At the clinic, I mostly see children with developmental delays or behavioral problems but I offer the same recommendations when dealing with any other child.
It is difficult to raise a child. It does take a “village”. Hopefully, these strategies turn out to be successful for many families.
1. Establish a daily routine.
- Wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day.
- No naps after 3pm
- Have a set bedtime.
- No gadgets one hour before set bedtime.
2. Set limits.
Meals
- No television, toys, mobile phones, and other gadgets while eating.
- Eat only at the dining table, not elsewhere. Do not chase your child around the room to eat. Do not force feed.
- Include fruits and vegetables in every meal. Give protein and carbohydrates.
- Avoid: sugary food, soda, colored juices, processed foods.
- Mealtimes should last 30 minutes only. Wait for everyone to finish before allowing the child to leave the table.
Toys
- Give the child one toy at a time.
- Child should pack away his / her own toys.
TV
- Limit TV, computer, and gadget use to one hour a day ONLY and needs to be supervised.
- Educational, high quality programs are best.
- Shows not recommended are: Tom & Jerry, Mr. Bean, Spongebob Squarepants, Power Rangers, The Simpsons, Peppa Pig, Ben10, Oggy and the Cockroaches, Transformers, Anime series, wrestling, telenovelas,and gameshows.
3. Allow for more independence.
4. Ignore temper tantrums.
- As long as the child is not hurting himself / anyone, let them be.
- Do not chase him, call him by name or try to placate him.
- Do not give in to demands.
5. Mean what you say and say what you mean.
6. Be generous with praise when appropriate. Catch them doing good.
7. Read to your child before bedtime.
Photo Credit: Wong Chee Yen | Dreamstime.com