Advice for new Parents

“My advice for new parents” will be fruitful for those parents who are going to become parents and have no idea about rearing child. The most challenging time for the parents is the birth of first child in the family. As they have no idea or experience about the new guest who has come in this world in their house.

All the children who come in this world deserve the best possible beginning in life. The child’s early starting years from before birth to age six are of very importance for her healthy growth and development. The children’s brains and bodies are growing at a fast pace in this age of time. Healthy babies are supposed to continue to be healthy through their childhood, teen and adult years. In this connection, this article, “my advice for new parents” will be helpful to you as a new parent.

Child’s early life

The early years of your child’s life are very exciting years for you as a new parent. When baby starts her life, she learns about her parents and the world around her. First she observes her parents and surrounding and then she becomes aware of her near and dear ones. First she utters nouns and noun phrases and later starts short sentences.

Pieces of my advice for new parents will enable you in bringing up your child.

The first observer and teacher of the child

The mother is the first observer and teacher of her child. You, as a parent, are your baby’s best teacher. The way you care, talk and play with your infant will influence how your child learns and grows. Your child’s early experiences with you will benefit your child the most. I am going to give you some pieces of my advice to help you enjoy your time with your new baby in the beginning of first year.

Some pieces of my advice

• One thing you must know that babies like to be held. You should take time to cuddle and hold your child. Give her several kisses.
• It is necessary to ease your baby whenever she cries as she needs you a lot to understand her requirements. Being parent, it is essential for you to learn your baby’s cries – when she is hungry, sleepy or wants to play with you.
• You will be happy to know about your baby’s diet that your breast milk provides all the nutrition your baby needs for the first six months. The way of feeding your child can be a special way to feel close to your baby. She needs your consistent and long term attention.
• As a parent, you should speak in a soft and gentle voice to your baby. Your softness and gentleness keep your child close to you and her love for you increases.
• It is necessary for you to talk to your baby and tell her about the things that exist around her. The way you talk with your child should inspire her to play with you with zeal and zest. Being parent, it is your duty to teach your child involving in healthy and positive activities in jolly way as she may enjoy learning and her love for you enhances that will help her grow and learn in a smooth way.
• It is essential for you to help your child to explore the things safely by sharing different textures, colors, sounds and smells. In this way she will be able to distinguish among things and that will be great victory on your part as a parent.
• To teach your child, share picture books and read simple stories which will yield interest in your child. And in this process, you must take in your first language. There is also an opportunity to hug or cuddle with your child that will bring your child close to you.
• It is an acknowledged fact that babies learn naturally through play. So, making it fun, you should involve yourself in playing and singing with your child. You should have opportunity to play music and dance with her.
• Do remember that taking care of yourself is also important for you and your child. When you spend most of your time with your kid without taking care of your health, it may cause dangerous results for you and you may fall prey to diseases which is not good for you and your child. So, ask a trusted friend or family member to watch your baby so you can take a break if necessary.

Challenges for new parents

The birth of first baby will bring many challenges and changes in the life of new parents. Many of these challenges and changes are those for which new parents are ready to face. Many of these will be easily adjusted to. However, it is good idea for the lives of new parents that they should be aware of the circumstances that may come after the birth of their child, As parent, you must learn that what your baby needs in order to be healthy, happy and adult.

My advice for new parents will help you understand the challenges of new parents and their solutions. Following are the main challenges for new parents and their suitable solutions.

Total exhaustion

It is challenging time for the new parents to bring up their first child as sometimes it proves tiresome job for the new parents. If you are or going to be a new parent, I advise you to spend more time with your new child but you may get fatigued that may cause fall of your health.

I advise you in this regard to take proper rest and sleep to keep yourself active and healthy. If you are hale and hearty, it is not difficult to bring up your child actively and in a proper way. It has been observed that close relatives and friends often give advice in such cases that what they should do and what they should not do. They may provide some pieces of advice.

You, as a parent, should try to find the facts that you need in order to grow your child. You should make up your own mind to see what is suitable and what is not. Instill belief in yourself that you can do it and you have potential. Your positive belief will help you in this regard.

Avoid Negativity about the baby

Sometimes, it happens that parent is disturbed when her child’s demands increase. Being parent, if you face such situation, the best way is to communicate with your child to find out the causes behind her demands that will help you bring your child on the right track. My advice to new parent is to be positive and handle the matter positively. Never think negatively about your child because it is not the solution

Control your uneasiness

My advice to new parents, who don’t know how to look after their new babies, is that they need not to worry if they don’t know what they are doing because good parenting takes practice. Being new parents, you may not perform in perfect way from the start; you will learn many things automatically with the passage of time.

