7 Things You Should Avoid Do In Front Of Your Children

7 Things You Should Avoid Do In Front Of Your Children

Your child is a little sponge, and there are certain things you should avoid doing in front of he or she – they’re less obvious than you may think…

Babies absorb information around them from birth.

In fact, How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life, babies absorb information with their senses to both bond and explore.

They are like little sponges and your baby’s brain literally doubles in size during the first year of life.

There are certain things you should avoid doing in front of your baby and toddler.

1. Curse Babies recognize language from the womb.

They easily pick up words and store it safely away in their memory files, and swearing is not the first language you want your child to speak.

2. Tell little white lies

These often trip off our tongue, sometimes without us even realizing it. But try to not lie in front of your child. They are more astute than you think and will catch you out. At this age, they also can’t tell the difference between a “harmless” fib and something more serious.

3. Scream and yell

It’s easy to get frustrated. Particularly when you are suffering from a lack of sleep, and are ratty and irritated. Try not to fight or scream in front of your baby.

You may think they are too small to understand the actual words, but they do pick up on tone and your anxiety. Children tend to think that it’s about them and assume that you are upset because of something they have done.

4. Undermine your partner

Again, we all have those days, when our partners frustrate us. But if you have anything negative to say, rather wait until your child is out of earshot. Also, avoid asking your child to keep secrets from your partner as this demonstrates that it is OK to lie and undermine. Plus, your child will learn to play one parent off the other. Not cool. Try not to fight or scream in front of your baby. You may think they are too small to understand the actual words, but they do pick up on tone and your anxiety

5. Comment negatively about others

An offhand comment or a little sarcasm about a family member or friend in front of your child may seem like nothing. But remember, they are little sponges. They do not have the emotional maturity to understand that you are just having an off day and are not serious. And they may repeat verbatim what you have said in front of that person – talk about embarrassing.

6. Ignore your child

Newborns are born ready to communicate – and they do this through their grunts, cries, kicks, and emotions. The more you communicate with them from birth and respond to their cues, the better it is. Plus, your baby learns from the time she is little that she is valued and important. In turn, this builds her self-esteem. And when your child expresses a negative emotion, mocking or ignoring her minimises her feelings.

Open conversations lead to more bonding.

7. Show low self-esteem

It is normal to go through stages when you just don’t feel good enough. Hormones, fatigue and the general stress of life are all to blame. Your baby picks up your emotions and if you don’t feel great about yourself, your baby might mirror the same emotions about themselves. It is important to realize that we all have off days.

There is no such thing as a perfect mom – but you are the perfect mom for your child.