You surely asked yourself many wrong questions. So, for your peace and your child’s safety, we responded to the five most frequent dilemmas of parents all around the world.
- My child doesn’t want to sleep in the afternoon anymore. Is it normal?
Usually, until he turns four, the child doesn’t need more than one hour of sleep during the day. But if your baby doesn’t want to go to bed at all, you shouldn’t worry. He might rest enough during the night. Bruce Weinstock, pediatrician of a hospital in Norwood, Massachusetts and a specialist in child care, says that the human body is very adaptable and what matters is that during the 24 hours it should rest enough. When and how we assure the necessary dose of daily sleep doesn’t matter.
- My child walks on tiptoes. Is it normal?
If he doesn’t do it all the time, you certainly have no reason to be worried. Most of the children tend to walk on tiptoes when they learn how to walk or because they want to look as tall as their parents. Some others just find walking on tiptoes fun.
If walking on tiptoes becomes a habit, specialists into child care recommend you to see a pediatrician. This walking might signal the presence of some illnesses like brain paralysis. This malady can occur especially in premature children and affects movement and posture control.
- My child hardly eats. Is it normal?
Of course. According to the specialists, the little ones are very pretentious; they have little appetite, small capacity of concentration and are moody. It is why they leave the impression that they do not eat enough. If they grow regularly and they have a healthy weight, there’s no use to worry.
The secret is offering him a large range of healthy food and let him pick which one he wants to eat. Although it might be hard, try not to force him to ‘have some more.’
- My child wants me to read to him the same story every night. Is it normal?
It is normal. You certainly have told your kid the same story over and over again, and you feel asleep yourself while speaking it, but you don’t understand why your son is not annoyed by it. The explanation is very simple: ‘Children learn anything – including language and stories – through repetition,’ says Deborah Wright, psychologist.
Reading or narrating the same story might be exhausting for you, but for your kid, it is absorbing. ‘Kids pay a lot of attention to sounds and the intonation you use when spelling words and so they can figure out what is next in the story,’ says Wright.
- My child has an imaginary friend. Is it normal?
If your kid has an imaginary friend, you can breathe easily. He is a healthy child and also a creative and imaginative one. Specialists say that imaginary friends help the child to distinguish badly from good. For example, for the little capers, he will blame the imaginary friend, acknowledging that he shouldn’t have done that thing.
Psychologists and specialists into child care recommend you not to encourage the relationship with the imaginary friend too much because you might risk extending the period that the child is passing. You should not brawl him either. Let him enjoy the presence of his imaginary friend that he will quickly forget when he will accommodate into a collective and will make real friends.
Are you a bit more relaxed now? What are your other worries? Let’s talk about them and find solutions to them together.
