As someone who works with children and families, I feel fortunate to have had many families come to my office seeking help for a variety of issues. Fortunate, because in the many years I have seen these families they have shared with me the many challenges and struggles they have faced in rearing children. In those stories, have been many valuable lessons that theory cannot teach.
Over the next few posts, I will share the top five things that I consistently hear, perhaps it might cause someone to think a little differently. I will say it has caused me to change my way of thinking for sure.
1. Lack Consistency
This is a biggie. It starts from the time your child comes home from the hospital and continues throughout their childhood. Consistency is essential to the healthy emotional development of children. Why? Well, it teaches children that there are things they can trust in this world, and trust develops a sense of safety and stability and feelings of safety and stability decrease anxiety which allows children to develop in important ways such as socially, academically and physically. Consistency concretely translates into such things as feeding your children at the same time or on demand in infancy, putting your child to bed at the same time every night, being consistent with consequences to mention a few. Keeping routines is an integral part of being consistent as a parent. Kids thrive with routine because they know what to expect which can also begin to instill that important sense of responsibility that we want children to develop as they grow. It's never to early to begin to be consistent with your children.
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