Being a new parent can be overwhelming, and as excited as one might be being a parent, it brings its own challenges. Having two toddlers at home has taught me quite a bit about handling the new parent situation.
So here I am sharing my top 5 parenting tips which helped me during my baby’s 1st year.
1. Have patience –
I was really scared of holding my firstborn right after she was born, worried that I might drop her or hurt her in some way or the other but staying in a nuclear family and being the prime caregiver, I had no option but to overcome my fear and handle the situation upfront. Slowly but steadily I gained the confidence to handle my little one. Even for the infant, the environment is completely new and so it takes time for them to adjust to the outer world.
2. Support your partner –
Being a new mother or a father is really exhausting, the sleepless nights and the anxiety can be overwhelming. During this time your partner’s support is very important be it physically, mentally or emotionally. We as a couple tried to help out each other in all possible ways, we made shifts to make sure we both got rest and didn’t exhaust ourselves, talked about whatever concern we had for the babies health or growth.
3. Trust your instincts –
You must have heard a lot about mothers instincts, well it’s true, at least it has been for me, the infant is most attached to his mother for the first year mostly due to their yummy meal times and as they have spent the last 9 months inside you. So if at any point you feel your kid is unwell or hungry or anything else, trust your instinct.
4. Make a schedule –
This is really helpful, with both our kids we tried to maintain a schedule which helped us in many ways, we tried to timeline everything, from the wake-up time to the afternoon naps and bedtime. Once the child was 6 months we made meal plans for each day. Planning and a proper scheduled will not only help the kid but will also give you time to finish your other responsibilities and also get some free time.
5. Ask for help –
If at any point you feel you are stuck or you cannot find a solution to the problem please don’t hesitate to ask for help. Parenting is a very big responsibility and has many challenges and difficulties. It is completely OK to ask your parents or friends for help.
Parenthood is a beautiful feeling and it’s fulfilling to see the little one grow up so quickly, cherish this memory and make most of it. Every parent can give unique parenting tips, so keep learning!
Hope you will find these tips useful.
About the author
Bhavya Gandhi
After being a stockbroker over a decade, motherhood gave Bhavya,
a much-needed break. She is a mother by choice and a blogger by heart. She blogs at thehappymommie.co.in