Posts in category: Parenting Tips

Parenting is a tough job. We all have our ideas about how but as new parents, we realize that there’s no one right way to raise a child- or at least not in any of the ways we’ve tried. Being a parent is hard. You have to change diapers, feed them, and do other stuff. Parents to provide for their children both emotionally and materially, to teach them how to succeed in life. It can be hard to do for anyone.

These are the following effective parenting styles:

Be an example

An ideal way to teach your children is by being an example. If you tell them what they should do, it may be easier for them to listen and follow. Kids are very observant. They can see things that adults overlook and will pick up on any behavioral changes you may have. You don’t want to push them away by being too strict or mean, but at the same time, you need to show that they’re not in charge of the household.

Take care of yourself

The more you work on something, the more you will get done and taking care of your emotional well-being, the more you will have to offer your children. It would be best if you devoted time to take care of yourself. Play with your children and relax as well, because you’ll be better parents for it.

It is essential to set limits

If you don’t establish any boundaries for your children, they will not know their expectations. They need rules and regulations that are consistent with functioning on their own when the time comes. This might require more effort than your typical means of parenting, but it comes with its own set of benefits.

Don’t Compare your Children

If you have a large family, your siblings might be different from each other. Some are shy and quiet, and some are more outgoing than you. You’re not better than them because you are different. It is essential to accept the differences in your family to grow up and be healthy. Do not be mean to your siblings. They will not like you if you are too strict and mean. Be fair in action and in love.

Give your child space

Children need to have time when they can be by themselves. They need to spend time doing activities just for themselves and give them a chance to relax. If they are always in a group, it will be hard for them to make friends.

Support your children

Your children need your support. If you want your kids to be good, then you should encourage them and praise them when they do good work. You will make them more motivated and want to do better.

Treat them with respect

If you teach your kids to be respectful adults, they will grow up to be good people. In order for your children to learn something, teach them then show them how to do it. You should also be a good role model for them by doing that thing too. Parents are vital because they are role model for their child. You can help care for your children by needs.

Observe proper care of your child

You do this by providing the things they need, such as food and shelter. If you don’t give these things to them, then it will not be suitable for them later on in life. They may grow up to become homeless or have mental health problems if they are never taken care of when they are young.

Be optimistic

Positive attitude can illuminate everything in the family. Becoming a parent can mean a lot of tasks but a positive attitude can make it more light. Children see everything adults around them are doing; at home, work, school and everywhere else-so treat people.

Nurturing and raising your kids is one of the most fulfilling yet most challenging tasks in the world. As a parent, you have to undergo multiple process and strategies to make everything okay for your children. So as you go through, develop these skills to become more effective, positive and fulfilled in your daily parenting.

Always learn to appreciate. Have you ever think about how many times you stopped and react negatively to your kids? Maybe, you will find yourself criticizing more than complementing. One effective way in parenting is to make a point of praising your child’s good work every day. Be generous with compliments and rewards.

Boost your child’s self-esteem. Make sure to avoid loaded statements as your weapons. Belittling comments and comparing your child to others will make your kids feel worthless and unfavored. Do not comment “What a stupid thing” or phrases that make them feel unworthy of your love. Show compassion and choose your words appropriately. Let them know the consequence of sin but show love after.

Make time for your kids. Understandably, you need to work hard for your kids’ future, but always have in mind that time passes every day that you must not miss milestones of your kids. Kids who are not getting much attention often act out or misbehave.

Be consistent with your discipline. Discipline is essential in the household. Establishing house rules and pursuing occupation helps your kids understand your expectation and develop self-control. Be sure to be consistent for them to remember it all the time.

Prioritize communication. Clarify your expectations. If there’s a problem with your kids, describe it, express it and invite your kids to communicate for a possible solution. Offer choices and opportunities for them to open up their emotions and feeling.

Be a role model. Young kids are great observers, and they can learn by watching, so you need to be aware that someone is watching you- in speech and actions. Start to model the traits and values you want to see in your kids: honesty, kindness, respect and discipline. Above these things, be an example of love.

