You can’t be a good parent all the time
Looking after children requires a lot of energy and effort and it’s impossible to be a good parent all the time. Jenni Johnson, our resident “baby whisperer”, tells you what to do on days when you break your own rules…
On days when you break your rules and behave too strictly, punish too quickly or react inappropriately - say you're sorry, reassure your child that you love him/her and explain that your behavior wasn't correct. This teaches your children a valuable lesson.
Other top tips from Jenni this week:
I teach good sleep rules from when a baby is only a few weeks old, although you can't spoil your newborn it is very easy to get used to rocking to sleep and before you know it your little one is a few months old and can’t fall asleep on their own. Go to jennisays.com I have posted a simple and easy way to solve this problem.
To teach your children the message of green living, find child-friendly shows with educational content about environmental conservation. Pictures help your children become more aware of what’s happening around them. Follow this up with practising it in the home, for e.g. let it be your child's responsibility to bring the Eco-friendly shopping bag into the shop.
A common pregnancy symptom is morning sickness – try these tips to reduce the effects: Cut out excessively fatty and spicy foods; avoid strong odors such as coffee; eat several small meals instead of three large ones; try acupressure; wear a sea sickness band on your wrist; try ginger; add grapefruit, orange, or lime aromatherapy oils to your bath water.
From 2 ½ months old your baby will be ready for more stimulation and they love to look at faces. Put pictures of family members in the cot and draw red/black and white smiley faces on a paper plate to hang above a play area. Baby likes to reach out and touch at this age.
* Catch Jenni on-air every day just after 10am with her tip of the day.
Jenni Johnson, our resident ‘Baby Whisperer’, has been a practicing child-care practitioner for 15 years, and owns a busy ante and post natal clinic in Durban…
At Jenni’s ante and post natal clinic in Durban, parents are taught a system that gives them structure and routine to the baby and childhood years. Jenni has a nursing background. She’s a registered nurse, midwife, psychiatric nurse and a practicing child-care practitioner for the past 15 years. Jenni’s online clinic, can be accessed online via www.jennisays.com. For appointments, e-mail [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter via @JenniSays or on Facebook by 'liking' The Berea Baby Clinic.