'I'm a parenting expert – follow these simple tips to make your life easier'
It's Parents Day (Saturday July 27), a time to appreciate all parents for their hard work and selfless commitment to their children.
But for those parents who feel a little burned out or stressed because of their little ones misbehaving, or as though something is wrong when it comes to their parenting, then fear not.
Larissa, mum and the founder of The Childcare Guide, shared her top tips to help make the lives of parents easier, and she exclusively revealed them with Mirror, meaning you won't have to head to online social media forums to ask whether what you're doing is the right thing or not. You can be safe in the knowledge that you're doing what is right by your kids.
1. Communicate
Larissa said she could "not stress enough" that good communication is key. "When parents communicate with each other about how they would like their children to be raised, the struggles their child is currently facing, together they can decide what strategies they will implement to support their child," she shared.
Larissa highlighted that "both parents [being] on the same page," is so important, because the child should be getting "the same support from both parents," which means the child will "feel safer with the boundaries" and "not confused by what is right and wrong".
2. Presence over perfection
She said: "Children only need a few basics to thrive, and one of those is their parents' presence. Instead of focusing on providing perfect moments, focus on being present, engaging in their fun, and being interested in what they want to show you and play. This will improve your bond and your mental health by knowing that you are enough."
3. Listen to your child
"All parents are busy, but one of the really important things you can do is to listen to your child when they want to talk to you," Larissa shared.
She continued: "If they are constantly hearing 'I am busy', 'not now', tell me later', then they are going to learn that you don't have time for them or what they want to tell you is not important.
"This may not seem a problem when they are three and want to show you their 5th drawing of lines, but it creates the foundation for how they will feel when they are teenagers and whether they feel they will be listened to when they have big things to share."
4. Batch cooking is a saviour
Larissa said there are a couple of ways to do this. The first is to "spend half the day cooking all the meals for the week ahead" once you've done the weekly shop.
She explained: "Then put them in the fridge or freezer, depending on the day they will be eaten. This means that during the week, no one has to cook at the end of a busy day, dishes are limited during the week, and the bins don't fill up as quickly".
The other option is to "cook slightly bigger portions so there is a meal or two that you can freeze for your children. On the days when someone has been poorly or you are home late, there is also a quick, low-effort, and healthy meal available".
5. Weaning babies can eat the same as you
Larissa said: "Babies who are weaning can eat the same food as their parents, whether you are doing puree or baby-led weaning.
"Just cook your meal without the added salt, sugar and honey to make it safe for them - you can always add those ingredients in after you have taken your baby's food out. Cooking a family meal instead of cooking separately for you and your baby means you are cooking half the meals, with half the washing up."
6. Don't believe everything you see on social media
Larissa said "social media is great for ideas" and can give you inspiration about what to do with your children, but she urged you to "remember that so much has been staged".
"Use social media for inspiration, but don't feel guilty if you are not doing as many parent-led activities as social media is portraying that others do," she recommended.
7. Parenting isn't a competition
"Every baby is different, and every family is different. When you stop comparing what your child can and can't do, what you do and don't do and the rules that you implement, your stress and anxiety reduces as does your 'mum guilt'," she shared.
8. Let children be bored
Larissa shared it's really important to not keep your children occupied every second of every day. She said: "Reduce how much you plan for you children because when children are constantly busy, they do not have the opportunity to be bored.
