For working parents, taking care of their young ones can be a tough task. Every person wants financial independence and a better lifestyle, especially for their children. This is why we rarely see any parent staying at home past their maternity or paternity leaves. This sometimes causes a big impact on the children’s education and other skills.

The percentage of Australian parent couples who were both working and had kids under eighteen years of age had increased from 53% in 1996 to 61% in 2016. In order to give your children the best of education and a good future, here are five tips to raise your toddler right.

1. Make time for them

It might be extremely tough for you or your partner to spend a few minutes extra with your babies owing to your difficult schedule but hey, you definitely can’t cut slack here. These little gestures of love and appreciation can go a long way.

If your child sees that both the parents don’t give them enough time, they can start to misbehave and cause tantrums for attention. In order to prevent this, spare a few minutes each day.

For example, leave the dishes in the sink after dinner and go take a walk with your toddler. Or make every Saturday night a movie night where the entire family cuddles together and watches a cartoon movie or a documentary.

2. Enroll them in a good learning centre

When both the parents are outside the house, it’s unsafe for a little child to stay alone. Enrolling your toddler in a learning or daycare centre can lessen your fears and give your baby good exposure to the outside world.

thegreenelephant.com.au is an ideal play centre for little ones. It is a family-owned organization where kids are exposed to various fun activities. These activities sharpen their cognitive and behavioural skills. They learn life values like sharing, helping each other, leadership skills, and so much more in fun ways.

The Green Elephant also makes sure the snacks and munchies that are provided to the kids are healthy and nutritious. With four centres all over Australia, you won’t ever have to worry about your child being unhappy or lonely anymore!

3. Communicate

A great way to raise your toddler in the right manner is to communicate. Ask them how their day was or what they learned in their play centres that day. Talk to them about how your own day went by. If something is bothering them, be gentle and give them time to open up.

When your child sees you as a safe space to share their feelings and worries, they will look up to you automatically and yearn to be like you. Never judge what your child says and try to understand what made your little one do a particular action.

If we don’t communicate and give them proper explanations, they will start questioning our values and morals. So make communication a top priority.

4. Be sure about when to return to work

This is an important point for mothers. If you feel you can get back to work right after your little one turns a year old, then plan accordingly.

If, however, you feel that you might need another year off, talk to your superiors at work. Planning when to go back to work is a very crucial thing. Take into account the expenses that are involved.

For example, if you return to work, you’ll have to pay for child care centres and other things. See if you can afford them or not. If possible, start with flexible working hours and gradually adjust yourself.

5. Have a strict schedule

At work, make it known that your job is extremely important to you but so is your child. Tell your superiors that you wish to stick to the working hours only and overtime work is not possible for you due to picking up or dropping your toddler.

If you’re overloaded with work, ask a coworker if they can share the burden. While you’re working, focus solely on your job and try to perform your best there.

Over to you…

Even though juggling work and your toddler can be a tough task, there are a few ways to manage both efficiently. Simply follow these five tips and share the workload at home with your spouse or partner. This will make the entire job so much easier and encourage family bonding as well.