My Son’s Head Banging Has Become a Nightmare!
You’ve tucked your child into bed, after a long day juggling work, family and the infinite pressures of parenthood. You kiss your son goodnight, turn off the light and head off to snuggle into the comfort of your own bed. And suddenly, you hear it. The steady “thump, thump, thump” coming from your son’s room!
What would you do if your son or daughter started banging their head repeatedly? A worried mom came to us with this very query. Her son bangs his head on the floor, on surfaces, on walls and she’s quite at her wits end! Scolding him or banning him from doing so has never worked, and she asks if anyone has a solution for her!
Mariyam Sufi J A says, “Even my baby does this..actually loves doing this! He bangs his head to the walls, chairs, sofa, bed, mattress…to just anything! It’s quite a common occurance in children and you should not worry about it. He will grow out of it soon!”
Almost 20% of babies go through the head banging phase, banging their heads on surfaces on purpose. When your precious baby suddenly bangs his head on the wall, it will surely look scary and disturbing! But it’s usually nothing to worry about as in most cases, babies under 3 years cannot even generate enough force to injure themselves.
Head banging is just a normal part of a baby or toddler’s behavior. Sometimes when babies feel angry and frustrated, they don’t know how to deal with these emotions and use head banging to relieve stress. Some doctors even group head banging into the same category as thumb-sucking – a self soothing technique to calm themselves down.
However, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on how often your child bangs his head and how intensely he does it, and report this to your doctor. Most pediatricians advise parents not to interfere when your child’s banging his head. Kids don’t intentionally hurt themselves and should stop if it becomes painful. Most children under 3 can’t generate enough force to seriously injure themselves anyway.
While head-banging can be a symptom of developmental issues, it’s usually only a problem if it continues beyond age 4 and occurs along with other troubling behaviors, such as repetitive motions (like hand-flapping and rocking), developmental delays, and a lack of social interaction with parents and peers. If your child is otherwise healthy and happy, there’s probably no reason to be concerned.
We hope our Mommy advice has helped this Worried Mom out. We hope her son grows out of his habit soon!
Thank you Mariyam Sufi J A, for coming to the worried mom’s rescue!
WHEN TODDLERS HIT
Toddlers could display aggressive behaviour for a number of reasons
It comes as a shock to many parents when they first learn that their toddler has been hitting others. Most times, toddlers start displaying aggressive behaviour when they are exposed to a new environment (read: playschools). This is a common problem and parents need not stress over it.
Your toddler is still struggling with his linguistic skills and cannot properly communicate what he wishes to. This is also the stage when your little one is learning to be independent and begins making decisions of his own. All of this combines with the impulse to try and control the others make children of this age get physical. A little hitting and biting is completely normal for a toddler, but parents should not ignore this behaviour. Parents should let their toddler know that aggressive behaviour is unacceptable through different ways.
Apoorva came to us with the same problem, recently her 2.7 year old tot has developed the habit of hitting his peers at his school and she is looking out for help. Our SOS Moms gave their two cents to Apoorva on this issue.
Deepti Pathak advices Apoorva to simply stay calm, “Wait for another six months. Your problem is very common”, whereas Rekha Meena observes, “I just can’t understand why today kids develop the habit of hitting others. I’m a mother of 2 kids and both of them are very disciplined. When they misbehave initially, stop them immediately so they come to know what is wrong and right. Mother is the first teacher.”
Harsha Rajiv on the other hand has a logic we parents often overlook, “Usually when a kid gets hurt, elders in the house to console the kid say ‘Wait I’ll hit this thing that hurt you’ and thinking the kid will stop crying. This is really bad. Do divert the attention of kid saying something else, I tell my kid to stop crying so the magical fairy can come. I think problem is if the kid doesn’t like something he hits, even if it is a person. You have to convey a message to the kid with the support of teacher saying that hitting hurts. You have to keep trying to make him understand, don’t give up.”
