New Abbott, TX Parents

Tips For Taking Care of Your New Bundle of Joy

by Randy Dean

Anyone who enters parenthood for the first time has a lot of on-the-job learning to do. Sure, everyone takes some preliminary steps: reading some books on baby care, discussing new parenthood with friends, and getting advice from assorted relatives. But will this really provide us the information to be great parents?

A lot of parenting advice is contradictory and at times potentially harmful. Yet some parents seem to have everything under control while others look perpetually flustered. What makes the difference?

The difference is that the most successful new parents follow some particular strategies. By following these strategies, parenting is at least manageable if not exactly easy.

1. Accepting your Baby. The first and most important key is to accept your baby for who he or she is. Every baby is born with a certain temperament and personality, and while parents can help bring out the best in their children, you often can't change some innate aspects of a child's personality. According to Dr. Spock, "If you can learn to accept and love your child for who he really is (and not what you would like him to be) then your life together is likely to be a lot smoother". And yes, sometimes non-stop crying is a part of a baby's personality.

2. Find a parenting resource you can trust. Finding the right resource to help if you are having problems is also important. Nothing is more frustrating than to be facing a challenge with your baby and not being sure what the answer is. Whether the issue is why your baby is crying so much, or why won't he sleep at night, it is really important to have a resource you can trust. Good resources usually include parenting books, your pediatrician in Abbott, TX , and friends and relatives whose parenting instincts you trust. Find a resource you can trust and believe in and if you aren't comfortable with the advice, seek another source of advice.

3. Adjust to your baby's developmental changes. Babies change amazingly quickly in their first year. Keeping up with their new developmental needs can be a challenge. So, pay attention and be prepared when your baby is ready for a new developmental challenge.

When your baby starts to become more mobile at two or three months, make sure he spends some time on his tummy when he is awake to develop unused muscles and coordination. When he shows signs of being able to sit up, help him by providing cushions around his body to prop him up and to make sure he doesn't get hurt if he falls over.

The important thing is to pay attention and adapt your care to his level of development. If you don't adjust quickly enough to your baby's changing abilities he will be frustrated and less joyful than if his developmental needs are noticed and supported.

4. Keep your cup full. Mothers, in particular, are known for often putting the welfare of their babies ahead of their own concerns. While this is a very noble approach, the best parents work hard to make sure that they take care of themselves so that they have sufficient patience and energy to be the best parents they can be.

This means that both partners need to be doing their share of childcare and that both parents need to do their best to stay rested and not over-stressed. Yvonne Gustafson, PhD and expert in child development for Ohio Health says, "You cannot be a great parent if you are too tired or stressed. It is really important that new parents make sure that they keep their cups full so they have the patience to deal with the many frustrations of parenthood."

Unfortunately, many new parents turn down offers of assistance from friends and relatives because they feel they should be able to do it all. When other people want to help, try to find a way they can be of assistance. It might be as simple as having them pick up dinner for an evening, or saving you a trip to the store in Abbott, TX for diapers or other essentials. For many moms, this may mean being willing to let your husband help more, even if he doesn't do things exactly the same way you would.

5. Learn to accept some crying. All babies and toddlers will cry at times, sometimes much more than a parent might like. Even if you are doing everything right, many children will cry just to relieve stress. So, while you can't change the amount your child cries (and the average 6 month old cries almost 3 hours a day), you can change how you react to it.

Understand that crying is an important part of a child's emotional language and that many children cry to help reduce stress. While there are many steps you can take to help your child soothe herself, your goal shouldn't be to eliminate all crying, but rather to hold her and accept her through some crying.

6. Live in the moment. One of the great gifts that babies bring us is their ability to bring us into their worlds. Babies don't worry about all the things that need to be done; they are concerned only with what they are doing or needing right now. While everyone has many responsibilities in Abbott, TX , try to take some of your time everyday with your baby and focus on her, without worrying about all the things you need to get done. Your baby will only be a baby for a short time, so enjoy it while you can.

7. Embrace your new life. Life is much different when you have a new baby. Most of a new parent's free time is spent taking care of a new baby and there is little time for anything else. Try not to be regretful over some of the freedoms you have lost. Rather, be grateful for the many gifts your new child brings. Hearing your baby's first word, cuddling a sleeping baby, and soothing a crying baby are all the type of rewarding experiences that make parenting so wonderful.

8. Keep your marriage strong. Often, one of the first casualties of a new baby in the family is the close bond between mother and father. Family dynamics change when children enter the picture and there just isn't the same amount of time to devote to each other.

A strong marriage is very important for children. Babies and young children cannot take care of themselves, so they are particularly sensitive to things that happen in their parent's relationship. By keeping your relationship strong you provide a safe and stable environment for your baby to grow up in. In addition, a strong relationship helps provide the extra support you need during the many challenges of parenting in Abbott, TX .