Different children need different things

Parents with more than one child quickly find out what works on the first doesn’t always work on the second, third, etc. Your children are different ages, they are at different stages of development and they are different people with their own unique personalities.

It’s only natural that they might need different rules and different approaches when it comes to parenting.

Below are a few examples of how you may parent differently:

• When your planning activities and events remember to consider each child’s unique personality. Do you have one child who is easy going and one who needs a schedule? Make sure that activities are planned to accommodate the schedule but make it up to your easy going child by spending extra time with them. This way you can accommodate both personalities.

• Don’t assume that the way you discipline one child will work for the other. Kids who don’t like confrontation may respond well to a stern talking too. Other children may simply disregard being talked to altogether. Something more tangible may get the point across like removing their favorite toy or taking away TV time. Every child is different when it comes to discipline and you might just have to experiment to find out what encourages good behavior.

• When it comes to learning, children’s needs vary quite a bit. Some children seem to be able to pick up a book at a very young age and easily take to reading. Other children struggle and need to put in a lot of work just to keep up with the class. The same child might be a natural at math or art. Each child will have their own strengths and weaknesses. It’s important for parents to allow children to explore their strengths and give them the extra support in areas of weakness.

Don’t forget to appreciate the wonder of our children and the differences that make them the unique people that they are.