At around eight months of age, your baby enters a new and important developmental stage. How you handle typical challenges can either promote or prevent spoiling. The overall key is for your baby to be able to indulge his curiosity, while understanding that some behaviours are unacceptable. What experienced babysitters and nannies can advise are some keys to prevent spoiling.
- Provide an environment rich in interesting activities and choices.
- Don’t over-respond to falls and mishaps. Allow your baby to calm himself from minor accidents.
- Don’t reinforce bad habits. Don’t respond to whining and don’t overreact or reward any other behaviours that you want to discourage.
- When changing diapers, don’t allow your baby too much latitude to protest. Change his diaper efficiently, but firmly, if he protest. Use a toy or something he can hold to help distract his attention.
- Be extremely consistent with any limits that you have set. Rules must be consistent for an infant to understand and accept limits.
While there are no guarantees in life, these steps will definitely reduce the likelihood of creating a “spoiled child”.
NannySOS is a confinement nanny agency providing confinement care and babysitting for your child. More information on ad hoc babysitter or daytime nanny services is available in our article Babysitter Singapore.