Bhuvaneshwari Narayanan says, “It may be a reflection of what your kid sees around him. Home environment, wordy duels between parents, cartoons exhibiting hitting behaviours or may be he is hit by either of the parents or elders at home when he troubles you. We have to start talking to the kid who exhibits such rude behaviour. Even if you shout at him or punish him, it is not going to help. Don’t hit him back, instead take time to spend more time with him. Whenever he is cranky give him something to eat. Again don’t feed him with foods loaded with sugar. Give him homemade food. Take him to a park, play area and indulge in physical playing. This will calm him down. Especially swinging him in a swing for 20 minutes minimum daily would definitely calm his aggression.”
A little patience can change your child’s behaviour.
Toddlers can be a handful to their parents. With all the energy and enthusiasm toddlers possess, it can be difficult to deal with them. But no parent should take their kid’s aggressive behaviour lightly, parents should explain to their children the consequences of hitting immediately. Sending quality time and a few measures can solve this problem once and for all.
We thank all the moms who came to Apoorva’s rescue:
Bhuvaneshwari Narayanan, Harsha Rajiv, Deepti Pathak, Rekha Meena, Robe Samarth Gaonkar and Rajnideep Sandhu.
CONSTIPATION IN TODDLERS
Dealing With Constipation In Toddlers
Constipation is a very common concern among the moms of toddlers. Some of the common causes of constipation in toddlers are toilet anxiety, dehydration and diet. Swati’s two and half your old child has the problem and she came to SOS moms for their advice on the same. Let’s take a look at what our SOS moms have to say to Swati.
Moms Noopur Agarwal, Sowjanaya Kumar, Tanuja Karunakar, Anita Rankar, Shaveta Rahajan, Ritu Mishra Tripathi Sahrvani Aneel, Leena Parikh, Ameena Sayeed, Deepshikha Das, Sakshi Batra, Tanushree Ganguli and Sayonee Mishra all agree that Swati’s little one should be given ripe bananas and papaya in different forms to ease his problem. Both banana and papaya are rich in fibre and can help with constipation. These two fruits can also be given in the form of milk shakes, juice and any other form to make them seem less boring to your active bub.
Also moms like Tanushree Ganguli, Jyoti Kapil, Mridula Shirwali, agree that spinach and greens will help Swati’s child to a great extent.
Moms Sneha Satam, Sathya Ramu, Srividya Mushunuru suggest Swati to feed that the child should be fed black raisins soaked in water every morning. Chetana Suvarana Ganatara suggests that a porridge made of oats and prunes (packed with fibre) will help. Shanti Gupta says dried figs soaked in water overnight will also work wonders.
Preeti Khanna and Manasi Joshi suggest that the little one should be given milk with two drops of ghee in it. Milk may cause constipation but milk with ghee has a reverse impact. Sweta Bharadwaj, Sonia Sonu pipe in with their suggestion of feeding the tot with curd regularly.
Diana Samuel says, “Try 1/2 tsp honey in 1/2 tsp warm water on empty stomach in the morning. It worked for my child when she had severe constipation. Note: water must be warm not too hot nor cold. Give him lots of warm water throughout the day. Hope it might help.” Harsha Rajiv suggests, “ Water intake should be increased. Fruit juice, fresh fruits in puree form is also effective. Fibrous food like palak and other greens in soup can be given. Also Palak kichdi, carrot soup, carrot milkshake etc work. Do include greens in your baby’s diet at least once a week.
Other SOS moms also agree that Swati’s little one should be given warm water throughout the day in equal intervals. Also the child should be made to sit on his potty seat everyday even if he doesn’t pass stool to build a habit. Constipation can be easily resolved with a few key changes in diet and momma’s care of course!
We thank all the SOS moms who rushed in to aid Swati with her problem:
A Healthy Diet Rich in Fibre Keeps Constipation at Bay
Tanushree Ganguli, Jyoti Kapil, Mridula Shirwali, Noopur Agarwal, Sowjanaya Kumar, Tanuja Karunakar, Anita Rankar, Shaveta Rahajan, Ritu Mishra Tripathi, Sahrvani Aneel, Leena Parikh, Ameena Sayeed, Deepshikha Das, Sakshi Batra, Tanushree Ganguli and Sayonee Mishra, Sneha Satam, Sathya Ramu, Srividya Mushunuru, Harsha Rajiv, Diana Samuel, Pratibha Gautam, Swati Agarwal, Shama Mittal, Nausheen Sharieff, Amrita Singh, Sarika Singh, Dia Bijlani, Namrata Mandowara, Chetna Ganatara, Bindiya Yadav, Sakshi Batra, Simpy Jalan and Reema Verma.
