Helpful Tips for New Parents
Are you a new parent? Congratulations! With a baby on board, your life will never be the same because your little munchkin will infuse it with emotion, purpose, and clarity. Still, there’s no denying that the going might also get a bit more challenging with a helpless human on your hands. With a baby in the house, you’ll have to juggle multiple responsibilities like a pro and still manage to find the time for the people you care about, including yourself. No need to panic yet, though: here are the top four tips to help you navigate life’s priorities as a new parent and stay on top of the game at all times.
1. Expect the Unexpected in the First Year
The first year of your life as a parent will probably be the most demanding as you’ll have to make substantial adjustments in terms of routine and schedule during the day (and night). Babies are high-maintenance beings who follow a clock all of their own and care little about anyone else’s needs and wishes. They cry a lot, need diaper changes at odd hours, and keep a sleep schedule diametrically opposite to adults. For this reason, you’ll have to loosen up and stop planning too much in advance during the first year. In this period, flexibility and an open mind with few expectations regarding the course of your days are vital for successfully managing the baby’s needs and your life in general. Take each day as you go and be prepared for changes on the fly.
2. Don’t Listen to Every Piece of Advice
As a new parent, you’ll get tons of unsolicited advice from your family and friends (with or without kids). As useful and time-saving as these tips may be, it’s still crucial for you to be selective with random advice by well-meaning individuals. Although your loved ones are simply doing their best to help you out in the new parenting situation, they can at times cross the line and make you feel self-conscious at best – or in the worst-case scenario, utterly incompetent. To preserve peace of mind while keeping your little one well-looked after, seek advice from doctors and other qualified individuals and turn a deaf ear to do-gooders without a degree in pediatric care. Also, take the advice from other parents with a pinch of salt: every baby is unique and so is the type of care they need to stay happy and healthy.
3. Go for Quality Rather than Quantity
Although a baby doesn’t need just about everything an adult does, you will still have to allocate a decent budget for clothes, crib, linen, pacifiers, toys, and other baby essentials. Friends and family can certainly help out with this segment of the parenting game but you should make it clear to them that quality comes before quantity. To make sure they observe your instructions, inform them about the best places to buy quality baby clothes in Australia and tell them which toy materials they need to look for when shopping for the baby shower. You can also make a wishlist with brand names, materials, and colours you want for your child’s belongings. This will make the gift hunt easier for everyone – and better for you, too.
4. Don’t Aim for Perfect Silence at Home
Many parents make the mistake of trying to artificially create a perfect silence in their homes while the baby is sleeping. Unfortunately, this usually doesn’t end well: once the baby gets used to sleeping in complete silence, it will take quite a lot of time to adapt to the usual household noises once you decide it’s time to drop the quiet act. Instead of allowing the baby to develop a habit of sleeping with the rest of the house motionless, allow for normal household noises such as talking, TV, cooking, and other daytime activities while the child is asleep in their room. As a neat bonus, this will also make your child a sound sleeper early on, which will prove highly beneficial for you in the coming years.
Parenting is rewarding, but it’s tougher than it might look at first glance. Still, if you follow these simple tips, you’ll find the role of the parent a lot easier – and a lot more manageable. Good luck!
