Six tips for new parents, to make your first few weeks easier!
Are you expecting a baby? Or maybe you’re a new mother? Read on for tips to help make your first few weeks easier.
Searches for ‘becoming a first-time mum’ have increased by +467% and ‘becoming a first-time dad’ by +335% over the past year, which indicates that many parents-to-be have lots of questions before their new-born arrives.
To shed some light on the unknown for first-time parents, life insurance broker Reassured has teamed up with Parenting Coach, Isobel Mary Champion to share six top tips for first time parents.
1) Accept all offers of help!
The fourth trimester is real, and you will need all the help you can get. Don’t be shy, swallow your pride, and accept all offers to help with housework, cooking, laundry, and holding the baby – but don’t be afraid to set boundaries on visit-length and personal space.
2) Don’t spend so much time worrying about developmental milestones
Just relax and enjoy those early years. Try not to keep pushing for the next developmental leap forward. Spending endless amounts money on “developmental” toys, gadgets and flashcards will not make things happen any faster!
3) Make sure you look after yourself
It’s easy to start to overlook self-care when you have a new baby to look after. But making time for self-care will enable you to parent in a much calmer and more effective way. You cannot pour from an empty cup! Make sure to build small self-care habits into your daily routine.
4) Make the effort to reach out and grow your ‘village’
The first few steps are always scary, but all the other new mums in your area are just as desperate for adult interaction as you are. Be brave and make the first move.
If you can’t find a local mother and baby class that suits you, why not start your own one by reaching out on social media to see if there are any likeminded mums near you who want to meet up?
5) It’s okay to do things your own way.
The teachings of different tribes of parenting influencers can be both confusing and overwhelming. While some parents may follow Attachment Parenting, Gentle Parenting, Natural Parenting or Montessori Parenting to the letter, most parents out there are just getting by with what feels right to them, and for their child. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all method of parenting!
6) Lower your expectations
Don’t make yourself miserable by setting high expectations of yourself or your child – or anyone else. In the age of endless social media feeds and selfies, first time parents often feel immense pressure to do it all, have it all, and be perfect all the time.
If you find yourself spiralling into comparisonitis, worrying you don’t have the perfect home/partner/figure/child, just stop, take a breath and come back to the present moment. Think about what is actually important to you and your child right now. Everything else can wait.
Be prepared for anything!
Becoming a first-time parent can be an exciting, but also daunting step. It is helpful to be prepared for all eventualities as best as possible, although raising a child cannot always be fully planned. Hopefully these tips will help you through the first few exhausting, bewildering and joy-filled weeks and months of motherhood.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema
