Kiddipedia

Kiddipedia

 

Becoming a parent is the best thing in the world and as soon as you get that news that you are becoming one, you start preparing yourself for the inevitable. Planning, researching and getting informed are some of the things that parents will do during pregnancy. But there is really no step by step guide on the things that will prepare us as soon as that bundle of joy will come out into this world.

Here are 10 things that we wish we knew before becoming parents:

  • Sleep becomes a luxury.

Normally, humans are required to have at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep. However, for parents, this cannot be possible. While nursing, mothers will only have about 3 to 4 hours of sleep in a day because of the need to feed and to change the nappy. Because the baby will feed every 3 to 4 hours, nappy changing will be mostly the same. For newborns till 3 months, better to get your sleep while the baby sleeps as well even during the day. This will be of great help for you to recharge.

  • Parenting is a hard job to do.

From a mother’s perspective, getting pregnant to delivering the baby is only the first stage of hardship that they have to go through. Sleep deprivation, the horrors of changing nappies and never-ending cries are just the beginning of more challenges ahead. Being a parent is not easy, but with love, care and support from others then we can learn and enjoy the ups and downs of it.

  • There is no such thing as a perfect parent.

It is a learning process. New parents learn from what they have heard or learned from their own parents, but doing it yourself to your child is an entirely different thing. Children each have their own identity and parenting them involves adjusting your skills depending on your child’s needs.

  •  Accept help from others when you need to and don’t be afraid to ask for it as well.

If others offer you help in taking care of the baby, by all means, accept it. This will also help your baby see other people at home and help them get acquainted with the neighbors or other caregivers in the household. Just make sure these are trusted people and either family or friends. There is nothing wrong in asking for help, ask Grandma or Poppy to watch over the child for some time just for you to do some important task. They will gladly help out with full smiles on their faces.

  • Stop googling everything.

As we all know by now, everybody googles almost everything. So as a first-time parent, we tend to look for answers from Google on all the things we need to know. We google about how to change nappies, how to put babies to sleep easily and so on, but other means of information are there for our help. We have our own parents, friends, and professionals to ask for help. Our own parents will always be glad to help as this will let them go down memory lane and remember when they were taking care of you. They will share all the things they have learned and the mistakes they will want you to avoid. Friends who are already parents are a phone call away to help out on your questions about this and that. If not, then the pediatrician will be there for you in seeking professional advice.

  • There is nothing in this world as awesome and rewarding as being a parent.

Parenting is not a job, but it’s a responsibility that we need to do in raising our kids with proper love and care. Each and every milestone that your child will learn and know will all depend on you and their surroundings. Once you see your child grow, you will feel the gratification and fulfillment of being a part of their growth and their achievements.

  • Babies are very needy creatures.

They need help in everything. From feeding to cleaning to washing and moving. They need all the help they could get from us, to be there as much as possible in those months, then slowly things will change as they learn to do things by themselves and be independent.

  • Invest in quality baby items.

Cribs, blankets, baby clothes, and shoes are items that your baby needs. Invest on these items well and wisely because they are crucial for your baby’s health, wellbeing and safety. But do not overdo it, babies grow up so fast. Things like clothes and shoes will not fit them for long as they grow up quickly. As much as we like to dress them up, buy to a minimum and choose a few sizes bigger. Choose quality items for their cribs and strollers for their safety and care.

  • Enjoy every moment of it because things happen really fast.

Children grow really fast. In no time they will be adults like yourself. However, don’t fret because parenting doesn’t end when your kids become adults. They will still need your advice when they are older. Parenting is a lifetime job.

  • Appreciate your own mum and dad more.

Learn to appreciate your parents more as you are now learning the ways of being a parent. You now know the efforts and sacrifices that your own parents had to put up with when you were younger. You realize how difficult it is being a parent and think about how they felt when you were growing up. Show them your appreciation and be thankful you grew up to be a good person because of them.

Parenting will never end. As long as you are still alive, you and your child will always have that bond and you will always be a parent to them if they grow up to be parents themselves. They will always seek your guidance and help and you always gladly share whatever things you have learned from your experience.

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