Show your unconditional love. Always strive to nurture and encourage even while disciplining your kids. You are responsible for guiding them in such a way that they will know that you are his parent and they can cling on you no matter what.

Be flexible in parenting style. As your child grows and matures, your strategies need to be flexible too. What is working to your child now may not work well in a year or two. But continue to project guidance, encouragement and appropriate disciple as he grows. Seize every moment with your kids to learn more.

Know your needs and limitations as a parent. The truth is- you are not a perfect parent. Recognize your strengths and weaknesses. Develop some realistic expectations for yourself, for your kids and even for your spouse. Take your time and focus on things one at a time. Also, do the things you love in your parenting spare times and learn the act of rest.

Parenting is one of the intricate work that never gets a holiday break. Every day, there’s a lot of struggles in this vocation. Yet, as a parent, you give your children the best start in their life. You nurture, you guide and protect them as much as you can. Parenting plays an essential role in a child’s development in the future.

So, as you move forward in your parenting styles and techniques, you might need to consider these things/ tips to continually make a difference inside your family and most especially to your children.

Control Your Response

As a parent, you are not exempted to feeling tired and high-tempered. But one thing you need to learn is to control your emotions and don’t let it get the better of you by responding out of anger and tiredness. In giving consequences and lessons to your children, always bear in mind that it is not about you, but about your child’s character. Stay focused on what you have control – your response, and not theirs.

Tackle Their Behavior One at a Time

As a parent, you are expected to look after the overall system of your child. From school grades, household chores and daily behaviour- all these things are a valid reason for a parent to become stage parents in teaching the kids on how to meet a particular responsibility and to become more responsible. But, the reality is when you are trying to do all at once it becomes more of not efficient and effective. So, take your time and slow down. Celebrate small wins that undergo the process.

Do Not Personalize Behavior

It is familiar and comfortable to personalize behaviour when you got amid a fight with your child. When your child breaks the rule you built, you can quickly feel disrespected, that he doesn’t care about the rules. But then, as difficult as might be, do not take it personally. Stretch your patience. Be reminded that even if your child’s character is directed to you, do not take it lightly. Develop a habit of diplomacy in dealing with the problem.

Do Not Underestimate the Need of Self-care

Yes, parenting is a complicated job, but self-care is also essential. Doing and activity you enjoy such as shopping, walking in playgrounds, reading or having a date with your friends is a must too. Take time to breathe and rest once in a while. It is challenging to be an effective parent when you are always stressed out and exhausted by your situation. Self-care improves your capability to become more cheerful and energetic in tackling your child’s behaviour- it is also called empowerment.

Be Patient: Behavior is a Process

You should know that the inappropriate behaviour of a child is developed and learned over some time. Same with learning new and appropriate ways to solve problems. Your child’s development is not an overnight basis, and you expect to see a change in a snap. Be patient and enjoy the moment. The change will indeed happen if you stick with it.

What kind of parent are you? How do you manage and discipline your children? Parenting is not an easy responsibility, but it is also fun. There are various ways and strategies to raise children. Some parents are “helicopter parents” who monitor every step of their children’s lives, while other parents give their children space to move freely and develop independence.

Parenting is a trial and error, you do not always do it right the first time, but as time moves forward, you and your partner will learn and discover the kind of parenting style that is fitting for your children.

Here are some parenting styles that help you better understand what kind of parents you are:

Authoritarian or Disciplinarian Parenting

It is a style of parenting where they discipline their children with rules and punishment. Communication is mostly one way; only the parents can speak and ignoring the child’s point of view. Parents set standards and expectations for their children.

Parents who discipline this way are less nurturing and drive their children to rebel against them. The children tend to have low self-esteem and dependent.

Permissive or Indulgent Parenting

Permissive parenting is the opposite of “helicopter parents”; parents allow their children to do what they want with limited guidance. There are few or no rules and minimal expectations. There is open communication; parents give their children the freedom to express themselves and make decisions. They tend to be nurturing and loving parents.

The parents demand little to their children leading to a lack of discipline, poor social skills, and insecurity. Since the parents give limited guidance, children can make poor decisions and be more prone to delinquency.

