Being the parent of a preschooler can be just as frustrating as it is rewarding. While your preschooler is busy exploring his new independence, he still needs plenty of attention and love. The ages between 3 and 5 can be difficult for everyone involved and there are plenty of chances for the parents to make mistakes. Here are the 5 parenting mistakes that are easy to make when you are raising a preschool, and a few tips to help you survive these fun and frustrating years.
Frequent changes from routines
Consistency is important to preschoolers, especially with all of the new changes in their lives. When you are continually changing the daily routines, preschoolers can become confused and start acting out. It is important to remember that 3 to 5 year old children often do not understand why it is okay to do something one day and not another. Unless they know that this is a special treat for “this time only”, the constant changes in their routines can leave you both feeling frustrated and irritable. Being consistent with your preschooler in everything from discipline to meals and bedtime can help prevent temper tantrums and short tempers.
Concentrating on bad behavior
It is not uncommon for preschoolers to act out and their bad behavior can be made even worse if you forget to praise them when they do something good. This is a difficult age for children as they start to explore their independence while still needing attention from you. If you only concentrate on your child’s bad behavior and forget to praise and reward him when he does something good, your preschooler may decide that the only way to get your attention is to misbehave. These types of misbehavior can then turn to not interacting with anyone or say it as your child become depressed due to your not paying attention to them. Positive reinforcement not only helps to improve the way your preschooler acts in public, but it can also strengthen the bond between parent and child.
Missing your preschooler’s warning signs
Almost all preschoolers have their own unique warning signs that indicate a temper tantrum is near. Whether it is a red face, eyes scrunching up, or simply “the look” your preschooler can get in his eyes, being able to recognize these signs before your child is in the middle of a temper tantrum can make a dramatic difference in their behavior. Almost all parents agree that it is impossible to “talk” to a preschooler who is in the middle of a tantrum, and it can also ruin any otherwise fun outing. When you know how to identify these signs, you can prevent the outburst and still have an enjoyable day.
Rewarding whining
It is important to remember that no matter how annoying your preschooler’s whining might get, it is never a good idea to reward him for it. It won’t take long for a child to realize that you will probably cave into them, if they simply whine and pester you until you say “yes”. While this might give you a few minutes of peace and quiet, it is one of the worst examples you can set. Not only are you now at the mercy of your preschooler’s whims, this annoying trait can stay with your child throughout his life. Most child care experts recommend simply ignoring your preschooler when he starts whining, and though this might result in a temper tantrum after a few times your child will realize that he can’t always get his own way.
Keeping your preschooler too busy
This common mistake is easy for parents to make without realizing it, and over scheduling your preschooler can leave you both feeling tired and irritable. Just because children often have more energy than their parents doesn’t necessarily mean that they always have to be busy. Not only can this affect their general mood, but it can also interfere with their normal. Children need time to relax and unwind after a busy day at school, and it is also important to remember that preschoolers need time to themselves to simply play. This unstructured play time is also how child brains continue to grow and develop so they are better equipped to deal with everyday life.
It is important to remember that not all preschoolers are the same, and only you know what will work best for your child. Simply praising and rewarding your child for his good behavior and having the patience to ignore their whining can help prevent temper tantrums, along with sticking to a routine. While all parents will make mistakes, it is important to keep trying to set a good example, so your child can grow into a well-adjusted and happy adult.
References:
1) Johri, Ashish. “6 Steps for Parents So Your Child is Successful”. humanenrich.com. Retrieved March 2, 2014
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Author Bio:
Stevan McGrath believes that through eating well, avoiding toxins and taking steps to be happy, people can achieve great things. He incorporates his knowledge of health administration from George Washington University, apart from this he enjoys writing articles on general health, fitness , technology reviews, Skincare treatment, product reviews. He is a contributing writer to various other websites since 2011. His articles are well-researched and published on several websites. You can follow him on Twitter and Google+ for daily inspiration.
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Interesting. I’m not a mom but will pass these tips on to my mom friends.
I’m sure new moms will appreciate this info. I’m not a mother and never planned to be one and all of my nieces and nephews are teenagers now.
Keeping the same routine is really important. We learned that with my son.
Another one is not requiring naps, heck if they don’t need them, you do. At the bedtimes of some pre-schoolers is just crazy. Sleep is essential IMO (your tips are all point on though!)
I agree with you on the routine. I think that can go beyond the preschool years as well. My 11 year old is grumpy if she’s off her normal schedule during school time.
Kas
I think I am guilty of keeping mine pretty busy and change schedule. Sometimes it can’t be help.
These are great tips! Number 1 has been especially true for us as my little one liked to know the plan for the day.
These are great tips! It can be so hard to read what is going on with a preschooler and easy to give in to their demands as well!
This is a great post. I have a preschooler and we have a really hard time with the whining. Keeping consistent is definitely key.