Running a household is a difficult activity. Not only must you care for the financial, emotional, security and maintenance wellbeing of your household, but you need to ensure everyone is functioning at their best, are well nourished, and are getting enough sleep. In other words, being a parent and a homeowner is a tough as heck job. This means you need to use everything in your power to try and best your output here and to really try your best in all fields to ensure you stay the best parent possible.
One of the first efforts you can do when raising a child is not only to protect them but to teach them lessons as they grow. This should be done to the degree that you can. No child is going to learn all the lessons you to try to show them or to do so after one effort. Children learn from a mixture of experimenting with the world around them and being told either harshly or pleasantly about certain matters they need to know. You can also use certain methods of preventing them from making that mistake in the first place.
Consider the tips we have here, and you may find some common, worthwhile lessons to teach in your attempts to be the best parent you can:
Electrical Outlets Are Dangerous
A young child, exploring and trying to figure out what everything is, is sooner or later going to find the electrical outlet in your room. This is one of those things that every parent laments. You might ask yourself thinking ‘if child safety at home is an absolute priority, why are electrical outlets so low to the ground?’ Of course, there are reasons for this. But it does add an extra step in your parenting efforts, namely that you will need to try and help your child avoid interest in this.
You can purchase covers to prevent them from accessing the electrical outlet’s holes and all, but that still doesn’t prevent them from flicking the switches and potentially adding moisture to the surrounding case. It’s important you tell them very strongly, specifically, and with frequency that these outlets are not to be tampered with. Use the word ‘dangerous’ frequently and firmly. Hopefully, they will understand if you help show them this well enough, but keep in mind that you’ll need to keep a close watch on them to ensure they understand the lesson and are able to instinctively avoid this. Of course, this lesson should only be taught when interest is raised from the child in the first place if they’re not quite old enough to understand it yet. Making a large deal out of the outlet will only draw attention to them, something you’re hoping to avoid.
Don’t Put Things In Your Mouth
Children explore with their mouth. It’s very useful for them to gnaw on things and try to figure out the world through that. You did it, and it’s likely your parents did as infants also. However, it’s obvious that this isn’t the most hygienic way to explore the world, and lends itself to a choking hazard. Keep an eye on your child when they’re interfacing with toys. Consider swallow hazards when putting anything in their reach. When using utensils such as spoons for the first time, keep a close watch on them. Ensure you gently pull things from their mouth if you feel this isn’t quite as healthy an activity as it could be.
If they’re of the right age, using a pacifier can prevent them from gnawing, and also provides them comfort. Just keep in mind to remove this pacifier after they reach the right age, because this can go from being a healthy comfort to an unhealthy crutch as they begin to grow into their toddler years. It’s not easy to take this away from the child, but it can help their development and overall dental health if you leave it in.
Don’t Talk To Strangers
The school will often teach your child important lessons like this, but it’s also important for you to absolutely help them hit home. Talking to strangers is something we were all told to avoid, and now is your time to pass this down. This is especially important if your child is overly friendly and accepting. While it’s important to strike a balance between confidence and apprehension, and while your child will often not leave your side for the first goodness-knows-how-many year of their life, without letting them know that not all adults are to be trusted, they will become that little more likely to experience something difficult, and that even slight statistical increase is absolutely unacceptable. Teach them to distrust any adult that approaches them they do not recognize, or anyone who asks them many questions. This can help them begin to build healthy attitudes towards their personal sense of dominion, even if it might not come into play for years and years.
Eat Your Greens
Some children have no problem eating vegetables. This is great, and you should count yourself lucky if this is the case. Some children refuse to eat anything like this. However, it’s important to consider that these children may not have the best diets in the first place. A child-hating anything and all things green show that maybe there are other indulgences a parent is letting them have. When you design a cohesive and healthy diet for them to enjoy, there are no such things as heavy sugary items each day, or perhaps unhealthy options like daily pizza and fries. A child adapts to the food placed in front of them from a young age, so be sure to craft a healthy and nutritious meal plan to help them avoid this whole ‘greenery’ dilemma, and allow them to build their bodies in the best way possible.
With this very simple parenting advice, bestowing important lessons to your child will be an excellent and useful activity.
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