Being a new parent can be extremely scary for many people. Having someone else’s life depend on you completely can be nerve-wracking, especially if you don’t feel like you know exactly what you are doing. This feeling is completely normal, and is felt by virtually every new parent in the world. Luckily, things usually tend to work out, and most people find that their worries melt away when they hold their baby for the first time.
Still, there are a few things that all new parents should know that can help them to do a better job in raising their children. Here are four tips for you to consider.
Babies cry
Yes, you probably already knew that babies cry. Many new parents hear their baby cry and find themselves terrified that something is wrong. Many times they have seen a relative’s or a friend’s baby that didn’t seem to cry nearly as much. That is life, however. Babies are different, and some cry more than others. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try and help your baby when they are crying, it just means that crying is not the end of the world. Sometimes babies get moody – just like adults. First try and make sure all their basic needs are met. If they are not hungry, tired, or in need of a change, according to Mayo Clinic, they may just need to cry it out.
Know your resources
You don’t have to know everything as a new parent. You just need to know where you can get access to the information that you need. The internet is a good place to start, but it is important to remember that there is a lot of misinformation available online as well. One great place to start if you want accurate information is a helpline. There are quite a few free helplines available that you can use a search engine to find. A recent study showed that nearly 80% of people that called helplines got the answers they were looking for. They were also able to enjoy the confidence that came from knowing they were speaking to an actual expert, rather than to a random person on the internet.
Take turns
You and your partner will likely have different schedules. However, it is important that you both have some nights where you get more than two hours of sleep in a row. Try taking care of the babyevery other night, eachof you then having the chance to switch off totally for a while and get a good night’s sleep. Or, if one partner works during the week,maybe they could take over more at the weekends. You will both be tired no matter what you do, but it is important for both parents to have nights where you actually get some good quality sleep.
Make plans
Making plans for the future is a good idea, as it encourages you to envision the life you want for your new-born child. Creating memories of their childhood is one good practical idea that springs to mind. Have you ever wanted to find a specific baby picture, but not even known where to start? Unfortunately for most adults alive today, most photos of them as a baby are not digital, meaning that there are boxes and boxes of disorganised photos. Finding one photo in a box of hundreds or even thousands feels virtually impossible. Fortunately, today we have digital organisation, meaning that if it is done right, your child will never have to go through this. Consider opening a Google Drive account just for your baby. You can upload pictures by month, and even make folders for specific events. This way your baby will always be able to access all their photos instantly. You can also share the drive file with anyone you wish, so they can instantly have access to pictures of their grandkids, nieces, etc.Making plans for your pictures is but one way in which you can plan for the future – it is never too soon to set up financial plans, for example.
Good luck!
Remember, a new-born baby is a tough life changing event that nobody can adequately prepare for, no matter how many books you read in advance. It has to be experienced at a personal level to have any sense of what is involved. Very few people ever regret their decision, however.
So, when you are going through hard times,try to bear in mind that this feeling will always pass, and that all the hard work will be worth it in the end.