"Being bored is essential for children's development. It provides them the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills, organisational skills and become creative. It also boosts their self-esteem through becoming responsible for their own happiness."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Live
20 hours ago
- North Wales Live
Amazon shoppers praise £13 gadget as 'life saver' for keeping wasps away
One of the finest aspects of the summer months is spending time in the open air, particularly savouring a delightful outdoor meal beneath the sun's rays. Nevertheless, we've all encountered the challenge of attempting to sit and relish your food whilst constantly having to bat away, flee from or avoid wasps who have set their sights on your dish. Whilst they're equally as bothersome as flies, the additional threat of their stings (particularly for those with allergies) can transform your barbecue from peaceful to panic-inducing. That's precisely why Amazon customers have been hailing this £13 item as a 'life saver' for keeping them away. The Green Protect Wasp and Flying Insect Trap is simple to operate and functions by drawing wasps and flies away from your eating space to prevent them from spoiling your meal. It's also been specially developed so that it doesn't entice bees, meaning you needn't fret about accidentally harming any bumble bees or worker bees. Sophie Thorogood, a spokesperson at Pest-Stop, shared some guidance on utilising the trap, explaining: "To keep wasps away from your BBQ, position a few traps around the edges of your garden or fence line. "These non-toxic traps lure wasps away from your guests, patio area and food and are a great first port of call. The bait lasts for up to six weeks and refills are available for ongoing protection." The Green Protect Wasp and Flying Insect Trap is straightforward to set up and should be positioned in a shaded area where wasps are frequently spotted. Simply place it on any flat surface, ideally where there's air circulation but away from strong winds, and pour 250ml of the liquid attractant into the trap, reports the Mirror. The solution is non-toxic, and after three weeks you can dispose of the liquid (and insects) inside, before refilling it with the remaining 250ml of the attractant liquid, giving you six weeks in total of wasp and fly repelling. You can also buy refills of the liquid for £7, making it a cost effective way to keep them at bay long term. For more Welsh homes, garden and interiors content, Sign up to our newsletter here If you'd prefer a solution which doesn't harm or kill the wasps but simply deters them from entering your garden, there are a couple of other ideas. Hanging a decoy wasp nest like this Waspinator one, which comes in a two pack for £9.99 from B&Q, that can be enough to keep them from setting up camp in your garden. They require no cleaning or maintenance, and can be simply hung up in whatever area you want to keep wasps away from – they even work when camping or enjoying time at your caravan. Rather than killing off the wasps, they simply change their behaviour and stop them from entering an area they think is already another wasp's territory. Particular fragrances also deter wasps and prevent them from turning up in your garden, with mint being one aroma that keeps them away. So you might consider planting some mint varieties, such as these Large Mentha Mint Plants which are currently available for £9.89 reduced from £10.99 from website Carbeth Plant, to discourage wasps from visiting – plus give you some fresh mint ready for cooking or your summer Pimms. Meanwhile the Green Protect Wasp and Flying Insect Trap has received acclaim from Amazon customers for how well it works, with one commenting: "Honestly a life saver when having a bbq, kept the wasps at bay which is great for those in my family with allergies to their sting." Another buyer concurred, saying: "We have been using this for about 3 weeks, and the number of flies and wasps in our home has reduced noticeably. The bottle is filling with wasps and the flies are just staying away. I would recommend and will buy more." Other customers had less remarkable outcomes, with one buyer noting: "Placed it in several places near to a wasp nest, but it did not catch even one wasp." A further buyer commented: "Simple to setup and place, it doesn't stink at first however after a week with dead insects it can smell. I'd recommend in an elevated position indoors to avoid smell."
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'I quit work- because I can't find childcare for my disabled daughter'
Ana Chivu worked for a medical company but says she made the difficult decision to leave her job because she couldn't find a holiday club for her daughter Giulia during the summer holidays A mother forced to quit work because she cannot find any holiday clubs for her SEND daughter says the scarcity of places is worsened by her being between school and nursery. After weeks of research, a football group for one hour on a Monday was all Ana Chivu could find for her four-year-old daughter Giulia. The child with special educational needs and disabilities is non-verbal autistic, still in nappies and has no danger awareness. Ana, 30, told the Mirror: 'I love my job and it was family-friendly hours – I worked for a medical company Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm. 'I want to be working but resigned last month because I had to make the right decision for my daughter. 'I found some holiday clubs that sounded good but as soon as I mentioned she was in nappies and needed help with feeding they said they couldn't accommodate her.' Parents pay an average of £1,076 per child for summer holiday clubs, children's charity Coram revealed. And just 9% of councils in England have enough places for SEND kids. Being in the gap between nursery and school intensifies the difficulty in finding holiday clubs, as kids are often unable to access either sector. Ana said if the government wants to cut personal independence payments and get more people into work, it needs to improve special educational needs support Ana, who lives in Barnsley, South Yorks, with husband Radoslav, 35, a hygiene supervisor, added: 'I've read about respite breaks but because she is not in statutory school age, these do not apply to Giulia either.' Anna Bird, chief of disability charity Contact, added: 'Some families with disabled children dread the long summer break because they don't have access to childcare.' Labour's Peter Swallow, who was at a Parliamentary drop-in last week where more than 60 MPs met families of SEND children, said: 'I want to see better support for vulnerable children and their parents.' The Department of Education said: 'We recognise school holidays can be a pressurised time for parents, particularly for those with children who have SEND, which is why we are continuing to fund free holiday clubs through the Holiday Activities and Food programme. 'Councils must ensure sufficient, high-quality provision is available for children with SEND who are eligible in their areas.'
