From baby bandana bibs to nappies to food and drink, everyone has an opinion. Just be sure not to make these classic first-time parent errors!
Three Mistakes All New Parents Make How To Avoid Them
Parenting unfortunately doesnt come with instructions. And parenting, especially in the digital age, is really tough. Theres so much information and advice out there that parents can easily get overwhelmed. From what kind of baby bandana bibs you should have to how many nappies to buy to the kind of food that you should give your child, everyone has an opinion on how you raise your little one. Heres a quick look at three of the most common mistakes that new parents make and how you can avoid making them:
Getting Medical Advice from the Internet This is a big one. Just because your sister in laws neighbours child had a rash that looked exactly like your childs rash doesnt mean that your child has the same rash. And definitely never ever go on Web MD or sites like that and try to diagnose your child based on what you read. Parents can spend all night looking up terrible childhood diseases and end up convinced their child has some extremely rare disease when really what their child has is a just a cough.
No-one can make a proper diagnosis of your child except an actual doctor. Every child is different and every situation is different. Dont post photos of your sick child online and ask your Facebook mums group what is making your child sick. Go to the doctor and let an actual medical doctor figure out whats up. If you have reason to believe your baby is unwell, speak to a pro and no-one will not be upset with you if your child isnt really sick. They would much rather that you bring the baby in to get looked at than have you diagnose the child yourself through social media consensus or websites.
Making Baby the Only Focus Every first with your baby is magical. Their first smile. The first time they grasp your finger with their tiny little fingers. But making the baby the only centre of your world isnt always the best for either of you. Its also not always very healthy for your relationship. Remember that you have a spouse, a family, and friends too. Dont neglect your other relationships in order to lavish all your time and attention on baby. Those other relationships are important too and you need to make time for the adults in your life, including yourself. Take a well-earned break once in a while, enjoy a night out, go for a coffee with friends. By looking after yourself in this way, youll be better able to give your baby the best version of you the rest of the time (which, lets face it, is most of the time).
Capturing Moments Instead of Living Them Instead of grabbing your phone to capture every moment of your baby's day in photos that get shared on social media, take the time to live those moments. Don't worry about getting a Pinterest or Instagram-worthy photo. Focus on spending quality time with your baby and your family. The time when they are babies goes by so fast. Photos wont replace the experience of sharing those important life moments with your baby.
