10 Tips on Being a Better Mom

Because even the most awesome mom needs some reminders sometimes.

These 10 tips will help you remain a #1 mom.

Laugh a lot.

Yes, we’re putting this as number one. Keep your house a happy, positive place. At some point in the future, your children will remember it as a happy warm place.

Create structure/boundaries and stick to them. Boundaries are healthy for children. It gives them a sense of security.

Tell them how much you love them.

Tell them how much you were crazy about them when they were babies even before they did anything, just for being born. Those stories help instill in them that you love them unconditionally.

Love their father. Show respect to him.

A good marriage helps kids feel safe and stable. Bonus, you are setting a good example for when they are married.

Look into your children’s eyes when they talk to you.

 

When one child interrupts another child’s story say one minute, I’m listening to Yaakov now, in a minute it will be your turn.

Touch them, pat their hand, brush their hair (even if they can do it themselves), cuddle, wrap your hand around their shoulder, give them a back rub.*

Do something for yourself every day.

 Something small. Take a brisk walk, get a manicure, buy a salad, read a magazine, meet a friend. When you do something for yourself that brings you contentment and helps get rid of resentment, your happiness will spill over and positively benefit your family.

Before you say no, think why you are saying no. Many of the things we say “No” to are perfectly harmless and should be answered with a “yes.” Better your children learn that when you say “NO,” it’s a serious “no” and they won’t negotiate a “yes” out of you. (Think of how many times we say “no,” and then the kids convince us that we should say “yes!”)

Don’t discipline kids when they are tired or hungry. Solve the physical problem first and then focus on the behavior.

 

*“Physical contact is important across the lifespan,” says Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Positive touch stimulates pressure receptors under the skin, lowering the heart rate, slowing the breath, decreasing stress hormones and boosting the immune system. In other words, touch helps bodies stay healthy.

Have your own tips? Please share them below.