Parenthood is a long journey filled with rocky paths and zigzags. It also has a lot of hurdles that you have to jump over before you can catch your breath; that is, until the next obstacle. To say that it’s the most challenging job in the world would be a vast understatement, and that’s only one way to describe it.
However, despite all that, parenthood can also be very rewarding because, at the end of the day, you’ll know that you did everything you could to raise a child who will someday be a morally sound adult. So, if you’re struggling to be the best parent you can be, here are five tips that can help you out:
1. Don’t strive for perfection
As a new parent, you shouldn’t strive for perfection. Instead, aim to be better than you were yesterday because that’s a more realistic goal when it comes to caring for your child. Striving for perfection will only lead you to more frustrations down the road because it’s impossible to be perfect all the time.
Your child doesn’t need a perfect parent; they need someone who will strive to be better for them, even if they’re not sure how. So, you have to be the kind of person that your child will need and look up to when they’re old enough to stand on their feet. But until then, you should try to do your best every day.
2. Be prepared for anything
Even if you don’t know the first thing about parenting, you should still devote time and effort to learning about it. After all, your child deserves only the best care from you. It would be difficult to provide that level of care if you don’t know what your child needs and what you should avoid.
For instance, you notice that your child tends to sneeze a lot when you’re walking in the park or when it’s dusty at home. This could just be the particles irritating your child’s nostrils, but it could also be an allergic reaction. If you’re not sure, take your child to a professional to see if they need to seek treatment for allergic rhinitis.
3. Develop your parenting style
If you didn’t have the best childhood because your parents failed to give you more attention or lacked in certain aspects of giving care, you should try your best to fix that. Don’t just copy what they did and expect a different result. Even if you turned out okay despite their parenting style not being the best, the doesn’t mean you should do the same to your child.
There is no perfect parenting style out there because it’s a case-to-case basis. But as long as your child is getting the love, care, and essentials they need to live, then you’re on the right track. Try not to resort to toxic or unhealthy parenting styles because it won’t help your child grow into a good person later on.
4. Ask for help when needed
Being a first-time parent is hard work. You won’t have someone there to constantly watch over what you do and validate whether you’re doing it the right way. But that doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help from your partner, parents, or other family members when you’re at a loss. Remember that you don’t have to do everything on your own.
Even if it’s your child in question, it’s not a crime to admit that you need a break or that you don’t know what to do next. Besides, there will always be people who will be happy to lend a helping hand, so let them help you. This way, you can learn a thing or two and catch your breath at the same time.
5. Avoid resorting to unsupervised screen time
Nowadays, it’s getting much harder to avoid resorting to technology when you need a break from parenting. For instance, this could leave your baby watching television while you prepare their bath or do other things. While this may be okay for short periods, it can harm your child if it becomes a habit.
That’s because if you discover that a show can keep your child busy, you might resort to it more and more in the future. This can expose your child to harmful blue light at such an early age and can also lead to parental neglect. So as much as possible, try to find healthier methods to distract your baby, such as using toys that develop their brain and motor functions.
It may be hard to see now, but in a few years, you’ll realize that all the hard work and effort you exerted into raising your child will be worth the trouble. You may not be the best parent in the world, but you can be the best parent for your child, and that is all that matters.
