The eight most common mistakes parents make with preschoolers

Sometimes it feels like a little kid is driving you crazy, even if you're having a great day. Moms and dads, don’t be scared, you are not the only one who feels this way. These little kids just want their own space, but they also want their parents' attention and love.

Michelle Buba, author of "The Complete Guide to Parenting," said, "Children aged 3 to 5 are the most active and the most difficult to discipline."

Here are eight common mistakes parents make with preschoolers, along with some effective solutions.

1. Deviation from the daily norm

When your actions don't match your words, kids get confused and throw tantrums. Your child may wonder why his mother allowed him to play on the playground for 10 minutes after school last time, but this time she sent him home immediately and he can't play anymore.

Solution: Always stick to one standard - whether it's discipline, sleeping habits or meal times. If your daily routine is 90% what you say it is, your child will do just fine, although small exceptions are harmless.

2. Focusing too much on shortcomings

It's easy to complain about your child's bad behavior, such as screaming and crying, but ignore the good side of your child.

Solution: Pay attention to your child’s good behavior and reward it. This reward can be verbal praise, a hug, or a kiss. These forms of rewards are necessary for children.

3. Ignoring your child’s emotional signs

When children lose their temper, parents always try to reason with them, repeating over and over again "calm down", which is like trying to reason with a goldfish.

Solution: Learn to spot your child's emotional signs, such as hunger, tiredness, and irritability.

4. Indulge crying

Does a crying child drive you crazy? Do you lose your temper?

Parents usually give in to their children's crying, but this will only make the child worse. Your child will learn what is tolerated and do it over and over again.

Solution: Just ignore it. Just ignore small emotions like crying and tantrums. If you insist on doing this, your child will think, okay, this doesn’t work.

5. Overscheduling your child

Parents always arrange many things for their children, such as dance lessons and music classes. Then the parents will wonder why their children cannot fall asleep immediately after returning home. They think that their children must be exhausted after attending so many classes. The problem is that they are still in a state of excitement and need time to calm down. Every child needs some calming time, especially preschoolers. Whether your child is in daycare for two hours or a full day, it's exhausting.

Solution: Don't overschedule your child's life and don't rush him between various activities. Give him free time after school.

6. Underestimating the importance of play

Many parents believe they should arrange a variety of courses for their children to develop strengths and enrich their knowledge. But this is not the right approach. The most important thing for preschool children to enrich their experience is playing. This play includes role-playing games and rough-and-tumble play.

Free play is the best way to help children develop their brains. During play, children can be given the most appropriate challenge level - not too easy and not too difficult. ”

Solution: Give your child time and space to play freely. Remember that a preschooler's definition of play is "playing whatever they want."

7. Being distracted by daily tasks

Your child may act independent, but that doesn't mean he doesn't crave your attention.

Solution: Set a time period during which you must fully devote yourself to playing with your child without any distractions.

8. Overreacting to Lies

When children lie, parents can be devastated, but parents can view lies as a minor incident rather than a moral issue.

When children start to lie it is a cognitive progress and they are emotionally excited and scared, but parents get angry and nervous at the thought that their children might go to jail when they grow up. ”

Solution: Don't overreact. Understand that telling a lie or two occasionally is normal for children as they grow, and don't hold on to the lies.

Effectively raising children requires time, patience, and love. Remember that change doesn't happen overnight. As the old saying goes, “If you don’t succeed the first time, try again, and if that doesn’t work, try again.”