But one thing you must take advantage of is that if you have any successful parent in your locality, who has plenty of experience, do take advice from her. You should give some time to yourself to evaluate the situation.  

Lack of caring temperament

A feeling of parenthood is something that new parents may not judge right sometimes. If you are a new parent, I advise you not to worry and you shouldn’t feel guilty. You must know that it takes time to know your child’s nature but sometime very soon you and your child will be able to understand each other. 

Feeling of loneliness

The parents who spend first few weeks with their baby at home, new mothers normally may feel solitude when she starts her job again leaving her child under the supervision of none. It is fact that for working class parents, it is difficult to take care of their child for a long time. My advice to parents, who are chained in this category, is that they should try to search support from family members or friends. If it is not possible, they should take help from child caring organizations.

Big changes in parents and their relationship

New parents come across many changes when there is entry of new family member especially first child. This is the critical time for the parents, as there occur many changes in their behavior, sometimes prove very dangerous and become the reason of distance between new mother and father. So, my advice to new parents is that they should focus on positivity in change for the betterment of the whole family. If there is any negative change, it will destroy the peace and happiness of the house as well.

Changes in the balance of the parents

When the first baby comes in the family, there starts battle between the mother and the father of the child regarding bringing up the child. Mother thinks that she is working harder and longer than her spouse, and she wants to be recognized. Unlike this, father thinks that he spends most of his time in office in doing his job and when he returns, his spouse thrusts many home chores showing that she has got tired in caring the child.

My advice to new parents in this regard is that they should adopt positive attitude and try to understand each other. They should negotiate each other in loving and peaceful atmosphere for the better growth of their child which is the need of the hour. Otherwise, it is possible that it may have negative impact on the child.

Feelings of doubt and inconsistency

Feelings of doubt and inconsistency are common because being parent is a big responsibility and many parents find themselves in a dilemma, thinking that whether they will handle or not. My advice to such parents is that they should have positive outlook and belief that they can manage the situation. So, their decision to have baby is absolutely right because without baby the house looks like lonesome place where there is no hustle and bustle. The baby is the light of the house.

My advice for new parents about things to do

I have my advice for new parents about things which they need to do in the process of growing new child as it is critical situation for new parents to nurture their first child. They need to be helped in this regard. The following things you as parent must follow in order to cope with the situations that occur in the process of your child’s development.

Minor expectation

If you are new parent, you should keep your expectations minor and don’t expect your child any high expectation from the beginning. It is not necessary that your all expectations will be fulfilled. Life is very tough for new parents in the start. So, in the beginning, you should not expect accuracy from your child or partner. Rather, remember that you, your partner and the child are going to make mistakes.

Don’t worry, try to accept these mistakes and rectify them because through mistakes one learns about what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, in the beginning, your expectations from your child should be less, not more.

Take great care of your partners

Your most important relationship is with your spouse. There must be mutual cooperation and atmosphere of love and peace between both parents specially, when they have become new parents. You should try to take steps to communicate with your partner frequently. And, you should find time to be alone together in order to cooperate with each other for the growth of your child and making solid relation with your partner.

Reduce time limit to chores

If you used to spend most of your time keeping your house neat and clean before the birth of the baby, reduce your chores and save energy for taking care of your child that is the most important thing, you should perform. If you are energetic, you can nurture your child in a better way.

Learn from experiments

Do experiments for the betterment of your child because by doing so, you will learn a lot and will be able to judge right ways which prove fruitful for your child. Practicing experiments again and again, gives experience which helps new parents to understand and find solution to the problems.  

Set smart parameters

Your child craves limits, which help her understand and manage an often confusing world. You should show your love by setting boundaries so that your kid can explore and discover her passion safely. Child’s mind is always active and she tries to do the things in the same way as she observes others doing it. It is because she has creative mind. Your smart parameters keep your child in limits and she does activities under boundaries.

Don’t clip your child’s wings

As sensible parent, you should not interfere or interrupt your child, when she is performing some activities. Her mission in life is to achieve freedom. So, when you witness that she is developmentally talented of laying her dolls away, clearing her dish from the table and dressing herself, let her do her job. And, to give responsibility to your child is compulsory for her self-esteem which grounds your stability.

