “These years go by so quickly, and dumping spaghetti on the head—which gets you so angry right now—is going to be a funny story one day,” says Karp.
Spanking
Corporal punishment is the least effective disciplinary measure for reducing undesired behavior, says the AAP. “It makes children feel ashamed, resentful and helpless, and it doesn’t teach them how to resolve conflict,” says Kate Kelly, author of The Baffled Parent’s Guide to Stopping Bad Behavior (McGraw- Hill, 2003). And since it becomes less and less effective each time it’s used, it can quickly escalate into abuse. Research also suggests that children who are spanked are more aggressive. “It demonstrates physical violence without teaching an alternative approach,” says Kelly.
Ridiculing or embarrassing
When reprimanding, refer to the undesirable behavior and don’t slander the child’s character, notes the AAP. Tell them what they said or did was hurtful—not that they are mean, rude or disrespectful. At around age 3, reprimand toddlers privately as much as possible, says Karp, since they care more about what others think of them. “Avoid shouting or namecalling, which is humiliating,” notes Karp. “Why would you do something destructive to your child’s self-esteem?”