The New Parent Guide: 5 Things To Do In The First Year Of Parenthood
The first year of parenthood is often described as the hardest; you are working through unknown territory, allowing your instincts to guide you through. Keeping a tiny human alive while trying to maintain some sort of life can be tricky, so here is our guide of important things to do in the first year of parenthood.
Let Go Of The Past And Embrace The Future
Parenthood changes your life; it flips your world as you knew it upside down and forces you to give up a lot of things. The sooner you accept that your old life is gone, the sooner you can accept your new one. Stop trying to live how you used to, your schedule needs to work around your newborn, so use them as the centre point and build your life around it. Do not pressure yourself to get up and go to the gym or maintain your old social life, instead create a new one. Accept your new schedule and take your baby with you on errands or lunch dates and enjoy having a little sidekick with you all the time.
Create Or Update Your Will
If you don’t already have one, it is important that you start writing a will so that if something happens, your child is taken care of. If you already have a will then after the birth of your child, it is important to update your will or create a new will with them in it. Your will is not just for dividing assets, it can be the place where you state who will look after your child if something happens to you before they turn 18. Thankfully, writing a will can be stress-free as there are companies that offer online will writing services so you can sort your will out from home. Elm Legal Services is a company that offers webcam wills, so you can have virtual meetings that work around your childcare schedule, check out online wills with E.L.M here.
Join A Group For Parents
Whether virtual or in-person, joining a parent group is a great way to make friends with fellow parents and is a good opportunity to get advice from other parents. Parenthood often comes with loneliness, particularly if you are a single parent. A survey by Action for Children found that out of the 2000 parents asked, 68% of them felt isolated from their friends, colleagues and family after the birth of their child. If getting out of the house is hard for you then there are plenty of parent groups on Facebook that are available for you to join. Online groups don’t have that awkward introduction stage that in-person groups have and it also means you can ask questions at any time of the day and get an answer.
Take Lots Of Pictures
Year one of parenting is full of ’firsts’- first bath, first time sitting up, first visit to the grandparents. What better way to remember all of this by than taking pictures and videos so they become permanent memories. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are taking too many photos either, this is precious time with your baby, they don’t stay tiny forever so take all the photos you want! Babies grow so quickly month by month, so you can make a routine of taking a picture on the same day every month so you can watch their progression. You could even turn your pictures into a digital photo book so in the future you can look back and reminisce at their first year in this world.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
This is one of the most important things to do in any stage of parenthood, but especially in the first year. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and it’s true. Reach out to your family and friends and find your ‘village’. If you don’t have family or friends that you can reach out to, you are still not alone. The internet is a powerful place, and as mentioned above, there are countless of family groups on Facebook that are there to support new parents especially. There will be some in your area you can reach out to and get support, the resources are there, so use them. Another excellent option for additional support is hiring an au pair from goaupair.com. Au pairs can provide both childcare and household help, which can lighten the load significantly. They live with your family, which means they’re flexible in terms of support and can help with tasks such as feeding, bathing, and playing with the children, while also giving you much-needed breaks. Anyway, remember, a problem shared is a problem halved, so don’t be afraid to ask for the help you need, it will make things a lot easier.
Navigating through the first year of parenthood can feel like a bit of a fever dream, every day is unexpected, and you discover new things all the time. It is hard, but remember you are not alone and there are ways to make the first year a little easier. Trust your instincts and you will find parenthood will come naturally to you.
