- Early Childhood experts still emphasize
the importance of the mother in the babies’ first months. Since the popularity
of Lamaze Classes, fathers also started spending more hours with their infants.
Them changing diapers are not just about helping with household chores: it is
also a new type of parenting involvement. Mothers, don’t be surprised to find
yourselves in competition with your husbands. This is a normal response.
- Babies unfortunately, are unable to tell
us why they are crying, why they are fussy, and why they don’t want to eat,
sleep and play. So we listen to our "gut feelings"; we remember what we have
learned from books and articles; and from other people. Then we do our best to
answer our baby’s needs. Sometimes we have difficulties reading those non-verbal
cues. If it happens more often than you feel comfortable with, you might need a
consultation with an expert. It could be that you are simply not experienced
enough, or your baby is sending you "mixed messages."
- "Terrible Twos". The good news about
this phase is that children all grow out of it. They come to their senses, and
they stop demanding everything they see. Some mature faster, some slower.
Assisting children during this frustrating period is not easy. It can be
irritating when you feel that your child needs to be in control all the time. If
you experience weakness and helplessness with your demanding child too often,
you might want to find someone who can listen to you with sympathetic ears.
- Toilet Training and Bedwetting.
“Patience”, “tolerance”, “waiting for the right time” - these are the keywords
what you learn when you start thinking about potty training your toddler. What
if the pressure on you to start the training very early is too much? That
pressure can come from relatives, from friends, and from the fact that your
child will start preschool in a couple of months. Why don’t you talk about this
delicate issue with someone who listens to your concerns, but who is not too
coercive. There are also times when children regress, and start wetting their
beds. Should you feel guilty for starting to use diapers for the night, or
should you start waking your son up if he urinates in his bed at age 4?
Accidents can happen during the day as well. If it is a reoccurring incident,
you might need to find out what this fallback is about.
- Weaning Time for Toddlers. Many mothers
used to nurse their children for years in the past. In those days it was often a
necessity to provide extra nutrition for the kids. Nowadays, breast-feeding
toddlers and young children are more about the emotional and physical bond
between mother and child. The question is how long is too long for nursing your
daughter or son. Helping them to go to sleep with your breastfeeding at age two
or three might cause sleeping problems in the future.
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