How do I deal with my Clingy Toddler
How to Deal with a Clingy Toddler
By the age of two, children become independent enough to be walking on their own. As they develop this skill, is also when they regress and suddenly become clingy. They just want to be carried everywhere and throw tantrums when denied. It is at this point that the kid is torn between his independent impulses and the very compelling desire to be attached to the parent.
This is a difficult phase for the parents as well, because every sentence that the kid speaks begins with ‘mom’ or ‘dad’. Every waking moment of theirs is spent carrying the clingy toddler until their biceps burn. To make things worse, in some cases, the other parent is not even allowed to help.
Research suggests that periodic clinginess is normal, and it’s a sign that you and your child have a healthy relationship. However, the kid’s waffling between the two extremes of independence and dependence is very taxing for both, the kid, and the parents. They are befuddled if they should give the kid a pat on the back and tell him to man up, or if they should simply accept the whole scenario as it is.
Again, we bring to you our SOS Moms whose suggestions are based on experience–
At the outset, we have Shabnam Desai, who suggests, “If you are a working mother, maybe the baby is missing you too much. Try to spend more time with your little one. Maybe the baby is afraid about something. Look around for signs if something is going wrong when certain people are coming near the baby, and not only people also check out the toys. Some kids are not comfortable with certain toys, especially soft toys because of the fur. Try to comfort the baby and please keep your cool or matters can get worse. Check whether the baby is teething or any other ailments and consult the doctor”.
Next, Rajni Kashvi Jaiswal adds, “Because maybe now herecognises you as his parents, he has become clingy suddenly.”
Dealing with Clingy Behaviour in Kids
Mums, Jyot Kaur, Neha Singh, Shruti Singhal Garg and Sneha Agrawal collectively assert that teething may be the reason the kid has suddenly turned clingy. They suggest the use of ‘Calcarea Phosphorica’ as a solution for teething problem in toddlers. However, this needs to be done only after consulting a paediatric doctor.
Lastly, Chetana Suvarna Ganatra blames the kid’s clingy behaviour to separation anxiety he may be going through.
A tip from our end; try to make walking fun for him and don’t scold the kid. Remember, the kid has shorter legs, so he/she will take more time to cross the same distance. Also, keep the outings on foot brief and have a stroller ready as a backup plan.
My Child Refuses To Go To Playschool: SOS Moms Reply
Seema Shetty wrote to us about a concern she has for her child, her son refuses to go to play school and throws tantrums when he is in the playschool. She is worried and asked us to advice her on the same.
We asked our community of moms for their suggestions to help solve Seema’s problem and have included their advice below.
It is quite normal for some children to resist a new environment like playschool. Many of them suffer from separation anxiety when taken away from their parents. Usually this fear goes away in a few weeks, but you can help your child adjust to new environment by introducing him to it gradually.
Spend some time along with him in the playschool so that he realises it is not something to be afraid of. Allow him to become familiar with his new surroundings and the new people in his life before you leave. Once he starts to have interact with his new classmates and have fun with them, he will not mind your absence as much.
Ask the teacher to entice him with play, toys and fun activities so he knows that it is a fun place to be. Soon he will begin to look forward to his time in school and with his friends.
We are grateful to the parents below for their input.
Pooja Sandhu Choudhuri, Aditi Jagtap Deshmukh, Cristyl Murray, Insiya Makda, Insiya Makda
My Toddler Refuses To Sleep At Night: SOS Moms Reply
Pooja Rai wrote to us and told us about a concern she has for her 15 months old son. She says that her son does not sleep the whole night. She has tried everything but there is no change in this habit. She is concerned and has asked us for some advice.
We asked our community of mothers for their suggestions and have incorporated their answers below.
Setting a bedtime routine may be the best way to get your child to go to bed without a fuss. Ensure that your child is active and playful all day and don’t let him sleep for too long in the daytime, so that he is tired and ready for bed at night.
