{"id":674,"date":"2018-06-27T14:52:17","date_gmt":"2018-06-27T14:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/familyfitnessfood.com\/?p=674"},"modified":"2018-07-26T13:06:42","modified_gmt":"2018-07-26T13:06:42","slug":"tips-for-first-time-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/familyfitnessfood.com\/tips-for-first-time-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"Parenting Tips: 10 Tips For First Time Parents"},"content":{"rendered":"

Raising your own little human is a breathtaking, rewarding, and completely overwhelming task. So if you\u2019re expecting a baby for the first time, you\u2019re probably searching for advice everywhere you can find it. Check out our list of Best Pregnancy Apps in 2018<\/a> for help with everything from staying healthy during pregnancy to choosing a name. For help after the baby comes, we\u2019ve rounded up a list of tips for first time parents.<\/p>\n

Sleep When The Baby Sleeps (But Don\u2019t Stress If It Doesn\u2019t Work Out)<\/h2>\n

This is perhaps some of the most common advice for first time parents<\/a>, and for good reason. The sleep deprivation that can come with parenting a newborn can be quite the challenge. And if you plan on having more kids, this may be one of the few chances you\u2019ll have to sleep when your newborn baby sleeps. Next time around, you\u2019ll have another little one to look after at the same time. So take the chance if you can, but don\u2019t beat yourself up if some days you\u2019d rather get the house in order, take a breather, or just stare at your sweet new bundle.<\/p>\n

Never Put Anything In Your Baby\u2019s Crib<\/h2>\n

Though it\u2019s tempting for new parents to decorate their baby\u2019s crib or bassinet with pillows and stuffed animals to keep the baby company, resist the urge. Studies show<\/a> that having anything in the baby\u2019s sleep space can increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Since newborns don\u2019t have the strength to turn themselves over for several months, they need to sleep on their back and have a clear sleep space to keep them safe.<\/p>\n

Go Minimalist On The Baby Gear<\/h2>\n

One of the biggest first-time parenting mistakes is going totally overboard on baby gear, only to find that you don\u2019t need or use half of it. Save the time and money by buying necessities only when the baby first comes. You can always buy things as the need comes up, and it\u2019s better to wait until you\u2019re sure you\u2019ll use the item.<\/p>\n

Borrow Baby Gear When Possible<\/h2>\n

Along with the idea of going minimalist on the baby gear, remember that you can always borrow baby gear instead of buying it brand new. Many baby items will only be used for a few months at best, so you can save a lot of money by borrowing gear from a friend. Baby chairs, jumpers, and activity centers are great examples of items that take up a lot of space, are expensive, and could easily be borrowed from someone you know.<\/p>\n

Freezer Meals Are Your Friend<\/h2>\n

With the hectic schedule (or lack of schedule) that comes with a newborn, the last thing you want to do is spend an hour in the kitchen prepping dinner and doing dishes. Save yourself some grief by prepping freezer meals in advance. Then you\u2019ll only have to exert energy to heat the meal and you\u2019ll still be eating well. And if you really want to operate like a parenting pro, use paper plates and plastic utensils to save yourself from dish duty.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Sweat The Small Stuff<\/h2>\n

The newborn stage only lasts for a few months, and every parent who\u2019s been there will remind you to soak up every moment you can. To do so, try not to sweat the small stuff. Let your house get messy. Don\u2019t stress when you\u2019re late to a social outing. By giving yourself permission to not sweat the small stuff, you\u2019ll have a much happier transition into parenthood.<\/p>\n

Accept Help<\/h2>\n

As simple as it sounds, accepting help is one of the best ways to ease into your new life with a newborn. Friends and family will certainly want to offer a helping hand, so when they ask what they can do, don\u2019t be shy about giving them some real suggestions.<\/p>\n

Get Dressed And Out Of The House<\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re in the grind of newborn life, it can be easy to become a homebody without any motivation to get out and about. Though there\u2019s nothing inherently wrong with this, most people feel better if they have some structure to their days. Try to shower, get dressed, and get out of the house most days, even if it\u2019s just for a walk to the park.<\/p>\n

Carve Out Alone Time<\/h2>\n

With the arrival of a new baby, your personal space and alone time goes out the window. Even if you\u2019re loving every moment with your new little sidekick, it\u2019s important to carve out some alone time for self-care. Ask your partner to watch the baby while you take a relaxing bath, or have family watch the baby for an hour while you go out with friends. You\u2019ll feel invigorated and refreshed, and come home loving your baby more than ever.<\/p>\n

Track Your Baby\u2019s Milestones<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s easy to get in the grind of parenthood and only think about surviving, but one of our biggest parenting tips is to record all of your baby\u2019s milestones so you stop to savor the moment. You may think you\u2019ll always remember when your baby first smiled, cooed, or crawled, but almost any parent will tell you how quickly you can forget.<\/b><\/p>\n

By taking these ten helpful tips for first-time parents into account, you\u2019ll be well on your way to being a parenting whiz. Just remember that above all else, following your intuition and doing what works for you and your baby is most important.<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in learning more baby health tips, check out the Owlet blog here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Raising your own little human is a breathtaking, rewarding, and completely overwhelming task. So if you\u2019re expecting a baby for the first time, you\u2019re probably searching for advice everywhere you can find it. Check out our list of Best Pregnancy Apps in 2018 for help with everything from staying healthy during pregnancy to choosing a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":677,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/familyfitnessfood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/familyfitnessfood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/familyfitnessfood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familyfitnessfood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familyfitnessfood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/familyfitnessfood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familyfitnessfood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/familyfitnessfood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familyfitnessfood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familyfitnessfood.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}