Uninvolved Parenting

The children have freedom, and parents neglect their responsibilities. Parents are unsure of how to raise their children. Due to a lack of interest in parenting, parents usually let their children do things independently without caring what they are doing. The communication is limited, there are no expectations, and the parents are less affectionate.

Neglectful parents do not develop a connection with their children, which leads to poor social skills and low self-esteem. Children receive little attention, love, care, guidance, and discipline.

Authoritative Parenting

The parents are reasonable, responsive, nurturing, and set clear expectations. Authoritative parenting is the most effective because children grow as independent, well-mannered, and successful person in the future.

The authoritarian parents set rules that are reasonable and beneficial for the children. They balance their approach to their children, showing respect, listening, and cooperating with them. When children make mistakes, they talk about it with them and explain the consequences of their choices and actions. They help their children to become better individuals.

Parents are the most critical people in a child’s life. They help the child develop independence, know his identity, lead him to the right path, and guide him to better life experience.

Parents are the people behind every child’s success. Every child is unique, and every child has dreams; when parents raise him accordingly, he can become the next Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., or Barack Obama. The children are the future so raise them well.

Teaching kids to read is not an easy task. It is not contrary to some people’s belief that learning to read is not a ‘natural’ process that happens in just a blink of an eye. It’s a complex one that requires various strategies and skills such as phonics awareness. Whether the task is for teachers or parents, the weight is still the same, and it needs to be done in proper preparation.

A study shows that kids learn to read when they are finally able to identify letters and combinations of letters and connect them to sounds. But, there’s more to it, it needs a deeper understanding of the process of reading. You can’t impose on a child to read quickly, without undergoing the step to step level of it.

The great news is that although reading itself is a complicated process; we enlist some of these steps to guide you in the fair building of learning skills: simple and straightforward. To teach your kids how to read and make it a rewarding and positive experience, consider these time-tested and straightforward strategies:

• Make use of songs and nursery rhymes to build phonemic awareness.

The rhymes and rhythm of children’s nursery songs are not just for fun; it contributes to the child’s capability of hearing the sound and syllables in words – that can help them learn to read. Clapping rhythmically together and reciting songs in unison is a better and enjoyable way to build phonics awareness. In this fantastic yet straightforward way, the children will implicitly develop the literacy skills to set them up for the reading process.

• Make simple word cards. 

If you have spare cards, make use of it and create simple word cards containing three sounds each (e.g. top, sun, pot). Show your kids the map and help him to identify the letter one by one until he fully identifies the right sound of the word.  This low cost and simple activity will help develop a child’s decoding skills.

• Attract your child’s attention through a print-rich environment

If you want a daily opportunity to build your child’s reading skills, create a print-rich environment within your home. Printed words on cards, posters, signs and billboards will enable them to apply connections between letter symbols and sounds. Every day ask your child, “what letter is this?”, “What is the sound of this letter?” By doing this, they can easily recall in their mind the letters and their signals and symbols.

• Mobilize the use of technology to keep your child engaged

At first, a child’s attention and eagerness to learn are at the peak, but they will come to the point of being bored and not wanting to learn anymore. That is why you must keep the earning process always enjoyable and catchy for them. Nowadays, there are many ideas online to look for engaging and fantastic ways to help your kids learn to read.  Use modern technology to look at strategies in making your kids alive and alert throughout the process.

• Be patient

Be patient with your child’s step by step development. Remember that every child learns at their own pace; all you need to do is keep motivating them and make every day an enjoyable learning session.

When it comes to educating the next generation in Australia, it is like you are gazing at a crystal ball. Five decades ago, some would have expected the likes of Classics and Latin to become redundant. If you will ask about these subjects in Australian classrooms right now, you will not only discover that these are not taught anymore but students will even ask you how these can help them in their real day to day life.

This question speaks a lot about the modern-day learners. They no longer consider conventional academic subjects as irrefutably valuable because they also need it to come in handy in this modern world. This yea 2020, how will learning Latin help you land a job?

A lot of Australians seem to share the same sentiments. Based on the latest survey, many people have this belief that education must put stronger emphasis on vocational and practical skills. Although traditional subjects remain important, most believe that this no longer prepare students for the future working environment where they will be part of.

