The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block 2-Book Bundle pdfdrive com

Parents’ Four Big Struggles
• We don’t get enough help and guidance.
• Daily battles can make us feel like failures.
• Our toddlers’ actions can “push our buttons.”
• Our temperaments may clash with our children’s.
Parent Struggle #1: We Don’t Get Enough Help and
Guidance
“It takes a village to raise a child.”
—African proverb
Man, it’s hard spending a whole day entertaining a young child. How did
our grandparents do it? The truth is … they didn’t.
The whole idea of the nuclear family (a household of just parents and
kids) is a recent invention. In fact, it’s one of the biggest experiments in
human history. Our ancestors always lived in extended families (near
grandparents, aunts, cousins, etc.).
For thousands of years, parents had the village to help them. In fact,
when people from more traditional cultures hear about our spread-out
families, they’re usually stunned. “You can’t be serious!” they say. “How

---

can you raise a baby without your sisters, mother, aunts, and friends?”
More and more, we leave our hometowns, have fewer older children
to help out, don’t know the neighbors, and live in single-parent families
or families where both parents work full-time jobs.
Sure, we have lots of modern conveniences (like cars and washing
machines), but they can never make up for the loss of family, neighbors,
and community. No wonder parents feel overwhelmed. We are! And
when you add to that some other modern trends like drive-through
restaurants, online shopping, e-mail, and telecommuting, it’s plain to see
that we live in little worlds that are increasingly isolated from one
another.
What is the result of these changes? Amazingly, today’s parents often
work longer hours than most parents in past generations. That’s because
they either have to supervise their kids 24/7 without help or spend all
day at work and then come home to a house full of undone chores.
The challenge of parenting is especially great today because, unlike
parents in earlier generations who often cared for younger siblings or
babysat the neighbor’s children, most of us have little to no experience
raising kids. We get training for our jobs, and we take driver’s ed, but
when it comes to parenthood, we’re supposed to just figure it out on our
own.
So please, give yourself a round of applause. You’re not a wimp if you
use a babysitter or a housecleaner. You’re not selfish if you get away for
lunch with a friend or take an exercise class. Too many parents
undermine themselves with guilt. Give yourself credit for all the good
work you’re doing … and get yourself some help.