Who knows more?

Hey friends,

I want to talk to you about who knows more about your child. You, the parent, or the child care worker?

Some parents think that their child's worker knows more about their child than them. Other parents think the exact opposite. Are they wrong? No, they're not. The parent almost always knows more than the child care worker, but there are some things that the parent(s) can still learn, and they can do that by listening to their child's teacher's advice. Effective communication is extremely important for both parties to properly care for the child!

As child care workers, we can't tell someone how to raise their children (we have no right to), but we can give advice on what may and may not work best. As I addressed in my previous post, "Goodbye burp cloths and exhaustion!", I can advise you to rub your child's back instead of patting him or her, which results in their food being thrown up all over you and/or everything around you.

We all know how much pregnant women hate receiving advice on the birth and how to raise their babies, mostly because all pregnant women are told is the bleak side of things; the negative impact of birth and after birth. For example: "Enjoy your sleep now, because you won't be getting much of it once the baby's born!" And other mothers (and in some cases, fathers) tell grueling, graphic tales of labour. But sometimes it's good to take the advice of other mothers, families and even child carers. No, I'm not suggesting really listening to the graphic horror stories; I'm talking about the helpful advice, like "to avoid throw up, avoid patting a child on their back; instead, rub their backs." "Every child is different, but I'd advise bringing a handful of clean nappies with you wherever you go, along with a change mat, wet wipes and nappy bags into which you can put your dirty nappies."

There are even classes for new parents where you can get more advice from mothers, nurses, and carers. I'd advise even going whilst still pregnant; you never know what handy advice you can get!

My advice for everyone who's already a mother, it's okay to give expectant mothers some useful advice, like resting up before the baby arrives, but just do it in a nice way and leave out all the gory details. It's good to leave some things to the imagination and allowing them to experience them for themselves. Also, please don't tell someone that they look "as big as a whale" or "as big as a house" - if I was told that while pregnant... well, let's just say that I would respond very well. Blame it on the hormones.

So, instead of blatantly telling a pregnant woman any horror stories, try to give some soft, friendly advice to guide her through pregnancy and the early stages of pregnancy. Also, suggest taking her to your mother's group where she can get some more advice from fellow mums and professionals.

When your child's carer gives some helpful advice, keep all ears open.

Tokana