How do Australian schools adapt, then?

Multi-skill Education

Skills should be the top priority instead of jobs. In the past, jobs tend to come and go often. Many Australian students were gearing up for occupations where most were expected to be significantly changed by automation. This is why focus on multi-skilled education is important to make it through the dynamic job economy. Although the educational system won’t prepare you for this, it places more emphasis on multi-skill education that accommodates an equally multi-career future.

Industry Insight and Apprenticeships

This concern doesn’t have a quick and easy fix but seeing most schools form partnerships with the local trades and industries is something that will see an increase in the future. Working with industry experts can close the gap in skills that are currently present between employment and education.

Games

The curriculum is now getting rewritten by technology. The extensive use of different wireless devices right now made some tasks meaningless such as typing. Youngsters now feel more comfortable with touch-typing even at a very young age. Also, students no longer have time to put their handwriting into practice. Amidst this society that is starting to become increasingly paperless, calligraphy is now considered a relic of the past.

To make sure that today’s schools wont’ fail the youngsters, it is a must for them to adapt. Interestingly, there are experts who recommend that gaming might play an essential role in the field of education. Games got the unique abilities to enthrall, engage, and move people, qualities that experts deem to be the key to embed knowledge. Games became popular for the past few years, basically through making the most out of the benefits of the games, such as drama, competition, and enjoyment, and relating these to different issues in the real world. Games are also believed to have this power of addressing real-world issues.

Ultimately, it is easy to see that technology will shape the future of education in more ways than one. To better equip the next generation in Australia, the educational system can no longer rely exclusively on traditional subjects to prepare the kids. It moves with technological advances. With technology and times moving forward, the education system should, too.

The baby bag is every new mom’s new best friend that they need to be right there by their side at all times. Stepping outside the house with your little one without a baby bag is a mistake you wouldn’t dare make if you don’t want to have any regrets.

Below is a checklist of the most important and must-have items that should be inside a baby bag all the time:

1. Diapers – For every 2 hours you spend outside, you have to pack one diaper and a few extras to be safe.
2. Wipe – Choose a good travel pack for your wipes. You can also maintain the moisture of the baby wipes by putting them inside a plastic sandwich bag. Wipes have the most number of purposes out of all baby bag contents. You use them to wipe your hands, your baby’s bum and the changing pad, particularly after using a public restroom.
3. Changing Pad – Your baby bag may already come with one but you might want to get something bigger.
4. Baby ointment/cream – Use travel-sized tubes of baby cream or ointment to save space.
5. Pacifiers – If your baby is using a pacifier, keep it inside a clean bag together with extra bottle nipples to keep them sanitary.
6. Small empty sacks – These can be used for those soiled diapers and clothing. You can dispose them if they are disposable or bring them home if they are made from cloth. These can also be used for used nipples and pacifiers.
7. Washcloths or burp cloths – Put as much as you think you will need and add some more.
8. Baby food – It doesn’t matter if is pumped breast milk, baby food, or instant formula in bottles. Try to figure out the number of feedings worth your baby will need then pack accordingly. If you have a toddler, you can also add some water in the baby bag.
9. Hand sanitizer – Since you have no idea who else touched the things you touched before changing or feeding your baby, make sure you have a hand sanitizer with you.
10. Change of clothes or two. Spit-up can always happen as well as leaky bottles and blow-outs. Put a couple extra pairs of clean socks while you are at it.
11. Hat – No matter what the season might be, your bag should have a topper appropriate for the weather to block out the cold or sun.
12. Light blanket – Again, whatever the season, it wouldn’t hurt to have something to use in drafty restaurants and during unexpected breezes. You can also use the blanket to shade your baby from the heat of the sun.
13. Sunscreen – For babies 6 months and above, you should use a sunscreen if you and your baby will be out and about strolling in the park.
14. Toys – If there is something that keeps your little one entertained, whether it is a teether, rattle, or board book, toss it in the baby bag. You will also need toy straps if you don’t want to pick toys up from the sidewalks or floor of restaurants.