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3 Common Infant Parent Mistakes

When you have a new baby, it’s natural to want to do everything perfectly, but that is unrealistic. As a parent, you will make mistakes, and that’s okay; you aren’t alone! As an infant day care center, we know that every new parent has made at least one of these common infant parent mistakes.

Panicking over every little thing

As a new parent, you experience a brand new type of anxiety. After all, you have created life, and are not responsible for caring for it. Being a parent is an enormous responsibility, and it is normal to be worried about your child. However, panicking over every spit up, dirty diaper, or whine will only drive you insane, and your baby will pick up on your anxieties. When you find yourself obsessively worrying, take a moment to check yourself. Don’t waste this precious time of your child’s life by worrying it away; try to stay present and not panic.

Not making time for yourself

When you are a parent, your child becomes your first priority. Though it is important to give your child all of the love and nurturing they need, you also need to care for yourself. As they say, you can’t pour from an empty cup. You need to make sure you are taking care of yourself so you can care for your child. Whether it is taking a yoga class, grabbing coffee with a friend, or just taking half an hour to yourself to read the paper, remember that you have needs too. This will help you be the best parent you can be.

Overestimating free time

Anyone can do this, but new parents are notorious for not being able to accurately estimate their free time. If you are taking time off work, you may think that you can take advantage of the time and accomplish many projects, but don’t overcommit yourself. There will be some days when the only thing you will accomplish is making the bed, and that’s okay. Be realistic about the fact that your infant will be taking up the majority of your time, despite your best intentions, and be realistic about your goals. Instead of organizing the whole attic, for example, you might make it your goal to spend ten minutes on that project. That way, you won’t feel like a failure at the end of the day.

In our next blog, we will continue to go over common parenting mistakes in the first year. In the meantime, when you need infant day care in Tustin, CA, contact Adventures in Learning.