Don’t try to answer every thing

If you are providing solution to your child like helicopter parents, your child’s confidence will not be developed and she will depend on you in every matter. So, give chances to your child to find her own solution so that she may awaken her inborn talent in order to become practical which will help her in practical life.

Avoid setting strict rules

Your child can’t recognize too many rules at a time. As parent, you should forget arguing about little matters like fashion choices. You should focus on the things that really create trouble; I mean you should avoid your child from social evils like lying, hitting and rude talking. Provide her sound and favorable atmosphere so that he may develop these qualities easily.

Play with your children

You should involve yourself in playing with your child to get closeness with your child so that she may share her feelings and difficulties. Teach your child that games teach discipline and tolerance. Games keep her fit and active but excess in everything is not entertained rather discouraged. Everything looks good in limit.

Read books together every day

Involve your child in reading books and for this purpose, you yourself should show interest in reading books and make her feel that reading books is enjoyable and knowledgeable hobby. Through books, we come to know the history of man and his climax and downfall. Books are a great foundation of information through which we dive in the ocean of knowledge.

Schedule special time for encouragement

Scheduling daily special time is a great idea for the new parents because it will develop positive effect on their child. Sometimes, reward your child on her achievement in school. Give her special treat if she performs excellent.

Encourage your child because encouragement will generate good results. If your child does anything bad, you should not scold rather pass such comments as, “you are genius, if this time you have failed to perform well, it doesn’t matter, try again, and you will surely succeed.”

Make sincere memories

It is your parental duty to be sincere not only with yourself but also with your child. Lead your life in such a way that people would remember you in a good way even after your departure. If you are sincere, your child will also be sincere. Sincerity begets sincerity. As you sow, so shall you reap!

It is fact that you want others to be sincere with you, so, it is obligatory for you to be sincere with others. Your sincerity with your family and child is of much importance. A child normally follows her parents. Make sincere memories for your family and child that will inspire your child to be sincere and leave sincere memories just like you.

Be the role model for your child

As a parent, it is necessary for you to be role model for your child as she deserves it. Your child wants to see you as a role model. If you perform well and make good name and fame in the society, your child will do the same and will prove role model for her child in practical life.

Admit your fault

It is good thing to own up if you have done anything wrong whether knowingly or unknowingly. Accepting your mistake will generate positive effect on your child as she will learn that it is good idea to accept her mistakes. It is not a matter of shame but an act of bravery.

Live a little greener

It is beneficial for you to tell the importance of plants in life to your child. You should show your child how easy it is to care for the environment by just planting and nourishing trees. It is an undeniable truth that nature keeps the atmosphere clean and saves the world from pollution. So, develop love for natural objects in your child. Involve your child in planting trees.   

Always tell the truth

Truth is evergreen and appreciated everywhere. Being parent, it is your duty to always speak the truth and develop this quality in your personality. Your habit of telling the truth will develop positive change in your child and she will also become truthful by following you. If you get success in breeding this habit in your child, it will give you real happiness.

Know the best ways to praise

Observe your child keenly and try to know the best ways to praise her. Keep your eyes on your child and whenever you see any good activity, appreciate your child and further encourage her that she can perform better than this too. Your praise gives strength to your child and her confidence level increases manifold. Your appropriate praise will increase your child’s love for you.

Trust yourself

The first thing you should do is to trust yourself. It is very important because if you don’t trust yourself, you cannot trust others and when you don’t trust yourself, you cannot expect others that they should trust you. So, trust yourself and develop this trust in your child.  

Give yourself a break

When you are tired or upset, taking a break is good thing to refresh yourself. Take rest for some time to be active. Take holiday from the office and visit some picnic spots with your child for enjoyment. Natural healthy atmosphere will remove your tiredness and you will become active and energetic once again.

Pass along your plan

Being new parent, you must plan a plan for your child’s safety and betterment. Your plan must be flexible and achievable. If you have planned, you must endeavor to fulfill your plan. Your consistency will make the path easier. Develop consistency in your child so that she may achieve her goal easily. Dear parent, determination and consistency are powers and encouraging tools which will enable you to fulfill your plans of effective parenting.

Don’t forget to teach social skills

Social skills are very essential for your child in order to live in society. You should teach your child moral and social etiquettes that will help your child how to behave and get respect in the society. If you succeed in growing social skills in your child, it will help her in getting success in society.

