Parent Gossip

I don’t have children yet because I am only 26 years old, nonetheless when I do have children I want to do my utmost to ensure they turn out to be well rounded and normal young adults. I was watching an episode of Super Nanny the other day and it was about a mum and dad who were breaking up and were going through a separation and eventually getting a divorce.

The best way to explain this to your child is to make sure it is simple and explained in a way that a child can understand. So make it clear that you will always love the child no matter what and it is not their fault that his parent are getting a divorce.

Breast feeding has a huge number of benefits. Firstly and most importantly breastfeeding gives your child the best nutrients and vitamins which are essential for your baby to grow up healthily and free from sickness and illnesses. Breastfeeding also allows mums to bond with their baby, as you can make eye contact and cuddle the baby whilst they are suckling. When feeding your baby using your breast – this is convenient as your breast are ready to feed your baby at the drop of a hat. If you had to make a bottle this would take a lot longer to prepare.

Ultimately breastfeeding is healthier, better for your child’s emotional development and saves you time. What do you think about breastfeeding?

There is much debate about when is too old to have a dummy. Letting your child have a dummy when they go to bed, is acceptable to help the child to get to sleep. However, allowing your child to have a dummy when they get older is not good for your child’s development. Children don’t like to be different, if they are considered to be different they are more likely to be teased at school because of the difference.

Therefore do not allow your child to go to school with a dummy as they will get bullied. Having a dummy for many years, can have adverse effect on your child’s teeth as they will get pushed forwards by the dummy.

As I have mentioned previously my sister who is 24 still sucks her thumb when no one is looking. She has done this ever since she was a baby. There are lots of things you can do to stop your child sucking their thumb. Try to keep you child occupied so that they are not bored and have nothing else to do, make sure your child feels comfortable so they are less likely to need to suck their thumb for reassurance. However at the end of the day thumb sucking is not hurting anyone so why not just wait and your child will eventually grow out of this habit.

Children often have little activities which give them comfort and help them settle down. One of the most common habits of childhood is thumb sucking. My sister is 24 years old now, however when she is tired she still sometimes sucks her thumb when she thinks no one is looking.

Babies suck on a bottle or a dummy to pacify them when they are upset so thumb sucking can relax and make children more comfortable. Young children may also suck to soothe themselves. Since thumb sucking is relaxing, it may help send a child to sleep.

If you are meeting your partner’s parents for the first time it is important for it to go well because first impressions count. Here are a few tips to ensure it goes well:

• Dress to impress – turning up in ripped jeans, greasy hair or messy stubble on your face will not bode well with your potential future parent in laws.
• Don’t forget your manners – When speaking to your girlfriends or boyfriends parents always ensure you use good manners, say please and thank you and be polite.
• Good table manners – Don’t chew with your mouth open, and don’t talk when you have food in your mouth. Try not to rest your elbows on the table and offer to help with the clean up afterwards.

Most of all try and relax and be yourself, this way your partners parents are sure to love you just like your partner does already!

I have met my boyfriend’s parents as we have been going out for nearly three years now. We regularly go around to their house for Sunday dinner and some evenings just to pop in. I have a good relationship with my boyfriend’s parents however I have heard terrible stories about people who are not so lucky.

Some mother and father in laws can be dreadful to deal with as parents always want what is best for their children, therefore they sometimes do not approve of your partners as they believe that you can do better.

I am one of three girls, I have two other sisters and I have no children of my own. Therefore I can’t really pass judgment on how my parents feel about myself and my sisters. However, my youngest sister is eight years younger than me and she is definitely the baby of the family and she has been spoilt.

There is eighteen months between me and my other sister, so when we were in our childhood we received presents which were similar. Now we are older, we look back on the presents that the youngest gets and they are so much better, for example; A Nintendo WII, a Nintendo DS, driving lessons etc. I don’t know if she is the favourite but she definitely gets better presents on birthdays and Christmas!

I was not brought up in a really strict household. My parents taught myself and my sisters what was right and wrong. We were not smacked or hit, if we did something that was naughty or we were cheeky we were shouted at and if we did something which was really naughty, we had a severe talking to.

However, some parents just don’t know how to discipline their children. Children need to have boundaries; they must have rules in place to give them structure. This allows the child to know what it good behaviour and what is unacceptable behaviour and it is up to the parent to set these boundaries.

Do your parents give you much privacy? I believe there is a fine line between caring and wanting to share experiences with your child and then the other extreme of being far too nosy and molly coddling your child so that they feel smothered.

From my personal experience, mum’s and dad’s like to know what is going on in your life because they care about what is happening and how you are handling different situations. When you are younger – they like to know where you are, who you are with and what you are doing. As you get older, it is important for parents to let go of their children and allow them have some freedom – otherwise parents would risk being too interfering and then ruin their relationships with their off spring.