The most important parenting hack you should know
A paediatrician speaks about some things to consider before losing it with your toddlers. Practicing the pause is so vital.
As parents, it can be extremely difficult to constantly practice patience and understanding with our children.
Not because we don't want to, but because we have so much going on, so many things to juggle, and it can become challenging, to say the least.
But if we want to live a more conscious and positive family life, then we have to think about ways to manage our children's huge emotions in the best possible way.
Qualified and experienced toddler expert, Dr. Cathryn, shares some key pointers when trying to practice more conscious parenting.
And we have found that this one point is actually quite applicable to many things in our lives.
Practicing the pause is just one and we believe that this should be your daily if not hourly mantra. Because once you say something, you cannot just take it back and act like it wasn't said.
Dialling down our reactions to tantrums is an integral part of managing it. So, after pausing, she advises parents to take a quick inventory of how they are feeling.
By doing this you will be able to understand your feelings and step forward in the most appropriate way. Perhaps taking a deep breath or closing your eyes and counting to ten may help.
It's important to remember that your reaction can sometimes determine the extent and volume of the tantrum.
Her final pointer is creating a space that exists between unwanted behaviour and your response to it.
Too often we punish ourselves for not reacting in the best way, in other words losing it. But this doesn't make you a bad parent, just human.
We have that affirmed from the medical expert here, as Dr. Cathryn says: "We are human and we’re wired to lose it when our buttons are pushed. The problem is that during a tantrum, our kids need us to be calm in order to calm down." (Instagram)
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