Ask your child few questions every day about her life, progress, achievement and difficulties if she has. Don’t forget to appreciate her achievements and progress. To solve the problem and remove the difficulties which your child is facing is your job as a parent.

Teach kids eye contact and this bravery trick

Being responsible parent, it is obligatory to tell your child how she is to always notice the color of a person’s eyes. Your child’s making eye contact will help her overcome her hesitant condition and it will generate confidence in your child. As a result, your child becomes more confident and she will help other children develop confidence in them.

It is marvelous thing to teach your child bravery tricks that will make your child bold and daring. When your child is bold and daring, she can face all the challenges bravely.

Acknowledge your child’s strong emotions

When your child’s downfall is over, ask him, “how did you feel?” and” what do you think would make it better”? Then listen to her. She will recover from a tantrum more easily if you let him talk it out. It is my advice for new parents that they should acknowledge their child’s strong emotions.

Raise appreciative children

My advice for new parent is to raise appreciative child, it is necessary for you to become yourself appreciative. Start to appreciate your child and your child will appreciate you. If you succeed to become appreciative personality, your child will also become appreciative like you one day.  

My advice for new parents is that they should teach respect to their child. If your child learns how to respect others, it will be great quality of your child. When she gives respect to others, they too pay respect to her.

Show your child how to become a responsible citizen

Showing responsibility is a marvelous quality. If every person performs his duty with responsibility, this earth will become a paradise on earth. It is lack of responsibility that causes disturbance in the world. It is my advice to you as new parents that you should teach your child how to become a responsible citizen. If you yourself are responsible citizen, your child will also adopt this quality and she will become a responsible citizen.

Don’t nurture a spoiled child

Dear parents, you are advised to protect your child to be spoiled. If your child got a chance to go astray, it would not be easy for you to bring her on the right track because she would create troubles not only for you but also for others and it would not be easy to handle her.

And you know that a spoiled child also spoils all the respect of the family and she becomes cancer for the whole society. And no sensible parents want such child who defames them and their family. Nurturing spoiled child is like to pave path for the destruction of the society.

Talk about what it means to be a good person

My advice to new parents is that you should tell the stories of legends and their rewards. When you relate moral stories of noble personalities, your child will realize the importance of goodness and its rewards. And one more important thing that your child will learn from the moral stories is difference between good and bad and their effects on the society.

So, there are hundred percent chances that your child will adopt the characteristics of good persons and resultantly, she herself will become good that will increase your reverence in the society. She will be loved and admired in the society as her goodness is praiseworthy.

Explain to your children why values are important

My advice to new parents is that you should first define values before your child. Explain your child that values are beliefs about what is right and wrong and what is important in life. Your child will be able to differentiate between good and bad and I am sure that she will adopt the right path that is very important for bringing success in her life.

She will respect moral values which is asset for the people. Your child must be taught to return to traditional values in education such as firm discipline that is needed for the child so that she may maintain strong discipline in her life in order to achieve success in making name and fame in the society. As parent, you must know that the young have a completely different set of values and expectations.

Set up a gratitude circle every night at dinner

It is good idea for the parents that you should set up a thanks giving circle every night at dinner. It will develop an atmosphere of peace and respect among the family members. All the members in your family will start to know their importance in the family and they will try to do better for the family. As a result your child will also do something for the family what she can do. You and your family will be able to do work like a team supporting one another.

Pay thanks to God for the blessings of life which will give you motivation to see the things what you have, not on the things which you don’t have.

Serve food again and again   

Serving food again and again to your child shows your love for her and she recognizes your importance for her. Your child considers you the safest shelter for her. When she is under your protection, she considers herself so safe that no storm can harm her in the presence of her parent. You become very important for her.

Don’t stress about dinner

It is my humble advice for new parents not to stress your child to have dinner when she is hesitant rather it is good to use consequences to motivate your child how important the dinner is for her. Your rude behavior with your child can cause dangerous results. So, always maintain politeness and love as with the key of love you can open the lock of hatred and convert it into orchard where love and peace blooms.

In a nutshell

For new parents, these points are a big source of enlightenment and guidance because these can help you in tough and challenging time. I hope that you would have learnt a lot for navigating your parenting journey. Tell us in comments about your thoughts and feelings regarding this article and share with your near and dear ones to promote effective parenting.