Remove any distractions like television and bright lights from his environment just before you start his bedtime routine.
You can set a bedtime routine that includes a soothing massage and warm bath at night. A good dinner and a glass of lukewarm milk should help to get him sleepy. Sing lullabies or play soothing music just before bedtime to let him know that it is time to wind down. You can also read him a story once he gets into bed. Then switch off the lights and tell him that he needs to sleep now.
Ensure that everyone else in the house knows his bedtime routine and cooperates with you in maintaining it. Once he gets to know what is expected of him, he will be able to keep to this routine more effectively.
We thank the mothers below for their useful suggestions:
Revathi Phani Krishna, Sakshi Abbey Bhatnagar, Swati Shukla Mishra, Manali Langer, Surabhi Verma, Ramya Venkat, Shilpi Gupta, Shubha Murthy, Garima Grover, Pooja Rai, Mithu Ganguly, Sapna Chauhan, Dolly Omkar Jha, Joyce D’cunha De Souza, Keeya Chaudhuri, Sudeshna Patnaik, Akanksha Singh, Komal Vijayan, Deep Brinderjeet Saini, Shweta Dua, Akshaya Sampathkumar, Priya Candida, Sridevi Roshan, Dipali Phopse, Shiwangi Bist Joshi, Shiwangi Bist Joshi.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
My Daughter Has Head Lice: SOS Moms Reply
Debolina Choudhury wrote to us and told us about a concern she has for her 2.5 years old daughter. She says that her daughter has got lice in her hair from playschool and applying Mediker has been of no help. She is concerned and has asked us for some advice.
We asked our community of moms for their suggestions and have incorporated it in the article below.
You can use Perlice cream – it is a very effective and popular lice remedy. Just read the manual and follow the instructions. It works wonders and you can say goodbye to lice.
Licil oil is another effective remedy available at most chemists. Just apply it, cover her hair with a scarf for an hour or so and wash with Mediker. For a more natural way to get rid of lice, try buttermilk and salt mixed in water. Gently rub her scalp with it and rinse thoroughly. Repeat after 7 to 8 days.
You can apply camphor in coconut oil. Leave it on for half an hour and use a fine comb to comb out the lice from the hair. Camphor stuns the lice and they lose their grip and can be combed out easily for up to half an hour. Follow it up with Mediker shampoo.
Neem oil is also a tried and tested home remedy for lice. Or you can make a neem paste and apply it in her hair for 10 to20 minutes. Grind tender neem leaves with a little sour curd. Apply on the scalp thoroughly and leave for few minutes. Rinse well with shampoo. Repeat this once a week for 4 washes.
You can also boil a few methi seeds in coconut oil on a low flame, store it and apply it on a regular basis as a preventative. It is also very good for hair growth. You can try a solution called Kesavardhini, found in the supermarket, in the oil that you use to apply daily.
There is a product called Jungle Formula, that helps elimination of lice as well as eggs. There is also a lotion called Scarab that does the same. You can try that also.
For a more drastic way to get rid of the lice altogether, you can just shave your daughter’s head.
Thanks to all the moms below for their wonderful suggestions.
Noorain Yayha, Lopamudra Nayak, Aradhana Mohapatra, Chandra Negi, Pooja Agrawal, Shruti Khanna Soin, Tejpreet Oberoi, Deepti Rahul Singh, Shreya Jiya Vijay, Hima Neeli, Inie Minie, Nishma Aggarwal, Sharmila Chakravarty, Sukoon Jethani Chopra, Toolika Bhatt Singhal, Priyanka Akash Khandelwal, Manisha Rahul Sonawane, Mohita Mathur, Shabana Shaikh, Kavita Mehta, Misha Bhattal, Subharthi Chakraborty, Geet Paryani, Elizabeth Chakma, Jeydevi Venkataraman, Swapna Sahoo.
Image source: naturalbugeliminator.wordpress.com
My Child Is Agressive and Violent: SOS Moms Reply
Nitu Singh wrote to us and told us about a concern she has for her son who is almost 4 years old. She says that he is violent and aggressive at home as well as in school and has also started hitting people wherever he goes. She wants to know how she can handle this behaviour of his. She is concerned and has asked us for some advice.
