5 Tips To Deal With The Stress Of Being A New Parent
For all of the joy that comes with being a parent, the whole experience can be really overwhelming and stressful as well. Read this article to find out how to minimize the stress so that you can enjoy the good parts.
The first few days of parenthood are exhilarating and exhausting. While there are all sorts of things to worry about, you just keep moving forward on pure adrenaline. As those days turn into weeks though, reality starts to sink in.
You love the new addition to your family, but you start to realize just how much work this parenthood thing is going to be. Then, you start looking at the hospital bills, and all of the things that you need to buy for your newborn, and it all adds up to a whole lot of money. Before you know it, you’re feeling downright stressed out.
Relax! This is way more common than you think. In this article, I’m offering up 5 tips to deal with the stress of being a new parent.
Try Your Best, But Keep Perspective
One of the hardest things about being a new parent comes from the pressure that we put on ourselves. You want the best for your newborn, and so you try to do everything absolutely perfectly.
Each day, you spend time reading, singing, and playing with your little one in order to provide lots of stimulation. You are completely silent during nap time, and do laundry around the clock so that your baby is always fresh and clean.
But, when you can’t get your baby to take their bottle, when you get a little soap in their eyes during bath time, or when you leave the TV on when they enter the room, it sends you into a panic. Your mind goes into overdrive, and you start to feel like a failure.
In the back of your mind, you know that this is preposterous. But, when you’re trying to do everything perfectly, this kind of logic just seeps in. Do yourself a favor though, and remember that you’re not perfect. No one is. The sooner you allow yourself to make mistakes, the happier you’re going to be.
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Seek Out Other New Parents
You might have friends that had kids a few years ago, and friends that don’t have kids at all. But, meeting some people that are going through the same thing as you, at the same time, can be incredibly helpful.
Not only will you be able to exchange tips with other new parents, you’ll also be able to commiserate when facing new challenges. When you hear about someone else’s struggles getting their baby to sleep at night, it’s a good reminder that you aren’t the only one.
Plus, you can do all kinds of new parent activities together. Break out the strollers and go for a walk, or bring some blankets to spend a couple hours in the park.
Carve Out Some Time For Yourself
Parenthood can be all consuming if you let it be. Indeed, this might really be the case for the first few weeks. Once you’re able to get your footing though, start making time for yourself and the things that you love to do.
If you love doing yoga, or playing tennis, don’t give these things up. Sure, you might have to cut it back a bit. But, you do need to take breaks from being a parent, if only for a few hours here and there. It will be enjoyable, and re-energize you.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
You might feel like you have to do everything yourself. But, you really don’t. If you’re lucky enough to have family in the area, ask them if they can watch the kids once in a while or at least come over and help you take care of everything.
If you don’t have family in the area, you might hire a professional. That might mean hiring a nanny or a night nurse. Or, it might mean hiring a cleaning person to lighten the housework load.
Adjust Your Mindset
Life changes so much when you have kids. All of a sudden, there is this new variable involved in everything that you do that you just can’t control. Are you trying to leave the house by noon to meet your friend for lunch? Well, if your baby has a diaper blow out at 11:58am, it’s not going to happen. This sort of thing might stress you out if you’re the type of person that likes to plan things out carefully, but don’t let it.
Life becomes a little less predictable when you become a parent. There are all sorts of little surprises, both good and bad. Instead of stressing because things are out of your control, just try and enjoy the ride.
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Guest Writer Bio
Ryan Howard runs SmartParentAdvice, a site that provides parenting advice for moms and dads. Ryan writes about all of the different ups and downs of parenting, provides solutions to common challenges, and reviews products that parents need to purchase for babies and toddlers.
