Quick Parenting Tips to Make Parenting Feel Easy
/We're going to start this article with a caveat to say that no parenting is ever really easy. But.When you're in the dead of the night and you haven't slept for three days because the little sleep you ARE getting just isn't enough, you need to find some joy somewhere. Parenting is not easy, but it can feel easier with a little help.
Whether you are worrying about infant chapped lips or you are worrying that you're never going to sleep again, you have to consider how you can make your life as a new parent as easy as possible. Raising human beings is hard enough as it is, but raising a newborn when you are new to it yourself is the hardest part. You have to remember that as much as your baby is learning how to be a baby and how to get on with life, you are learning how to be a parent. That means that you're in a position where you are both trying to get through the same thing at the same time. To make the transition from not being a parent to being one easier, we've put together a list of tips to make it feel like you are nailing it!
You, first. The first thing to do to make parenting feel easy is not neglect yourself. You have to be at your best to be able to parent effectively and if you don't look after yourself, you’re going to struggle to even want to take care of a child. It’s not always easy to find the time for self-care but rest, maintaining a good diet and regular movement is important for your overall health and wellbeing. You cannot pour from a completely empty cup!
Never say no to an offer of help. It’s common for people to offer you a hand with the baby and while you may not need a hand for the baby, ask your friends and family to help you with the house or the chores you need done. Embracing their assistance and ensuring that they know you are open to help will ensure that you are accessing the right help as you need it. Sometimes, you just need someone to be open to listening to you so that you can talk about how you’re feeling. This is especially important in those early weeks of parenting. You need people to feel like you are well supported and can avoid postnatal depression as a result.
Have a routine in place for you, as much as the baby. You need a consistent routine to feel successful as a parent and it’s important if you want to have better sleep and contentment overall. You need a predictable schedule in place so that you can feel like there is some control to be had. You are going to establish good routines for napping and feeding your baby, but that means that you need to have a framework in place to support you, too.
Work on bonding. Some people spot their newly born baby and instantly fall in love, but that doesn't actually happen with everyone. You don't need to have a traumatic experience either, to skip out on it. Instead, you need to do all that you can to bond effectively with your child. Skin to skin comfort can really help your baby to bond with you and for you both to thrive.
Find your village. A great way to make parenting feel easier is to have a village around you. You need to find a community of parents that have the same values that you do. When you do that, you can be sure that your parenting experience feels happier and healthier. A community of parents just like you with the same parenting values can help you to get out of the house and get around people who make you feel like you matter. Engaging with other parents can make you feel like you are not alone. Sharing your experiences is important and you can gain some valuable support that you won’t ever take for granted.
Patience is a must - but for yourself. Before you can have patience with your baby, you need to have patience with yourself as a parent. You don't go into parenting knowing exactly what to do or how to react or what to expect. But you do have to go into parenting with a level of patience that allows you to learn.It's unfamiliar territory, not just for the baby, but for you. And if you want to have a better and more positive attitude and outlook, then you need to have a more gentle attitude with yourself.
Realize that sleepless nights are not the same as the ones that you know. The reality of parenting is that your nights are going to become a lot different. But every single person who goes into parenthood thinks that they know what they're doing because they've pulled all-nighters before or they've had a night shift at work. It's really not the same thing. When you're parenting at night, you are beholden to somebody else, which means that they are in control of when you're awake, when you're asleep, not you. If you're pulling a night shift at work, at least you know that you can rest. When you're answering to a very demanding child, it's not the same. Sleepless nights are going to be very different, but you can prepare for them. By setting up an area for rocking and feeding you will feel more prepared at night time.
Look after your mental health. As much as parenting can bring you joy, it's also going to bring you a healthy level of stress. Prioritizing your mental health is important, so make sure that you seek out professional help if you need it or speak to somebody close to you if you feel anxious. Don't suffer in silence because postnatal depression is no joke and it can and will grip on you very quickly.
Be as present as possible. Those early days and months might feel very long, but they do go very fast and the years fly past quicker than you can imagine. As much as you can be present in your interactions and don't prioritize housework overtime with your child. Housework will always need to be done but you won't always get back those moments that you need to get back with your kids. You want to contribute to your baby's emotional and cognitive growth, and when you fully engage with your baby, you're doing so much more than being physically present. You're building lasting memories that will offer you both a sense of security.
You are not a yardstick. It's the hardest thing to do, but you shouldn't compare yourself to other parents. You are not a measuring stick and comparisons can lead to a lot of stress and self doubt that you do not need to have. Make a point of embracing your individuality and who you are as a parent, rather than pushing yourself to be somebody that you're not. Trust your instincts where possible and go with the flow. It's very hard to do this, especially when you are busy comparing yourself to others. But if you can slow down, and if you can step to one side and stop looking at yourself as if you should be measured, it can help.
Always ask for advice. There are people out there who have been parents way longer than you have and there is nothing wrong with asking them for help. Yes, your child may be different from theirs, and yes, their experience may be different from yours, but that doesn't mean that you're going to experience completely different things all the time.In fact, you might find that parenting is going to open your eyes a lot more than you expected.
Communicate. If you want to make parenting feel easier than you need to make sure that you and your partner are on board before you've even got pregnant. If you're having a baby with somebody who believes that you should be in control of all of the child raising, then you are having a baby with the wrong person, but it's already too late. Laying out the expectations and boundaries that you have when it surrounds turning your lives from being adults to parents is important, but those boundaries should be consistently discussed even after the baby arrives. Understanding each other's roles, supporting one another and making sure that you foster a lot of good communication can help you to create the right environment for raising your child in a healthy and happy home.
It can be very overwhelming to be a new parent, but it doesn't have to be hard all of the time. There are going to be hours that are harder than other hours, but that doesn't mean you have to dwell on those. Embrace the experience and keep an open mind about it with the right amount of patience and time. Parenting is going to be something that you navigate with seamlessness rather than with stress on your mind.
