There are many milestones in a child’s life, whether it is teething, potty training or that first full night sleep we all long for, there is always something to be concerned with and record in the baby book. We love watching these small humans grow into amazing young people, and it’s a privilege to help them learn and grow. But as our children get older there are milestones we forget about or maybe aren’t even prepared for. There’s a lot the goes into raising a child as we all know, but here are some of the more unusual milestones that you may not have heard of so you can be prepared.
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
Fancy Dress
There will be many times when your child will want to dress up and most of us have a little toy box full of outfits or wardrobes crammed with fairy wings and pirate hats. Watching Disney films usually means you will have a budding princess or prince on your hands. So there are plenty of options available when the school asks your child to dress up for an occasion. World book day is one of these occasions when the children put effort into looking like their favorite storybook character. Whether they love Matilda or Snow White there is a whole range of outfits to match, but try and remember these things come around regularly, so either keep a good stock of options to hand or keep a close eye on the calendar for when the next one is! Most parents find themselves rushing around at the last minute because they completely forgot about the day and events. Luckily there are supermarkets and online shops with fast delivery that can help.
School Trips
It’s difficult enough thinking about your baby going off to school when they are small, but thinking about school trips that are going to be taking them to a different place on a bus or coach can seem very daunting. There is nothing to worry about though, teachers are very well trained to ensure children stay safe, and they will be absolutely fine. When schools book primary school trips with NST they always consider the age of the children, the adult to child ratio and how engaging the activity will be. This means your child should have a wonderful time, and with a packed lunch you have lovingly made for them they will be fuelled nicely for the day too.
Sleepover
Some of us choose to drop our children with their grandparents for a break and no matter how excited you are to get some ‘time off’ and even though you know they will have a lovely time, it still feels difficult. Remembering the first time you drop your little one at their grandparents or a friend/ relative for the evening by documenting it with photos and regular updates (your parents may tell you to relax a little though if you ‘check-in’ too ofter) means you will feel much better about everything. And no doubt your son or daughter will be having a wonderful time without you, eating what they like and being spoilt while you worry!
‘Disaster’
Most parents will remember a time that their children get ‘into’ something they shouldn’t, either the nappy cream ends up everywhere on them or they decide to dip their toes in the fresh paint, either way, it can be very amusing. It’s quite typical for a parent to take photos and look back and laugh at the situation but it certainly doesn’t feel like fun at the time. Just remember children have more energy than you and are relentless at pushing boundaries, as well as discovering new things. So try and avoid leaving anything in ‘harms way’.
Falling Out
At some point your child will have a disagreement with their friends, this can be a really awful situation and children can feel very upset about this. But it’s great for their social skills to experience this. It helps them understand how to deal with conflict and what you need to do to keep things calm during an argument. It may feel like an awful milestone, but it will pass quickly, and if we support our children to be kind and forgiving, it will be less frequent, and over faster. This is how children learn, so long as we are supportive that’s all they need. Of course there is a difference between a falling out and bullying so it’s always good to keep a close eye on this one.
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