6 Common Parenting Mistakes One Must Avoid
Parenting can be much more challenging than it seems on the surface. This is especially apparent when one becomes a parent for the first time. Balancing a child’s tender care and development with one’s grueling professional responsibilities can be overwhelming for anyone. This busy yet rewarding phase may lead rookie parents to make certain mistakes. Such errors may seem innocuous at first but can be harmful to the child in the long run.
Not making babies burp properly
Burping is an important part of the feeding process for multiple reasons. One of the main mistakes a parent can make is not burping their baby properly after every feed. This is more of a rookie mistake that new parents tend to make within the first year. Instead, parents may make the mistake of placing the baby on its back after feeding it.
Not burping results in the baby having trapped gas in its belly and digestive tract. As a result, babies may end up spitting up some of the milk and food. This will soil their clothes and cause them to not receive the proper nutrition they need.
Ignoring car seat safety
Child safety remains the biggest concern for parents even when their children blitz past teenage into their adult years. Unsurprisingly, this concern just increases tenfold when young kids are in question.
Therefore, ignoring car safety is a big mistake. One needs to figure out the correct and safe way to install car seats for their children. Parents can find a trained technician on the National Child Passenger Safety Certification website.
After installing the car seat in their vehicle, parents need to test it by placing stuffed animals, dolls, or other toys in there just to see if the spacing and configurations are right for a child to fit into the seat. Parents must ensure that their infant’s head does not tilt forward in the seat. This can affect the child’s breathing. Additionally, the child’s posture must be upright and the feet at the right angle to prevent injuries and jerky movements when the vehicle is driven.
Parents can also place a tightly-rolled blanket on both sides of their child to prevent their baby from slouching down or sideways in the seat. Also, the baby must be able to breathe easily in the seat, so ventilation must be well-planned. Additionally, to keep their vehicle and car seat clean from bacteria, one can use the safest Healthybaby wipes.
Neglecting oral hygiene
Little kids may only have gums at first, but neglecting their oral hygiene can be a mistake. One needs to clean their child’s gums with a soft washcloth after meals. After their teeth start growing, one can gently use a toothbrush to clean them. Neglecting oral hygiene can result in tooth decay and other lifelong dental-related problems for children.
Not changing diapers frequently
One of the most common errors parents, especially rookie ones, can make is changing diapers only when their child soils them. Even when they are not soiled, diapers can accumulate bacteria and microparticles that can cause illnesses and other hygiene issues.
Parents must periodically change their kids’ diapers to ensure these things do not happen. Changing a baby’s diapers from time to time not only keeps the baby comfortable and healthy but also prevents rashes, unpleasant odors, and skin itching.
Changing diapers every two to three hours is vital for these very purposes.
Ignoring a warm forehead
A warm forehead can mean many things, with the likeliest possibility being fever in children. Fever can be a scary prospect for children as their immune systems are still pretty nascent at that stage. Therefore, if a child has a high temperature, parents need to rush them to a doctor for a quick checkup and possible treatment.
Additionally, apart from checking a child’s temperature with a conventional thermometer, parents can use a rectal thermometer for a more accurate temperature reading. Going to a certified pediatrician is the safest bet to calm down a fever and also the parents’ worries regarding the temperature.
Stockpiling diapers
Children grow quickly during their initial years. Therefore, stockpiling diapers can be a mistake, even if it is tempting to store enough supplies to save for critical times. Diapers, once bought, will need to be discarded in case the baby has outgrown them. Therefore, it is advised to buy diapers as per the requirement.