New Parent Tips and Hacks

This article is specifically designed for the new or expecting parents out there. A small piece of advice…everything will be okay!

If you are expecting, then your mind is probably running a million miles per hour. You are questioning yourself and the life your child is going to be born into. If your little bundle of joy is already in this world and not yet a toddler, you’re just figuring things out. Let me give you a peace of mind and some tips and hacks to make things a tad easier.

Preparing for Everything

So, it doesn’t matter if your baby is going to be a girl or boy, expecting your child can cause you to overthink and possibly do a tad more than is necessary. This is done from anxiousness, fear, love, and the unknown; which is perfectly fine. There is nothing wrong with being overprepared, right?!

You don’t need a bedroom decked out, full of toys and the custom changing table sitting next to the dresser filled with newborn clothes. As far as clothes are concerned, be stocked up enough on newborn size through 3 month size for up to the first 2 months (unless you have a premature baby). Your little one is going to grow unbelievably fast and an overabundance of clothing right off the bat for the any size below 3 months will be a waste of money. Toys will be another item that your baby will go through quickly within that first year. If you are going to deck out their room with toys, then I suggest to keep in mind that their taste and mental growth will change drastically. Another point is, and trust me on this, that changing table will rarely be used in comparison to the amount of changes you’ll have to do. Save some money and if you just desire a changing table, keep it basic.

New Mommy or Daddy, have a peace of mind. I know it is scary, but once your baby is here, you’ll have a sigh of relief and will just know that everything will be ok :) You got this!

1 Year and Under

So, you made it as a parent long enough to experience the crying, laughing, and growth…CONGRADULATIONS! I am just playfully kidding…after all, you’re not the type of parent to run away from something you love unconditionally or you wouldn’t be reading this!

So many things happen within that first year of your child’s life: teething, walking, crawling, talking, laughing, rolling over, baby food, actual food, etc. I remember when my daughter took her first steps without assistance, right at a year old. I was lucky enough to catch it on video and I must’ve watched this over and over. In fact, she had no idea what she had done and you can see me jumping up and down so excited, haha! Let me give you some advice on a few of these experiences…

When your baby starts teething, Baby Orajel is your best friend and teething rings work as well if your little one will use them; mine wouldn’t much. A cold, wet washcloth works wonders if the teething ring isn’t an option. Talk with your pediatrician for the ages to move from bottles to baby food and baby food to actual food. Don’t stress about this too much because you’ll know before you even ask…I promise, you’ll just know when it’s time. When your child starts to walk, practice makes perfect and also keep an eye on their feet as they grow; look for pigeon-toed or bow legged behaviors and discuss them with the doctor immediately. A walker helped my little girl to walk so much at first and then she graduated to a pushing toy when her legs got strong enough and she was able to pull herself up. Once she started on that pusher, she gained the balanced and confidence she needed to walk on her own.

I know that the things we’ve discussed is just the tip of the iceberg. Most of the things you’ll learn as a parent won’t come from books, videos, or advice…it will come from experiencing it first-hand as every child is different and has different needs. This isn’t to stop you from attaining all of the parental knowledge you can possibly acquire. Knowledge is power, in this case, the power you can manipulate to handle amazing and stressful situations as they happen. The experiences never stop, but relax and enjoy every second of this amazing journey!