How to raise a child for new parents!

How to raise a child for new parents! I am a first-time mother and I had no clue what I was doing. I had to learn as I went. The more you know, the better! I want you to know about all of my mistakes so that you can avoid them if possible. One of the most important things is to make sure your child has a really good support system. You need someone who can help with childcare if needed. « Previous Next » You also need people who will be there for your child during the day--whether it's stopping by for dinner or just checking in on them. It's also extremely important that you take care of yourself and find some time for yourself every day. Here are Prepare for parenthood Preparing for birth can be a daunting task, and to be honest, it's kind of scary for everyone. I started reading books and articles about labor and delivery when I was eight months pregnant. The more I read, the more I realized that it was pretty normal to be a little nervous when your child is about to be born. There are so many questions and unknowns that come with having a baby. I found that reading birth stories made me feel a lot less scared. There are so many tales of moms getting through labor and giving birth naturally, so it made me feel hopeful that I would be able to do the same thing. The best advice I can give to first-time moms is to make sure you are taking care of your own health during your pregnancy and labor. You need to have energy, and this could mean working out. Keep your stress levels down It's okay to cry sometimes, and it's okay to have bad days. It's part of being a parent. Take care of yourself and be gentle with yourself. Having a new baby doesn't mean you have to have it all together. At first, I really felt overwhelmed. It's okay to ask for help. Remember, you're doing this because you want to take care of your child--not because you're a martyr. Don't compare yourself to other moms Some days, you might feel like you're doing everything wrong. Everyone has different parenting techniques. Some people need to eat a large breakfast to get a handle on the day, while others may not need anything at all. You don't have to be perfect. The most important thing is to take care of your child and make sure you can support them when they need it. Find a good support system Learning on your own is hard! When my husband was home, I could talk through what I was going through with him, which allowed me to stay more positive. I also had family and friends who were happy to step in if I needed help. Let family and friends step in! Supportive friends and family members can make all the difference. While you should absolutely never feel like you need to ask them to do something, be open to having them provide childcare. My husband and I had family members who were more than willing to come over for dinner or just take the kids overnight so that we could have some time to ourselves. Even when it's only for a couple of hours, it really helped us feel like we weren't losing our minds. Work on your mental health Raising a child takes a lot of energy and you need to take care of yourself in order to be a good parent. Having a supportive partner or family to take care of the child is also important. Go to a therapist if needed. You can also join a support group or talk to a friend about what you're going through. Read Every child is different and you have to make sure you're giving them what they need as well. You don't have to take a parenting class; just read a lot. Children will learn from the best and if you read them a lot, they will pick up on the things you're not saying. As you become a parent, you'll be surprised how much you learn from reading. Maintain a work-life balance After the birth of my daughter, I was overwhelmed and exhausted. I was still working from home but my workload dramatically increased. To meet this need, I had a small photo studio in my home. Between getting to and from work and managing the studio, I barely had time to shower and cook. My daughter required constant care and I didn't feel I had any help. She was up several times a night and during nap times, I was exhausted and often too stressed to think straight. The more stressed I got, the more I pushed myself to do to get my work done. I was so worn out from lack of sleep and endless worry, I lost myself. I was sleep-deprived and I was resentful of my circumstances. But I also realized that my daughter was happy. I was happy. That was all that mattered. Know what to expect from pregnancy and birth One of the things I hear all the time is "I'm sorry." I'm not. I'm thrilled that you are expecting and so grateful for the chance to be a parent, but I will tell you right now: you will be tired. You will be pregnant. You will want to give birth to a new unicorn. You will not be fun to be around during this time and you will wonder why you thought this was such a good idea. If you are a hard worker, I am certain that you will have no problem making it through to the end, but know that you might get frustrated with a lack of sleep. Know the first few months with your baby and how to keep them healthy and safe Give your baby lots of time to adjust and to bond with you. You may feel like you are doing everything right, but that baby will make sure that you are doing it wrong. With so much going on, it's easy to feel completely overwhelmed and underqualified. You can do everything right, but you may still be having a tough time getting the baby to sleep, eating, or whatever else you need them to do. If that's the case, you need to know that every baby has different ways of telling you when they are ready to sleep, eat, or anything else. I didn't realize that feeding every two hours was wrong! In the beginning, you really need to feed your baby every two to three hours. Babies need that constant feeding in order to grow. I also thought that I was being extra careful, but I was not. Conclusion There you have it! I hope this guide helped you! I have gotten a lot of amazing feedback on this post. A lot of people have already asked me for more tips on how to raise a baby. You can find my follow-up posts for these topics HERE (please note that some products and services mentioned in this post are affiliated with me.