Having a Baby

Parents have so many demands on kids. The pressure is intense. Society looks at them to be perfect. It’s an image impossible to live up to. No parent is perfect. No parenting is the best way. Children have to learn on their own in order to be strong. What can you do as a parent? Buy them special toys? Send them to the right schools? You don’t have to spend a fortune or mix with the right crowds to see your child grow up to be a successful adult. Take some advice from a parent who has been there and learned from their mistakes.

Read on for some great tips you can do easily to help your child grow up with the best knowledge they could have to survive in this world.

BEFORE BIRTH

Believe it or not, what you do before birth impacts the future of your child. So much can change during this stage on how a child develops and how they will be able to interact in the world.

• Prenatal Care

From the moment of conception, a child is developing physically, emotionally, and mentally. Each stage of development has its unique attributes. How you treat your body affects this development. That means anything that enters your system affects the life of your child. This includes getting the right amount of vitamins, exercising, your own living conditions, and being smart while carrying your child. Having the right doctor can help you learn how to have a successful pregnancy and give you the tools you need. Once pregnant, you’ll have to change many of your lifestyle habits such as the about of caffeine you take in. Even the over-the-counter or recreational drugs can hurt your child. This includes alcohol. You might be able to argue its benefits any other time, but during a pregnancy these can be detrimental to your child.

• Connect to Your Baby

Just because you can’t physically see your child or hold him doesn’t mean you can’t connect to your baby. Research shows that a child responds to his parent before birth. If nothing else, it makes you feel closer and establishes a tight bond that you’ll feel when he is born and you hold him for the first time. I spent many a day singing to my unborn child and telling her all about her family. Even playing soft music seemed to calm her down while she was still in the womb.

AFTER BIRTH

• See Your Baby as an Individual

You can read all the baby books you want, but never assume that your child has to a fit into a category just like all the other children or has to be more advanced than them all. Each child is unique. They are a unique individual. Each one develops at their own speed. I had one child walking at 10 months and another at 13 months. They both are smart teenagers now with wit and charm. Don’t force them to be what they are not. If they are left-handed let them to be so. Let them become who they really are.

• The Home Environment

The world is an ever changing place. Keep their home environment as static as possible especially your child’s room. They need to know that there is one place that is theirs and is not belonging to the world at large. Think of yourself and how good it feels to have that safety net when you need it.

• Mental Stimulus

Don’t assume your child has to be ready for school before they need to be challenged mentally. No way! The moment they come into this world they are learning. Their minds are developing every second. They need mental stimulus to get those cells working and creating a child that loves learning and is ready to take on the world. There are many things you can do to help that part.

1. Read to them – They might not have a single clue what you are saying, but they love to hear your voice and seeing you with a book in your hand will encourage your child to explore books as they are able to hold them and look at the books for themselves.
2. Television – The television doesn’t have to be the evil entity in your house. There are many educational children’s shows that teach your child how to think and process. They can learn colors, numbers, shapes, and even things such as history, science, and art all from watching fun shows. There are even movies and exercise programs designed for children to do the same.
3. Computers – There is no way around the fact that computers will play a major part of your child’s life. Why not let it help teach them and mentally stimulate them? There are many programs out there to help do just that designed for as young as the little baby.

• Physical Stimulus

Your baby doesn’t want to just lie there. They want physical activity. They want interaction with the adults around them. Play with them. Remember how playing as a child was so physical? Do it again with your baby. Play peek-a-boo, tickle them, roll around on the floor. That physical activity helps to strengthen them, adds to their mental stimulus, and helps build connections between you and your child. This includes holding them. They need physical touch and activity to grow successfully.

• Interacting with the World

One of the best ways to learn how to be grow up successfully is teaching your child how to interact with the world. Take them with you when you go out. The world is a place to learn. They can learn human interaction. Take them to the grocery store so they can learn smart shopping techniques such as buying fruits and vegetables. Take them to the library to discover more books and how learning can be so much fun. Take them to the park and show them how to play with other kids.

You don’t have to spend a fortune or be in the upper classes of society to raise a child that is smart and well-balanced. There is so much you can do before birth and afterwards that will benefit you both and still achieve the same goal.