Parenting is notoriously hard. From the moment of conception, you hold a tiny life in your hands and it is up to you to keep it safe and healthy. You’ll have to deal with sleepless nights, temper tantrums, injuries, heartbreaks, and much more throughout the course of your child’s early years. And everything you do or say makes a difference.
Your parenting style will help to determine the adult your child grows into. Factors such as your level of discipline, communication skills, and involvement in their life will influence and moulid them as they get older. For this reason, you have a great deal of power to give your child the best start at life.
But how do you know what is good or bad parenting? Should you crack down on bad behavior with punishments and raised voices or should you talk to them calmly? How do you deal with the trials of bedwetting, boyfriends, and broken bones? A parent has to make so many difficult decisions each and every day, and you won’t always make the right one. What is important however, is that you instill good habits and priorities into your child early on. This way, they will be more likely to grow up into a well-rounded human being that you can be proud to call your own.
To help you out, here are three ways to give your child the best start in life.
Teach good communication
Of all the skills you can have in life, communication is perhaps the most important. You use it every single day as you conduct business meetings, apply for jobs, respond to emails, and chat with your friends. From the moment they are born, your child is listening to the interactions of those around them, so ensure you are promoting positive communication. Teach your child that it’s good to be sociable and polite to others. Help to build their vocabulary and articulacy through conversation and games.
Promote physical wellbeing
More and more, children spend excessive amounts of time indoors with screens and social media. This can lead to a variety of health problems in later life such as bad posture, poor vision, and mental health disorders. It’s essential you look after your child’s wellbeing from an early age. Help them to experience the joys of physical exercise with family bike rides and days out, and encourage them to sign up for sports clubs when they’re older. Teach them about the perils of excessive screen time and encourage more wholesome hobbies like reading and creative arts. Sleep is one of the most important yet underrated aspects of a child’s health. Ensure they stick to a regular bedtime routine and that they are comfortable at night. A good quality mattress and bedding such as the Moses Basket Fitted Sheet will work wonders.
Set a good example
It’s one thing to teach your child good habits and attitudes, but if you are not exhibiting these same behaviors yourself then you will never make a solid impression. The best way to instill desirable characteristics in a young child is to set a good example. Put down your phone in the evening and pick up a book instead. Keep your fitness in check and eat a healthy diet and your good habits will soon rub off on your little one.