We asked our community of parents online for their advice and have incorporated their feedback below.
Although it is shocking, aggression can develop even in normal kids, who may react to fearful incidents or to other people with violence. A lot of the time it happens because kids are unable to express themselves in healthier ways, such as verbally.
Most kids outgrow such behaviour as they learn to express themselves verbally. However, this does not mean it is acceptable behaviour.
First, assess whether it is something in your child’s environment that is causing the aggression. Too much exposure to violent cartoons can cause behavioural changes in kids. Limit his exposure to television and any violent games or influences.
Ensure that he is not being abused, either physically or emotionally, by a maid or a member of the household. Ensure that you and your spouse are dealing with your differences in a healthy manner. If there is any abuse or violence in the household, the child will pick it up as acceptable.
Respond quickly to any aggressive or violent behaviour. Do not wait until it gets too bad and never lose your own temper. Stop your child calmly, but firmly, and give them a brief “time-out” to cool down. Remove them from any situations where they may cause harm to themselves or others.
Be consistent in setting limits. Do not give in at any time and never allow them to get away with hitting or any other acts of violence. Ensure that there are consequences, like missing out on fun with others, or taking away their games or toys until they calm down.
Try to get your child to talk about their frustrations when they have calmed down. Make a genuine attempt to understand what they are going through. You could also keep a behaviour chart and reward good behaviour with stars and a treat at the end of the week.
Make sure your child is expending his energy in a healthy way. Let him take up a sport, perhaps something that you can be part of, so that he vents in a healthy manner. Spending more quality time with your child may also help.
If all your efforts fail, take your child to a child psychologist for an evaluation.
Our thanks go out to all these helpful parents:
Puneet Wadhwani, Nivedita Poddar, Misha Bhattal, Pooja Ahuja, Vyona Lobo Ribeiro, Pooja W. Mazumder, Bharath Reddy, Madhusmita Mishra, Misha Bhattal, Aman Tiwari
Image courtesy of Photokanok / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
My Baby Is Afraid Of Strangers: SOS Moms Reply
Rashmi Kabibar Padhan wrote to us and told us about a concern she has for her 2 years old son. She says that her son behaves nicely at home and gets along with everyone but once she takes him outside he behaves exactly the opposite.
If anyone tries to take him on the lap he starts crying. She is worried for her son and has asked us for some advice. We asked our community of mothers for their advice and have incorporated their input below.
Firstly, it’s important to know that it is perfectly normal for most babies to show a fear of strangers or of unfamiliar people around the age of 7 to 9 months. Most babies also go through a phase of separation anxiety, when they are afraid of being apart from their parents.
Experts believe this is because babies are better able to remember and recognise familiar faces and places around this age. This is nothing to worry about, other than it can be embarrassing when introducing your baby to new people and family members.
This phase will pass by the time your child is older, but being present when introducing your child to new people may help them adjust better to new situations. Encourage your family members to come over more often so they become familiar to the baby.
Greet new people in a warm and friendly voice, so your child learns not to be afraid of them. Let them approach your child slowly and gently. Also do not encourage others to touch or pick up your baby as this may provoke fearful reactions.
.
Thanks to the parents below for their contributions.
Jyothi Dorai, Lavanya Reddy, Madhulika Verma, Anwesha Sukul, Pushpa Panwar, Narendra Bansal
Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
My Daughter Is A Fussy Eater And Resists Potty Training: SOS Moms Reply
Swati Patle Bisen wrote to us and told us about her daughter who hates to eat food. She says that despite trying new things all the time her daughter still refuses to eat.
She also says that her super active baby adamantly refuses to be potty trained. She is worried for her baby’s health and hygiene and has asked for some advice.
We asked our community of experienced moms for advice and these are the suggestions they sent us.
Most kids are fussy eaters. They would rather play than eat. Often they are just seeking attention and if you run after them, you will only be encouraging such behaviour. Keep them active so that they get hungry and want to eat by themselves.
