Most of my friends are moms but the way we parent our children is very different. Each of us has a unique way of dealing with a situation or problem, while keeping in mind what’s best for us and our respective children. But, all of us moms do follow a set of rules as this helps us get through a typical weekday in a controlled and smooth manner. For example, having a routine that requires the child to finish breakfast by 8 am or, getting the child to brush her teeth before going to bed.
However, at times, depending on the situation, we parents need to be flexible with rules, rather than rigidly adhering to or enforcing them. For example, if your child’s cousins have come over, then it’s okay to let little one stay up past her usual bedtime. But, whenever you relax a rule, point out to your child that it’s an exception. Make it clear that she will have to follow the routine after the special occasion comes to an end.
As far as I am concerned, I am someone who likes to set rules and religiously follow them. So, after I had my firstborn, I came up with a set of rules and adhered to them. However, when I became a mother-of-two, I realised it isn’t easy following all the rules! I also realised that, as my children grow older, as a parent, I need to do away with some of the rules.
But, how can I decide which rules to discard and which ones to relax or revise? To find the answer to my problem, I performed an applicability assessment. And, I concluded that, over time, we can do away with the following nine rules:
1. Breastfeeding is best: Almost everyone from doctors to lactation consultants to books say that breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for your baby. Yes, it is true. However, nowhere is it written in stone that a mother must breastfeed her baby even when she’s not up for it.
2. Potty-train as soon as you can: I am surprised at how some moms are able to do this early on. I’ve tried and failed. For my second daughter, I used diapers and switched to the pot every few days when she showed signs like a dry diaper. I believe that most moms can rely on their famed ‘motherly instinct’ to assess what’s happening with their child.
