Tiffany Raiford
The second you become pregnant you begin to hear the endless pieces of advice from others. Everyone has advice for a new or soon-to-be mom and it’s all different. Some of this advice might change your life. Others might make you raise and eyebrow and wonder how these people aren’t in prison (really, I promise you that you will encounter at least one random stranger with a piece of advice so crazy you fully expect to see him/her on America’s Most Wanted any day now). While advice is nice, it doesn’t work for all families. However, these three pieces of parenting advice work for everyone, everywhere all the time.
Be Present
There is nothing more important than being present in your child’s life. This means being there for him or her. Play games together. Read books together. Go on adventures together. Listen when your child speaks to you. Speak to your child. Be present. Don’t be distracted. Give him or her your full attention and just be present. There isn’t a child on the planet that doesn’t benefit from your presence as a parent.
Life Can Wait
The dishes might seem like they’re multiplying and you haven’t had clean underpants in days, but those things can wait in the first days of your baby’s life. There is nothing more important than the bond and the love you feel when you first meet your little one. Trust me – it goes by quickly. Enjoy it now. Forget the stupid stuff and enjoy the things that will pass in the next few weeks. Soak them up.
It’s Okay to Feel Overwhelmed
You’ll feel overwhelmed the rest of your life at times. You’ll feel frustrated. The best advice any seasoned mom can offer to a new mom is to accept that it’s not all roses and champagne and be okay with that. You don’t have to feel put together and amazing every second of everyday. Sometimes kids can overwhelm you and make you crazy; and that’s okay. Just accept that this too will pass and all will be well again.
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