Working Moms Tips to Bond with Your Toddler

During the time of our parents and grandparents, most mothers stayed home to care for the children and the household. Children can come home to a warm hug and a healthy, home made afternoon snack. These days, most mothers work for various reasons. Some women have thriving careers that they are not ready to give up while some women work out of necessity. Mothers must work out their priorities which are: loving their husband and children, caring and providing your family's basic needs, and providing the finances to meet these priorities. Being a stay at home mother is viewed as a luxury. Working mothers need to work harder to build a bond with their children. So how do we build bonds that last?

• Spend time with your child before going to work in the morning and when you get home in the evening. I usually bathe with my daughter in the morning. It's our special time together. I let her play with water and point our parts of her body and what that part is called. When I get home after work, I ask her what she did during the day, although she can't talk yet, I carry out a conversation with her about her day.
• Create special routines. When I leave for work in the morning, I hug her tight, kiss her and say goodbye and I tell her "I'll see you later!" I don't prolong the goodbye even when she cries.
• Be consistent. Do the things you say you'll do and when you say no, don't eventually give in if she resorts to tantrums. If you are consistent in what you do and say, your toddler will learn about trust.
• Do not feel pressured to spend quality time with your child. Whatever activity you do with your child helps you bond with her, whether it's singing nursery rhymes or playing silly games.
• Having meals together will teach her table manners and let her practice her social skills. It will create memories for your family for years to come. I started letting my daughter sit at the table with us when she turned one. I let her use the same plate and silver that we did only hers was the salad plate and her spoon and fork were the teaspoon and the salad fork. Sometimes she makes a mess but most of the time she keeps her food on her plate and tries to use the silver.
• Doing household chores together. This will teach her responsibility and also learn about the workings of the household. Of course she won't actually be helping but will more likely make a mess but it will help a lot in your bonding.
• Reading or playing with her.

Your baby expects you (and Daddy) to provide stability in her life. If you consistently provide for her physical and emotional needs, cuddling and playing on a regular basis, then the bond will always be there. Children raised in a stable, loving, and disciplined home grow up to become stable, loving and disciplined adults and parents themselves. Establishing a strong bond with your child is an important first step in that direction.

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