7 Tips Every New Parent Needs to Hear

I was a new mom once. So exciting and so new… but also soooo much to learn and so overwhelming!

Now, eight kids later, I want to share with you the secrets to your sanity!

Parenting is definitely an adventure and it can get rough at times, but knowing what’s important to focus on is a real life saver.

If I could go back in time and give myself some of the most important bits of advice this is what I’d tell myself:

1. Get Your Baby Sleep Trained

This is truly the best advice for a new parents.

Friction and frustration often rises between new parents due to a lack of sleep.

You don’t even realize how much the lack of sleep is affecting you - but it’s cumulative!!!

You need to get your baby sleeping for your own health and sanity.

Plain and simple.

Here are some resources for getting your baby sleep trained:

The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer is a fabulous read. I heard about it from a friend of mine back when I was going crazy from lack of sleep and it literally saved my sanity!

Batya The Baby Coach is a brilliant place to go for resources to help your baby get on a sleep routine. She’s got free downloads, courses and even one-on-one coaching.

2. Take advice with a grain of salt.

Yes, your friends and family most probably have a lot of good sound advice, but always remember that they are not raising your child.

Don’t get frustrated if their advice doesn’t work.

Don’t listen to people clucking their tongues if your child doesn’t perfectly fit the mold.

Each baby and each child is an individual and only you are parenting your child.

And remember that you - and only you - have been given the God given intuition for raising this child.

If you are in need of some help - figuring out all the ins and outs of new baby life, Mama Natural has a new course - the Baby Care Course. I know people have been asking them to make this course for years, as a follow up on their natural online childbirth classes. So if this sounds like something you’d benefit from click here for the Baby Care Course.

3. Get Organized

Until now maybe you could wing it. I mean it was just you and your partner, right?

Well let me tell you these tiny little babies can take a lot out of you! And boy do they need a lot of things!

The things like meal plans and shopping and laundry or even home organization that seemed so easy can become overwhelming.

Get yourself organized right from the start and then you won’t find yourself so overwhelmed when you need to add ballet lessons and soccer practice to your schedule too.

You want to organize your home, organize your schedule and map our your priorities so you know exactly what you must get done when you’re short on time.

For whole food meal planning you can use Real Plans - they are extremely accommodating to any diet or food intolerance and they even provide you with a shopping list for your ingredients!

You must get yourself a planner! Even if you use your phone. Cuz there’s nothing like being able to put pen to paper and write out your to do list and your schedule. Related: Top 3 Planners for the Busy Mom

4. Learn parenting skills.

The more you learn, the more you’ll feel confident in your parenting. There’s a wealth of books and information out there.

Go out and enjoy the process of learning all about raising the new person in your life. But don’t get stuck on the how to’s for the infant stage - as much as it’s also important - remember that you want the time to start developing the skills to raise your child.

I wish I had done this when my oldest was a baby. Would have saved me a lot of years of frustration as well as having to unlearn the wrong things and relearn the right things!

Eventually I spent years, researching, learning, taking courses and I learned a lot - all which I’d love to share with you.

If you’re looking to curb your learning time I’d be thrilled you have you join my course Confident Kids. It’s a systematized system - an ‘all in one place’ for the parenting tools you’ll need to raise your kids and learn to access your own intuition to know what’s right for them and when. Check out Confident Kids here.

5. Make your relationship with your spouse a priority.

Too many parents get so busy with the kids and work that they don’t make that quality time for each other like they used to.

Yes having a new baby in the house is overwhelming. Yes you’re just plain exhausted.

But make sure you don’t lose sight of those things that are really important to you. And your marriage is one of them.

Set a night for date night every week, and yes, get a babysitter!

Make time for talking, hanging out together.

This relationship should grow stronger as your children grow - but you’ve got to put in the time, energy, effort and of course LOVE.

Babyproofing Your Marriage is a brilliant book with a lot of laughs and some great tips for what they call ‘how to laugh more and argue less as your family grows’.

6. Create a life you love.

When a baby is born you feel like you need to put your life on hold for a while, which is true.

But - don’t keep it on hold for too long!

And never forget about yourself. The only way you’ll be a fabulous new parent is by being a fabulous you.

Make time for yourself, do things you love to do, visit friends, dance a little.

Whatever makes you happy and fulfilled - do it. A mother gives to her cup by route of her cup overflowing. Never forget that.

7. Be confident – you can do this.

Any new beginning is hard, until you get the hang of it. And the fun (crazy) part about parenting is as soon as you get the hang of it- the kids grow up a little and change.

How on earth on your going to manage? Confidence!

When you give birth to a baby, you get the power to raise her/him. You are literally infused with the love and concern and insight to know what’s right and how to raise her.

Learn to listen to your inner voice, your instinct. It will guide you to make the right decisions for your child.

8. Get (lots of) Cleaning Help.

(Ok - I added an 8th tip on the list, don’t shoot me…)

You can’t imagine what a mess having a few little kids or even one little baby can create. Especially those first couple of months when you’re managing with some serious sleep deprivation.

The clean up often becomes a point of friction - between you and your spouse and eventually with your kids too.

Getting the extra cleaning help has made a world of difference for me, more than I could have imagined.

Do yourself the favor. It’s worth it.

This is going to be fun – the best years of your life.

How many times have I heard my parents and their friends reminisce about the years they were raising their kids and how much they miss them.

“Those were the best years of our lives!”

There’s nothing more rewarding and special than raising a family. These little people - they love you and look up to you and they are just so precious.

You’re going to be great at this. You know how I know? Cuz you’re already reading posts about how to be great at it - and reading them all the way until the end!

Congratulations on your delicious new addition to the family!