No-one said that parenthood was going to be easy, but neither did anyone say it was going to be so f*#@n hard! Alas, there’s just no avoiding the fact that looking after a little human is challenging, especially in the early days of parenthood. There are, however, things you can do that can make things slightly less difficult.
In today’s post, we’ll take a look at a few useful tips that’ll make the early days of being a mother or father more straightforward.
Do Your Research
Knowledge is power; it always has been and always will be! While you’ll always be taken aback by just how intense the early days of parenthood can be, the more you read and learn in advance, the better prepared you’ll be. While you’ll have your own unique experience of parenthood, learning about what other people went through during their pregnancy and early days can make things easier to handle. If nothing else, you’ll learn that everyone who becomes a parent goes through the same emotions that you do. There’s comfort in knowing that other people have been where you are and have made it through just fine.
Create the Space
There are some things you can only do when your baby is in your arms and back in your home with you. But there are also many things that you can do before they’ve arrived, when you’re still pregnant. One such thing is creating a space in your home where they’ll spend the first months of their life. Take a look at some baby nursery ideas, and get their room ready for when they arrive home. You’ll also want to add a bassinet and a few homey touches so that your baby feels at home from the first moment they arrive. As well as helping you to get prepared, these pre-arrival actions can also help to build the excitement.
Load Up on the Essentials
There’s going to be a lot of unexpected occurrences early days of parenthood, but there are some things that can be expected without fail. And that is that they’ll eat and poop. While you’re trying to get to grips with these new tasks, you can make things straightforward by stocking up on all the essentials that you will need for a fluid everyday life. There’s nothing worse than having to run to the store because you’re out of an item that you knew you’d need. Stock up, and keep them in your pantry — you’ll be thankful for it later on.
Accepting Help
It’s normal for new parents to feel overwhelmed in the early days of parenthood. And when it feels like they’re beginning to lose control somewhat, many try to grip the reins even harder than they were. While this might be a natural reaction, it’s not the best one. Instead of trying to fix every problem yourself, sometimes it’s best to reach out for help. You’ll find that there are plenty of people who are more than happy to help out from time to time. It’s not as if you’ll put all the responsibility of your child onto your loved ones, but if they’re offering to help out for ten minutes here and there, then take them up on their offer! Aside from giving you a little break, it’ll also remind you that you’re not trying to move mountains all on your own.
Looking After Yourself
Many parents throw all of their energy in the early days of parenthood ensuring that their baby is happy and healthy and so on. While you do want to make sure that the baby feels that way, it’s not recommended to throw all of your energy into that task. You also need to look after yourself, and it’s not a selfish thing to do! You’ll be able to look after your child much better if you’re energetic, happy, and confident. So schedule in some time where you focus on yourself. It’ll allow you to enjoy the immense responsibility of looking after your baby all the more.
Go With the Flow
Finally, remember that while there’ll always be stressful moments in the early days of parenthood, but there are ways to reduce the stress levels. If you have a ‘go with the flow’ attitude, then you’ll be able to avoid a build-up of stress. Some things are worth stressing over, there’s no doubt about it, but some things should just be let go of quickly!
