Parenting in Practice: 10 Tips For First-Time Parents

Becoming a parent is an extremely exciting and nerve-racking time. Bringing home your brand new little baby is an incredible experience and will leave you filled with wonder, love and stress. Overcoming the anxiety and learning how to cope with the more problematic side of parenting will allow you to focus on the good, think clearly, and enjoy the short time that your baby is a baby, because it flies by! Here are some suggestions for coping with first-time parenthood.

Perfect Preparation

Most parents enjoy this process of preparing for their baby’s arrival and it can be a great bonding experience for a couple on the verge of parenthood. Wandering through the aisles of a great baby shop in Melbourne and picking out what might become your child’s favourite toy is an exciting experience. Getting everything ready, having nappies, wipes, bottles and everything else sorted before baby’s arrival will help ensure some level of smooth sailing.

Fit To Your Baby’s Schedule

Sleep when your baby sleeps, and if you can’t sleep then at least rest. If you fall into the trap of trying to cook and clean while your baby is asleep you will very quickly burn out. Lack of sleep is the main cause of stress, arguments, and frustration for new parents. If you aren’t sleeping right, then you can’t think straight. Plus resting with your new baby offers a great bonding opportunity.

Research

While you’re resting, take the opportunity to research parenting books and read up on all the literature out there on parenting. It will remind you you’re not alone and you might just find some gold that resonates with you.

Bond, Baby Bond

Bonding with your baby is extremely important for obvious reasons, and much of it will come naturally but it’s also important to make a conscious effort to bond with your child. Make time for plenty of skin to skin contact, make lots of eye contact, and play with your baby as much as you can. Have fun together and you will set a great foundation of love in place.

Babies (and everyone else) Need To Get Outdoors

Even if it’s just for a walk around the block, you should aim to take your baby out for a walk every day and soak up as much nature as possible. Walk to the park, or take the back streets to the shops, but get out and active every day. It will do you all good, but babies and young children in particular soak up their surroundings and develop their senses by absorbing what is around them. If you keep your little one cooped up indoors it will impair their natural sense of curiosity and expansion of their senses. Get outside and let them talk to the trees and the birds.

Look For 2nd Hand Stuff

For such a small little person, babies tend to need a lot of stuff. The worst part is that they only need it for 6 months or so before then needing more stuff. So buying second hand will help you save a lot of money, and most of what you buy will be no more than 6 months old!

Have Some Soothing Tricks

Soothing your child can take time and can lead to incredibly frustrating late nights. So educate yourself, talk to your mum and friends to learn some soothing tricks. Build up an arsenal of soothing strategies so that when it’s late and your baby is have a “moment” you will have a few tricks to try out and get them back to sleep sooner.

Socialise

Remember to get out and see your friends. Having adult time will make you feel like a rounded human being, rather than just a parent. So, catch up with good friends once a fortnight at least, even if it’s just for coffee.

Look After Yourself

As well as finding time to spend with friends, make sure you also have some time alone. Whether that’s going for a walk, or staying home alone to cook. Having time to yourself will rejuvenate you and also make you appreciate the time with your family.

Trust Your Instincts

Last, but not least, is remember to trust your instincts. Parenting is a natural thing, and we are all born with instincts that will help guide us to looking after your children. Trust yourself and enjoy the ride.

The challenges of a new baby can take their toll, so be sure to look after yourself and focus on the joy that comes with becoming a parent.