Eat your meals in front of them and encourage them to feed themselves. Serve their food in attractive cutlery and make it look colourful and yummy. Some kids forget to eat and get cranky. Don’t wait for them to ask you for food. Set a routine for meals and feed them at the same time every day.
You can start cutting down on their milk intake, giving it only twice a day so that they feel hungry and eat more often. Milk takes hours to digest and fills them up very quickly. Keep a gap of at least 3 hours between meals. Try giving them different kinds of food, such as chapati with ghee, or salads with cheese.
Add more variety to their meals. Make up stories about their foods while you are feeding them. It will make the meal more entertaining. Some kids eat better while distracted by the TV, but its best to avoid getting them into that routine as it creates bad food habits.
Make sure they do not have worms. You can give them omum water for few days for deworming and to increase appetite. You can also give Bonnisan ayurvedic drops to improve their appitite. Also keep an eye on their hemoglobin levels and ensure they are not anemic.
Most kids do not respond to potty training until they are 2.5 years old. You can make them drink lukewarm water in the morning and after meals. Take them to the bathroom and make them sit on the potty with their favourite toy. Go here for more potty training tips.
There are no formulas or instant solutions for these two problems. It will take time and patience to change these behaviours.
Thanks to these parents for their helpful contributions:
Deepali Manthalkar, Radha Navin, Arefuzzaman Mohammed, Lilpieces Akaf, Rashmi Ravi, Shweta Rustgi Gupta, Azaad Chaturvedi, Siya Borkar, Radhika Dhanrajani, Lavanya Reddy, DrAnchal Singh, Grishma Jeegar Doshi, Nisshi Yadavendra, Sakshi Abbey Bhatnagar, Ritu Sharma, Sameena Suhail, Anita Salwani, DrAnchal Singh, Garima Grover, Kriti Verma, Monty N Gauri, Mamtha Yogesh, Sakshi Abbey Bhatnagar, Shahana Mv, Surabhi Verma, Neha Kshitij Sagar, Deepti Sahni, Ummi Amjad Ali, Afa Pervez, Ramona Castillo.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
My Baby Doesn’t Sleep Well At Night: SOS Moms Reply
Amrita Singh has asked for advice for her 1 year old baby. The little one though active all day has disturbed and sleepless nights and Amrita is concerned for her baby’s health.
We asked our moms community for advice to help Amrita’s baby sleep better. Here are some of their valuable suggestions.
Give your baby an evening massage half an hour before bedtime. Apply oil on the head and give it a head massage, Your baby will love it.
You can also apply garlic and kala jeera in warm mustard oil on the baby’s legs before sleep. Ensure that the baby doesn’t have colic which could make it restless.
A heavy dinner can help. Don’t let the child sleep on an empty stomach. Give your baby 4 spoons of Cerelac or half a bowl of foods like daliya (oatmeal porridge), moong dal khichadi (rice and lentils), chapatti (unleavened wheat flatbread) to help them sleep at night.
Milk and almond paste helps. Two spoons of ghee sheera could also give good sleep. Give the baby milk or feed it fruit or dry fruit when it wakes up at night.
You could try deworming your baby. As they eat a lot of bland foods, worms are a common problem in infants. Any medicine, however, should only be given on the prescription of a doctor.
Thanks to these helpful parents:
Sneha Maheshwari, Yaminee Dwivedi, Vandana Joshi, Alekhya Suresh, Leena Kakani, Sakeena Ali, Manisha Gautam, Garima Grover, Diksha Bisht, Neetu Kalyan Budholia, Lavanya Reddy, Sharmila Chakravarty, Sakeena Ali, Adi Vinny, Gurpreet Singh Kaka, Narasimha Naik.
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
My Son Is 19 Months Old And Doesn’t Speak:SOS Moms Reply
Singh Shahab has asked for advice about his son who is 19 months old. The little one speaks in gibberish and Singh is concerned about whether to start speech training for him.
We asked our ever-helpful community of mothers for advice and this is what they suggested.
Every child’s growth is different. Some kids take a year and some may take 3 years to speak clearly. As long as he understands what you say and responds, it’s not a problem. Enjoy this period of speaking gibberish. Some kids take their own time.
