Those Scary First Days
I think back to those scary but exciting first days with my babies.
It seemed that I was less scared and more excited with the arrival of
each succeeding baby, but the initial scared part never entirely left
me.
To think of a brand new life totally dependent on me for everything
is kind of daunting.
And to top it all off, I was generally exhausted and thought I could
do it all.
I have one critical piece of advice for any parent of a new baby.
No matter if it is your first baby or your fifth, arrange for someone
to help you after the baby comes home.
Think about all the critical things that have to be done to keep your
household going and make a list of them.
When the baby first comes home, all you should be doing is taking
care of yourself and the baby.
Nothing else matters at that time. Some of the things to include on
your list are:
laundry
cooking
picking up clutter
child care of older siblings
Your husband can be the caretaker of the home if he is able to be
there. Just remember that both he and the new baby's older siblings
need to have some time with the baby as well.
So you might still have to find some outside help.
In the months before the birth, you should arrange for one or more
home caretakers.
Hopefully these people can be relatives or friends, but if necessary
hire a neighborhood teenager to keep up the daily tasks for a couple
hours a day after school.
There are also home-helper agencies that can be a source of a capable
helper.
One of the greatest gifts my mother-in-law ever gave to me was to
move-in for the first week after each of my babies came. She
generously jumped in and took over running the household so that I
was able to baby my baby and myself.
It was so much easier to pick up the jobs when I had a full week of
time to get to know my baby.
If you are a new mom, you probably think that you can do it all
yourself.
You probably can, but your baby's first week or so should be a time
when you get as much rest as possible to be able to deal with the
weeks after the outside help ends.
Friends and relatives might ask if you need anything for the baby.
If you have enough clothing for the baby, you might suggest that the
best gift they can bring is a casserole for the freezer.
These casseroles can be a life-saver when it's 5 pm and you're still
in your `jammies! Believe me those days will happen!
Above all, listen to the people who tell you to rest when the baby
rests. They have been there and done that!!
Remember to treasure the days with your children no matter how young
or old they are. They are precious gifts beyond measure.
Until next time,
Beth Stevenson
If you are tired of experts telling you how to parent, please
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A Common Sense Parent Newsletter available at
www.ACommonSenseParent.com .
Beth Stevenson, who has parented four children over a span of 24
years, publishes it. No right or wrong answers, just a common sense
approach to parenting. Beth@ACommonSenseParent.com |
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