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'I'm a parenting expert – follow these simple tips to make your life easier'
A parenting expert has shared some of the tips she learned the hard way when becoming a mother – and she wanted others online to reduce daily comparison and guilt It's Parents Day (Saturday July 27), a time to appreciate all parents for their hard work and selfless commitment to their children. But for those parents who feel a little burned out or stressed because of their little ones misbehaving, or as though something is wrong when it comes to their parenting, then fear not. Larissa, mum and the founder of The Childcare Guide, shared her top tips to help make the lives of parents easier, and she exclusively revealed them with Mirror, meaning you won't have to head to online social media forums to ask whether what you're doing is the right thing or not. You can be safe in the knowledge that you're doing what is right by your kids. 1. Communicate Larissa said she could "not stress enough" that good communication is key. "When parents communicate with each other about how they would like their children to be raised, the struggles their child is currently facing, together they can decide what strategies they will implement to support their child," she shared. Larissa highlighted that "both parents [being] on the same page," is so important, because the child should be getting "the same support from both parents," which means the child will "feel safer with the boundaries" and "not confused by what is right and wrong". 2. Presence over perfection She said: "Children only need a few basics to thrive, and one of those is their parents' presence. Instead of focusing on providing perfect moments, focus on being present, engaging in their fun, and being interested in what they want to show you and play. This will improve your bond and your mental health by knowing that you are enough." 3. Listen to your child "All parents are busy, but one of the really important things you can do is to listen to your child when they want to talk to you," Larissa shared. She continued: "If they are constantly hearing 'I am busy', 'not now', tell me later', then they are going to learn that you don't have time for them or what they want to tell you is not important. "This may not seem a problem when they are three and want to show you their 5th drawing of lines, but it creates the foundation for how they will feel when they are teenagers and whether they feel they will be listened to when they have big things to share." 4. Batch cooking is a saviour Larissa said there are a couple of ways to do this. The first is to "spend half the day cooking all the meals for the week ahead" once you've done the weekly shop. She explained: "Then put them in the fridge or freezer, depending on the day they will be eaten. This means that during the week, no one has to cook at the end of a busy day, dishes are limited during the week, and the bins don't fill up as quickly". The other option is to "cook slightly bigger portions so there is a meal or two that you can freeze for your children. On the days when someone has been poorly or you are home late, there is also a quick, low-effort, and healthy meal available". 5. Weaning babies can eat the same as you Larissa said: "Babies who are weaning can eat the same food as their parents, whether you are doing puree or baby-led weaning. "Just cook your meal without the added salt, sugar and honey to make it safe for them - you can always add those ingredients in after you have taken your baby's food out. Cooking a family meal instead of cooking separately for you and your baby means you are cooking half the meals, with half the washing up." 6. Don't believe everything you see on social media Larissa said "social media is great for ideas" and can give you inspiration about what to do with your children, but she urged you to "remember that so much has been staged". "Use social media for inspiration, but don't feel guilty if you are not doing as many parent-led activities as social media is portraying that others do," she recommended. 7. Parenting isn't a competition "Every baby is different, and every family is different. When you stop comparing what your child can and can't do, what you do and don't do and the rules that you implement, your stress and anxiety reduces as does your 'mum guilt'," she shared. 8. Let children be bored Larissa shared it's really important to not keep your children occupied every second of every day. She said: "Reduce how much you plan for you children because when children are constantly busy, they do not have the opportunity to be bored. "Being bored is essential for children's development. It provides them the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills, organisational skills and become creative. It also boosts their self-esteem through becoming responsible for their own happiness."