Wait till he is 3 years old and consult a doctor before starting speech training. Parents should speak clearly with babies to help them learn how to form small words. You can give him some playcards with pictures and alphabets and ask him to repeat them after you.
Thanks to all these helpful moms:
Lavanya Reddy, Sonal Chaurasia, Vidushi Kamal, Smriti Thukral, Roop S Dhamrait, Vidushi Kamal, Deepa Jha, Deepti Dora Rao, Sonam Nigam, Priya Varun Tayur, Preety Anup Dimri, Sumrrita Saroch, Vetcha Janaki, Roma Agarwal, Shweta Hedau Bhanarkar, Manisha Vij, Shweta Koul, Deep Brinderjeet Saini.
Image courtesy of Ohmmy3d / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
My 3-Year Old Refuses to be Potty-Trained: SOS Moms Reply
This week Pooja Chopda Bardia approached us for advice about potty training her 3 year old son.
While the little one uses the bathroom to urinate he refuses to use it to go potty and instead defecates on the floor. Pooja is worried about this unhygienic habit and has asked for your advice.
We asked our community of Moms for advice and these are the suggestions they gave us.
Try to get an idea of the timings when your child needs to go on the potty. Then give them a glass of lukewarm milk 15 to 20 minutes before.
Get your child an attractive and comfortable potty seat. When you put them on the potty or toilet, take their favourite toys along and keep them occupied by telling them their favourite stories, perhaps of their favourite cartoon character going on the potty. 🙂
You could also read them some books on potty-training to get them interested. You can even let them sit on it in front of the TV initially.
Get them used to sitting on the potty every time they need to go, or you could even put them on it every hour. Let them sit on it until they are done, and repeat this routine for a week.
If you feel that it might be tough to get them to go on the big toilet once they get used to this, it might be a good idea to get them used to the toilet – with an add-on baby seat – from the start.
Try explaining to your child that if he goes potty on the floor, then he can’t eat or play there as it will be dirty. Kids do understand if you explain it to them calmly.
Many kids learn by watching older kids do it as they love to imitate their older siblings or cousins. You could also show them YouTube videos of kids going on the potty. You could also put his favourite toy or teddy on the potty first, and then ask the child if they would like to try it.
If all else fails, try looking for a potty-training class and enrol your child in one. You could even conduct a class in your home with the neighbour’s kids. Your child will most likely learn by watching them.
The earlier you start training your child, the better. It will take time and patience, but it’s worth it in the end.
Thanks to all these great moms for their advice.
Chetana Jahagirdar, Papiya Dawn, Narinder Kaur Hanspal, Minal Sampat Ashar, Salman Hasan, Lavanya Reddy, Narinder Kaur Hanspal, Payal Jain, Preet Kaur, Jayshree Banerjee, Manisha Birla Maheshwari, Kiran Sopori Bhan, Sherina Lask, Mukteshwari Pawar, Jas Saini, Sapna Ahuja, Deepa Karthick, Simran Chhatwal, Paulraj Marichamy, Smita Khatri Kapoor, Sudeshna Patnaik, Monika D Chowdhry, Raminder Kaur, Nishu Imran, Suji Arun, Rashmi Kabibar Padhan, Bindu Satish, Aanand Jasuja.
My 2 Year Old Is Very Stubborn: SOS Moms Reply
Shvetta Goyal Batta is worried about her 2 year old son who is very stubborn. The little one is not adapting to school even after 8 months and throws a tantrum every morning by refusing to bathe.
We asked our community of mothers for advice and these are the suggestions they came up with.
Adapting to Playschool
Sending a child to school at 1.5 years of age may not be a good idea. The child may not be equipped to handle school at this tender age. It’s quite normal for a child to cry at this age due to separation anxiety and the stress of meeting strangers at school.
However, you can make the transition easier by narrating fascinating stories about school, teachers and activities, to help your child look forward to going to playschool. You could also try first sending your child to summer camp where they have fun activities, so they get used to the idea of going to school.
