Children bring great joy into the lives of their parents. But as any parent will know it’s never plain sailing when it comes to raising kids.
Here are a few of the biggest challenges that any parent faces – and how you can deal with each as it comes.
In This Article
Tantrums
The terrible twos can sometimes be truly awful. Often they can last beyond the toddler years, so knowing how to respond to a tantrum is a crucial skill for any parent.
When dealing with a tantrum at any age, the key thing to remember is to stay calm. If you get angry in response to a tantrum from your child, you will only escalate the issue. Instead, if it is safe to do so, you should do your best to ignore a child having a tantrum. Tantrums are primarily a way for children to seek attention, albeit negative attention. Ignoring a tantrum is the best way to stop it in its tracks.
Once your child has calmed down, you can then have an age-appropriate discussion with him or her about why they were upset. This way, your child will see that the best way to get your attention is by being calm. This may not work every time, especially for younger children, but it is essential to encourage children to talk about what is bothering them.
The Teenage Years
This is the time that most parents dread. Your sweet little kid grows into a moody teenager who no longer wants to follow your rules or listen to your advice. Some kids will be a bit more cranky than usual, but for others, the teenage years can bring a lot of tension and conflict into the household. During the teenage years, the vital thing to remember is that this is not a reflection on your parenting – teenage mood swings are a natural part of growing up.
If you are struggling with your kids at this age, there is plenty of help available out there. Take a look at Daniel Wong’s advice for dealing with defiant and rebellious teenagers. Daniel Wong is an expert in working with kids, having worked with thousands of teens over his career.
It is essential to enforce your child’s boundaries when they become a teenager. Above all, remain calm, no matter what the teenage years throw at you!
Fussy Eating
Many children are fussy eaters. This is a common cause of stress among parents as they struggle to ensure that their children are getting all of the nutrition they need.
Forcing your child to eat their greens and other healthy food is not the way to go. Instead, you should try to talk to your kids about why eating healthily is important.
If you have an extremely picky child, then an excellent short term solution could be to blend veggies with things that your child likes to eat, like gravy or pasta sauces. While this is not a perfect solution, it can be the best thing to do while you wait for your child to grow out of picky eating.
