3 Tips from Experienced Mums
There is no guide book or instruction manual that is given to you when you enter the exciting, wonderful but also very challenging world of motherhood. It seems true that every child is different and that just when the mothers feel that they have mastered routines and understood their child’s specific needs, these routines and needs change.
Motherhood brings moments of unparalleled joy and love so great that you may have never before recognised as possible. It is also a time of incredible learning and adjustment as your own life changes markedly and your child’s world becomes your world.
With these things in mind, it can be very helpful to have some tips from women who have ‘been there’ before you. Of course, there is no prescriptive treatment or ‘cure all’ response that provides an answer to every challenge or query that a Mum’s face. However, the following tips from experienced mothers are likely to help:
1: Baby massage works!
One of the best and most proven ways to settle and relax a baby is with infant massage. By learning a range of infant massage techniques, mothers are well equipped to deliver a massage that is soothing and nurturing for their baby and so it is always worthwhile to undertake an infant massage course through a quality training provider.
Many experienced Mums have successfully incorporated baby massage into their daily routines and have found that few minutes that are devoted to gentle and loving touch is time well spent. In fact, many Mums vouch for the fact that infant massage is often most effective when done in the middle of the day, but Mums and their babies need to work out a time and place that suits them best.
A number of experienced mothers who recommend baby massage also recommend the use of baby massage oil. Any oil should be tested on a very small area of the baby’s skin to ensure that no irritation or reaction occurs, but in most cases, baby massage oil helps create an enjoyable and relaxing experience, for mother and child.
2: Tantrums
When sweet little babies become toddlers, the world of tantrums can begin. Suddenly a mild mannered, innocent and very placid child can become an absolute handful, creating a scene and behaving quite uncontrollably. Not only can this be quite embarrassing for Mum, it is almost always very frustrating.
Unfortunately, there is no one approach fixes all remedy for tantrums. Some mothers recommend ignoring the behaviour and even walking away from the child (while staying close enough to ensure their safety) this however is only likely to cause further distress for the child and is not recommend. Other Mums have had some success by removing the child from the situation and later, when their child has calmed down, discuss, explain and name the feeling as frustration, anger or disappointment. These situations can present a good opportunity for the child learn about their own emotions and how they can cope with these kinds of feelings.
Regardless of the approach that you use, it is important to remember that this behaviour won’t last forever and is quite common for many toddlers.
3: Take the time to enjoy your child
As so many experienced Mums will agree, childhood is fleeting. While it can feel as though it will take forever for your little one to progress from babyhood, suddenly they are at school and before too long, they are a teenager.
Above all else, take the time to enjoy your baby or older child and realise that the moments spent playing and cuddling are never wasted time; to the contrary, these are some of the most precious moments of childhood and parenthood.
Every mother makes her own decisions and is guided by instinct when it comes to her baby and their needs, but sometimes the tips of experienced Mums can be reassuring and helpful. Certainly, these tips can at least give all mothers some ideas of great things to do with their children.