As new parents, you can’t help but dote on your children, especially making them the center of your lives. After all, they truly are the most precious part of your world. However, becoming a parent isn’t easy at all. As a matter of fact, this could be the most difficult job you’ll ever face.
Given this, you’re bound to come across some of the common mistakes of new parents and that’s alright, provided you know what to do in these situations. We have listed these mistakes so that you can avoid them or watch out for them.
Failing to Set Up the Car Seat Properly
Depending on the country you’re in, chances are you’re most likely required to take your baby home in a car seat. Because of this, installing it properly is essential. Not many people and parents are aware of how to do this, resulting in a lack of the baby’s safety.
Installing a car seat might seem like an easy job for most, but the truth of the matter is that not everyone knows how to put it in properly. Choosing the right car seat is just half the battle, installing it is another.
Since your baby’s life depends on this, you might want to get the help of a trained technician or even go to a local fire station or baby store near you to help you with this task. Doing so will help prevent injuries or accidents along the way.
Panicking and Assuming the Worst
Let’s face it, new parents have the tendency to panic and overreact over the littlest things about their children. While it’s always best to err on the side of caution and have your infant checked by their physician, there’s no need to worry about everything they do.
Of course, you worry about your child’s crying, vomiting, tummy time, food consumption, and the like. However, having overblown reactions to this can actually cause negative effects on your baby, leading them to absorb your tension and anxiety.
Once you have already talked to their pediatrician about the things you should be concerned about, you should try easing up on your worries. Remember that your child is resilient and learns to loosen up a bit. Instead, focus on your time with your child and enjoy your time with them. This way, you don’t miss out on their milestones and their spend their first year of life sweating the small stuff.
Talking in a Baby Voice
Talking to your baby is one way to help them develop their speech and language skills over time. It is through talking that they learn to imitate sounds and words around them as they grow up.
Babies love to hear you talking to them in a warm and happy tone. Usually, they respond better with a high-pitched voice and with a slightly more exaggerated intonation. This is what parentese falls under since it observes intonations that appear excited and happy to the baby.
However, talking in a baby voice, or baby talk that utilizes incorrect words and grammar, sometimes with made-up words, can be a deterrent to their learning and progress. Instead, you should start by engaging with them using short and clear phrases, while also allowing them time to respond and participate.
Fighting in Front of Your Child
Have you ever heard of the saying that your child is like a sponge? Even babies are capable of absorbing what’s happening and feeling the vibe around them. This is why parents shouldn’t fight in front of their infants. This can cause negative feelings that your child can be responsive to.
Although snapping at one another, especially when you’re tired, can be quite normal, you might want to take a look at the intensity and frequency of your fights with your partner. Constant exposure to this type of behavior may lead your baby to exhibit aggressive behavior and negative expression of emotions, too.
It can also create a stressful environment which can hamper your child’s development. In the same way, repressing your emotions can be detrimental as well. Not only will it create more tension and discord in the family, but it also fails to teach your baby to express their thoughts and emotions in a healthy manner.
Not Allowing Your Baby to Cry
It hurts parents’ emotions when their babies cry and you are not an exception. After all, you’re still figuring out why they are crying in the first place. Whether your baby is crying out of tiredness, sickness, hunger, or they are just in need of a diaper change, crying is simply natural.
Despite this, one of the main go-to actions of newborn parents is to pacify and comfort their babies and to stop them from crying right away. However, no matter how well-pampered your infant might be, they can still cry their hearts out and you should just let them be.
Crying is a big part of how they communicate and express what they’re feeling. This can also be great as they learn to self-soothe. Bear in mind, however, that you should still keep an eye on them if they’re crying for a long time and if they show signs of fever, have a swollen belly, rashes, and the like.
Forgetting to Feed on Demand
Breastmilk is best for babies and they should be fed with this often during the first few weeks. While you shouldn’t be waking up your baby to drink milk if they’re already two or three months old since they can sleep through the night, you certainly should the first few weeks.
In the first few weeks, or the first month, your baby will need to feed every two to three hours just to regain their nutrition and birth weight. However, after this period, you can just feed on demand rather than purposely wake them up in the wee hours of the morning.
By feeding on demand, you are giving yourself the opportunity to snag more sleep and rest. At the same time, you’re also giving your baby the chance to sleep through the night and wake up well-rested.
Overlooking Proper Burping Practices
Burping is one of the essential aspects you should learn right away. It is key to helping your baby feel more comfortable as it aids them in releasing some of the discomforts that come with feeding or swallowing. Letting your baby burp properly also helps prevent them from throwing or spitting up.
Not all parents burp their baby after feeding since they are scared of doing the wrong thing, while others simply don’t know what to do. Some don’t even know that they have to burp the baby before they eat so that they don’t spit up and become gassy when feeding.
Take a few minutes to burp your baby before and after they eat. You can ensure their safety and level of comfort during and after feeding this way.
Ignoring Your Baby’s Fever
Babies get sick all the time and one of the most common illnesses they can get is a fever. While fevers may be normal occurrences, in babies, these can be quite serious. This is especially true when their temperature goes up to 100.4 or higher.
While newborn parents may be tempted to readily give their baby some Tylenol to help bring down the temperature, it’s best to get your baby checked right away by a medical professional or go to the emergency room immediately.
To check your baby’s fever, use a rectal thermometer instead. This is more accurate compared to a forehead thermometer in newborns.
Failing to Clean Your Child’s Teeth and Mouth
You wouldn’t normally think to clean and brush your baby’s mouth when they’re young, especially not when they still don’t have teeth. However, keeping your infant’s mouth clean actually promotes good oral health habits.
New parents should take the time to wipe their baby’s gums after feeding using a soft, wet cloth. At the age of one, however, your child should already start using a soft toothbrush. Doing so helps keeps cavities at bay. Another way you can keep your child’s teeth and mouth healthy is to stop giving them milk once they are already in bed.
This prevents them from having or developing cavities. Moreover, following good oral health hygiene goes beyond brushing. Make sure to use toothpaste, ingredients, or supplements that can provide your child with their much-needed fluoride.
Putting Your Own Marriage on the Backburner
Parenting, especially for new parents, is one of the biggest challenges that can come between marriages. While taking care of your child is a huge responsibility, this doesn’t mean that you should forget about what your marriage means to you.
New parents often spend most of their time on and with the baby, leaving their marriage and their own needs to be overlooked. However, this can lead to more constraints in the marriage later on. Having a healthy marriage will reflect on your family and your children, so be sure to work on your relationship.
Take the time to relax and spend time with your partner every so often. This allows you to focus on your relationship and marriage and help keep the spark alive. Talking about your interests and even going out once a week are just some activities you can do with each other.
Final Thoughts
It’s easy to get caught up in parenting your baby, especially in your first year. By learning the most common mistakes of new parents, you can be better equipped in facing your new lives as the pillars of the family.
As a new parent, you will have a lot to learn such as how to clean your newborn’s belly button. Hopefully, this list of common mistakes will help you get started off on the right foot.
