Advice for New Parents to Start Their Parenting Journey
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Dad Central posted an article on May 20th to support new dads “Advice for New Parents: 5 Helpful Tips to Set Your Family Up for Success”.
The article points out that, no matter how much you have done to prepare, those first few days at home with a new baby can feel overwhelming. This article offers dads five simple tips to help start the parenting journey on the right foot.
Find opportunities to bond with your baby: Even if it feels like your baby only wants mum, and mum and baby seem to have developed routines, baby duty can be relentless and exhausting. Letting mum have not just a break, but some time on her own where her brain isn’t responding to every signal from the baby, by taking baby for a walk (or even for a drive if baby is having difficulty settling to sleep), singing a song, talking or reading while holding the baby, so it gets used to your touch and the sound of your voice, will begin to develop relationship between the two of you.
Learn from experts: The important thing is to know when to seek out help, maybe starting by asking a couple of friends who have “been there”, who have kids a few years old than yours, to share their insights. And for professional advice, e.g. around sleep or feeding issues, diaper rash, etc., asking around with family, friends and local parenting groups is a way of getting good recommendations.
Create a baby budget: Kids aren’t cheap. There’s no need to panic, but it is good to work out a rough budget for the necessities. Other long-term items that are worth thinking about now, if this is a financial possibility for you, are setting up a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) and taking out a term life insurance policy to provide coverage during the years when your family responsibilities are at their peak.
Ask for support: If you have friends or family nearby who are willing to offer support, either in the form of childcare, prepped meals, or just a listening ear, take them up on the offer. We weren’t meant to raise our kids independently without any outside help – it can be a recipe for burnout. If you live far away from close family, it can help to build a network of connections through neighbourhood or parent groups, that can start to build a community for your family as your baby grows.
Trust your gut: “There’s a lot of advice, must-dos and best practices out there, which can be overwhelming for a new parent. You might feel like the stakes are high, and you have to do everything right. However, not everything will work for every child, and as you get to know your new bundle of joy, you’ll get a better handle on how best to nurture them and help them grow. Just remember that ultimately, you know your baby the best! So it’s ok not to have all the answers – even seasoned parents don’t. Something essential to keep in mind? Have frequent conversations with your partner to make sure you’re in agreement about any baby-related decisions…Keeping the channels of communication open can help cut down on arguments and any lingering resentments.”