Take the child to school half an hour early to show them how all their friends come to school without crying. Stay with the child until they are calm. You can try giving some small gifts to the teacher that they can then hand to the child as they come in. This will help them look forward to going to school.
Ask the teachers to help them adapt by allowing them to play only as it is not time to study at this age. Share your child’s likes and dislikes with the teachers as there is no issue with letting them indulge the child at this age.
Most kids love to be with other kids and they should settle down and start enjoying school in a month or so. You could ask your baby if there is some aspect of the classroom that is bothering them. It may be cold, or they may not like the teacher, or perhaps they are being bullied by other kids.
Taking a Bath
Proper time management is essential to get kids into a routine. Early to bed, early to rise is a good practice to follow. Teach them that brushing and bathing are good habits. YouTube has some nice videos for kids showing why cleanliness is important. You can find ones featuring characters like the Teletubbies that your child loves.
Try getting the child some fun bath toys to play with in the tub while bathing. Let them have fun and only start cleaning them with soap when they are enjoying the water. You could wait till afternoon to give them a bath. Not everyone likes taking a bath in the morning, especially in winter.
.
Thanks to these amazing moms for their input:
Geetanjali Kirti, Seema Kukreja, Grishma Jeegar Doshi, Neelam Das, Dr.Kirti Bansal, Neelam Das, Prerna Mahajan, Papiya Dawn, Panchami Praveen Shamain, Radha Vishwanath, Lavanya Reddy, Deepti Chaturvedi Roy, Pooja Sharma, Shweta Koul, Jayshree Banerjee, Aditi Dahiya Khera, Sindu Anand, Papiya Dawn, Savita Chaudhary, Chitrashree Harsha.
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
Toddler Wets Bed While Sleeping: SOS Moms Forum
Mom Varuna Thakkar’s 2 year old baby wets the bed while asleep. She wants to know how to avoid this situation.
FirstCry says: Bed-wetting is a common phenomenon in all kids, and some children may also end up doing it occasionally till about 5-6 years of age.
Remember, as a parent:
- Never scold your child for bed-wetting, talk to them nicely about it and tell them they have to be more careful
- Never ever embarrass them in front of others for what they have Continue reading →
Toddler With Thin Hair? SOS Moms Reply
This week, mommy Farzana Suhail shared her worries about her kids aged 4 & 6 years who have thin hair. Her doctor has advised her to not oil the hair. She asked FirstCry to talk to other mums and dads and get some advice and suggestions. Here’s what the parents suggested:
- In an empty bottle mix in olive oil, castor oil, coconut oil, amla oil and almond oil in equal quantities. Apply it every alternate night
- Do not shave off your child’s head again and again. Many Indian families believe that shaving off a child’s head repeatedly will result in better hair growth, but this is not scientifically proven
- Take care of your child’s diet
- Check with the child’s doctor about iron supplements if they are fussy eaters
- Wash hair 2 times a week with curd
- Castor and sesame oil when mixed and applied give smooth and thick hair Continue reading →
Toddler Doesn’t Have Teeth Yet? SOS Moms Reply
Mom Sutiksha Devliyal is worried about her 15 month old son who does not have any teeth yet. As per her doctor’s advice she has been giving her little one Calcium since he was 7 months old. She asked us to help her out with this and as we posed the question to our parents on the SOS Mom forum.
Before we move on to the suggestion by parents, at FirstCry, we would like to remind parents once again that every baby has a different age of achieving the many milestones that will come along the way. In this case, different babies get teeth at different months, and while most babies are born toothless, there are some who are even born with teeth! So when it comes to babies, nothing is certain and there shouldn’t be comparisons made too soon. Continue reading →
Baby Not Eating Properly? SOS Moms Forum
Mommy Nancy’s 14 month old baby does not swallow his food and keeps it in his mouth for long. She says, “I have tough time feeding him, even if he’s busy with his toys.”
We asked all the special mommies and daddies out there to share their expert advice to help her. Here’s what we got:
- My son is 10months now. I give him tamarind chutney in between his food, he likes the taste. Don’t feed too much, just a little bit should do – says mum Akhila Kasturi
- You may be feeding baby-food that is thick. Dilute it and he will Continue reading →
Firstcry Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.