Helpful tips that every new parent needs to know?

From diaper changes to finding time to close your eyes, being a first time parent isn’t easy.

There’s no limit to the number of concerns a first time parent has. Did I put the diaper on backwards? Did I overheat the bottle? How do I cradle the head? Will this baby ever sleep through the night? Take a breath. You will get through it and it does get easier. I promise. 

One of the most important tips for first time parents is this: get into a routine. 

I know, sounds simpler said than done. But, it is important that you and your partner try to generate a routine from early on. Not only is it healthy to get your child on a schedule, but it will also ease the tension between you and your partner and give you one less thing to worry about. Take turns and remember that you are both in this together.

An easy way to stay on a routine is to make lists. Especially with a baby around, it’s easy to forget the simplest of tasks. Whether it is a short list on you cellphone or a crumpled-up receipt at the bottom of your purse, it helps to write even the most mundane tasks down. Not only do lists help you remember, but there is also a sense of accomplishment as you cross off each completed task.

The most important tip for first time parents is to remember that NOBODY is perfect. 

All those other parents that you look at with envy, those parents that make it look so easy, even they struggle everyday. Being a first time parent is like walking through a maze with a blindfold on. There’s no one right way to do something but rather a million different paths to take to get to the same destination.

There is no set secret to becoming a good parent. No baby book, online article or inherited advice will be a quick fix to ensuring perfection. In fact, being a parent is about being perfectly imperfect. It’s about learning from your mistakes and fixing them. 

It’s about the little moments. The smiles and laughs that give you butterflies and the photo  moments that will last a lifetime. To all first time parents remember this: If you feel like you’re doing it wrong, you’re probably doing it right.

Dr. Sharon Fried Buchalter Ph.D., is a distinguished clinical psychologist, life coach, and public speaker who has worked as a Marriage and Family Therapist and clinical social worker. She received the highest accreditation as a board-certified diplomate-fellow in advanced child and adolescent psychology. She has spent her lifetime educating, enlightening and empowering parents and children of all ages.

She has developed revolutionary tools to help couples, parents, and families achieve happiness and success. Her first book Children Are People Too, provides eight essential steps designed to strengthen families and empower parents to be their own child's life coach and mentor. Her second book New Parents Are People Too, provides relationship advice for couples entering parenthood for the first time.

She is also the founder and owner of Products On The Go and Little Toes.