The bell of the Spring Festival has been ringing, and for most families, on the first, second and third days of the Lunar New Year, in addition to reuniting with their families, there is also a special "task" - visiting relatives and friends.
In the past, this was almost the part that Jelly Bean feared the most. , because there are always some relatives who will give you a fatal triple:
Got an object?
When are you going to get married?
How much money do you make a month?
After years of torture, Jelly Bean Mom upgraded to a mother, and finally got rid of this deadly trifecta.
But greetings from relatives never shift, not disappear.
Although Jelly Bean's mother is no longer asked, the baby has suddenly become the "C-position" in the family.
01
During the Chinese New Year, relatives get together to have fun, and babies will inevitably face all kinds of "goodwill" hugs, kisses, and various questions from relatives and friends.
Although most relatives are well-intentioned, it is inevitable that there will be some relatives who are not welcome, or who are not very good at grasping proportions, and do some embarrassing behaviors for babies and adults.
Not only can this cause a lot of stress for babies, but it can even affect their emotional and physical and mental health.
For example, a relative of Jelly Bean Mom had to let a child perform a show. This would have been harmless, but the children only come back once a year, and they are not familiar with their relatives, so they will definitely be a little nervous and even afraid. As a result, the relatives who let the children perform the show began to say to the children and parents of the yin and yang family, "Haven't you won a lot of awards when you watched your parents' circle of friends before?" "Why not?" "It doesn't matter, just admit it generously", and the children cried.
There are also some relatives who tease their children, especially like to ask "Mom and Dad, if you can only follow one, who do you choose?" and so on.
There are also some behaviors that are innocent and joking in the eyes of some adults, but for the baby, it is a kind of harm.
02
As parents, we naturally don't want our children to be harmed, so how should we deal with this series of challenges?
Communicate in advance: Before visiting relatives and friends, communicate with family members and relatives to inform them that your baby may feel uneasy because of the unfamiliar environment and face, and hope that everyone can give them some space and understanding. Generally speaking, most relatives are very reasonable, and if they say it in advance, it is generally not a big problem.
(Of course, it cannot be ruled out that there are those kind of relatives who are speechless.) And for this kind of relative, Jelly Bean Mom thinks that there is really no need to communicate. ）
Pay attention to your baby and intervene in a timely manner: When many parents take their children to visit relatives and friends, it is easy to get carried away when talking to relatives, which can lead to harm to the baby.
Therefore, parents should learn to observe the baby's non-verbal signals, such as body tension, crying, etc., which may be signals that the baby is uncomfortable or unwilling to interact with others. Respect your baby's wishes and don't force them to do things they don't want to do.
When the baby shows discomfort or refuses, parents should intervene and gently tell relatives that the baby will need some time to adjust or that the baby needs to rest now.
Prepare the escape port: because they are all relatives, so many times, although parents feel that the baby is not very happy, but because of the situation, it may not be easy to intervene, and then a "escape plan" is needed. For example, prepare a reason in advance, arrange a phone call in advance, etc., and take the baby away from the party site temporarily when the baby feels uncomfortable or needs to rest.
Appropriate guidance and cultivation of social skills: Although we want to avoid the baby being harmed, the baby always has to communicate with others, so in daily life, we should also pay attention to cultivating the baby's social skills. For example, games and stories can be used to help babies gradually understand and adapt to the basic etiquette and skills of interacting with others, so as to reduce the discomfort in large gatherings.
Chinese New Year is a festival of reunion and joy, but for those little ones who are still learning how to interact with the world, excessive "business" can bring unnecessary stress and discomfort.
As parents, our mission is to protect our babies while also teaching them how to find their place in this complex world. With the help of this parenting guide, I hope that every parent can help their baby spend this special holiday easily, and make the Spring Festival a truly happy holiday.