Parenting Advice

As a parent to be, I tend to think about parenting advice and mentally collect my favorites for my future parenting needs. One of my recent favorites is a picture my husband told me about.

This picture was very inspirational to my husband and me. We then had a long discussion on what type of parents we want to be. So, my advice is to think about and discuss parenting techniques and ideas and decide which ones you will keep and which others you will forget.

Want some more advice to think about? Here is some of my favorite parenting advice from an online article I found:

1. Memorize the acronym H.A.L.T.

Tantrums often happen because the thrower is Hungry, Agitated, Lonely, or Tired.

2. Repeat the phrase, “I am not a short-order cook”

“It’s a child’s job to learn to eat what the parents eat,” says Ellyn Satter, a registered dietitian and the author of Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family. Instead of the all-or-nothing scenario, offer a variety of foods at mealtime: the main course, plus rice or pasta, a fruit or vegetable, and milk. This way, your child can eat just the pasta and the peas and get protein from the milk. “What a child eats over the course of a day or a week is more important than a balanced meal at one sitting,” says Stephen Daniels, the chairman of the department of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, in Aurora.

3. To get little kids to be quiet, lower your voice instead of raising it

This forces kids to focus. Got a whole pack to corral? Whisper, “If you want to hear what we’re doing next, hop on one foot.” Goofy jumping is bound to be contagious.

4. Put on  your own oxygen mask first

In other words, take care of yourself or you can’t be a fully engaged parent. Parents who deprive themselves of rest, food, and fun for the sake of their kids do no one a favor. “People feel guilty when they work a lot, so they want to give all their free time to their kids,” says Fred Stocker, a child psychiatrist at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, in Kentucky. “But you risk getting squeezed dry and emotionally exhausted.” A spa weekend may not be realistic, but it’s OK to take 15 minutes for a bath after you walk in the door. (A tall request for a kid, yes, but a happier Uno player goes a long way.) Running ragged between activities? Ask your child to prioritize, says Taylor. She may be dying for you to chaperone a field trip but ambivalent about your missing a swim meet—the ideal amount of time for a pedicure.

There is so much parenting advice available to people. I have learned that parenting decisions are truly a personal decision. What works for one person might not work for another. However, gathering advice and then contemplating it and possibly implementing it will help make parenting a little easier. At least, that is what I am hoping for since I don’t have legitimate parenting experience quite yet. Good luck and have fun with your parenting adventures!

—Lexi Foster, Assistant Managing Editor, Stance