Woot! It’s Friday! For most of us that means a couple of days of respite from the rest of the week. But as any mom with a baby can tell you, it doesn’t mean time ‘off.’ In fact, a baby doesn’t provide for downtime that often. Because when you’re ready to be down, they are usually up. When they are down, you are running frantically to get things done so you can deal with them when they are up. The following five tips are ways for Moms and Dads to help themselves and their baby.
Tip #1
So take thirty minutes today, Moms and Dads and remember, you need mommy and daddy time too. This isn’t about romance, it’s not even about those precious moments where you cuddle with your baby (although both of those rock), it’s about time to sit and read a book, drink a quiet cup of tea or simply sit and smell the rain as it falls gently. You need time for yourself. That time will help you calm your mind, relax your stress and improve your mood to deal with baby again.
Tip #2
Is this your first baby and you’re thinking you don’t have a clue what you’re doing? Don’t be embarrassed about it. Trust me, the maternal and paternal instincts are biological, but that doesn’t mean you are genetically programmed to handle every situation that comes up. Talk to your parents, talk to your other parent friends, go to a mom and me or dad and me class. Nobody knows exactly what he or she is doing, but we all muddle through!
Tip #3
Your sister’s kid was walking at 9 months. Your best friend’s son was potty trained at 14 months. Your neighbor’s toddler can write their name. Woo hoo! Compliment their accomplishments but don’t compare it to your baby’s. Your baby will develop on his or her own schedule. You just punish both of you when you demand they proceed at the pace of everyone around them.
Tip #4
Sleep is your friend. The first three months of baby’s life, you probably forgot what 8 hours of sleep was like. But you have to rediscover sleep. If that means you don’t go out to a movie and go to bed early, then do it. One, those movies will be coming out on DVD sooner or later, you will get to see it and you can’t replace lost sleep. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. I told my husband once, that the first year is the hardest. It doesn’t get easier, you just adapt better and the challenges change. But the sleep you need, you have to get.
Tip #5
Feeling stressed and under appreciated? Take a look at your son or daughter’s face. Lean forward and take a deep breath of their scent. Feel their tiny fingers grasping your hand or your hair. Listen to their sounds as the coo or babble or laugh. Watch them as they sink into the contentment of sleep while you hold them. Take those moments for yourself and selfishly hold them close. That baby loves you deeply and unconditionally and those moments are what it’s all about.