Secrets to Surviving Parenthood

Do you feel anxious about taking care of your baby because you just stepped into parenthood and have no idea about what you got yourself into? Don’t worry! You’re not alone. There are millions of parents all across the globe going through the same struggle as you. Thanks to the internet, it has become super easy to find out answers to any questions you have regarding parenting. Our ancestors did not have the same luxury, but luckily, we do. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the secrets to surviving parenthood.

Be Prepared

This is the most crucial advice for new parents. BE PREPARED! You will go through one of the most life-changing experiences of your life. You’ll have a baby and you’ll become a parent. Let that sink in. This means taking on new responsibilities, and making choices that will include the well being of your baby and your family.  That’s a lot of things to consider and anyone would feel overwhelmed.

Most parents make the mistake of having a baby without taking these changes into account. So, when the time comes, you may be flustered and clueless about how to navigate through all the changes required to become a parent. As a result, you may become frustrated and this can take a toll on their mental health.

Therefore, it’s important that new parents get acquainted with the ins and outs of parenting by speaking to other friends who have kids, or read  a book. My book New Parents Are People Too: 8 Secrets to Surviving Parenthood as Individuals and as a Couple. outlines the fundamental principles of how to nurture yourself and your relationship with your significant other, once the baby is born.  It also provides concrete methods that you can utilize that can enhance your mental health and create more happiness in your household.

Get the Right Baby Supplies

When you start shopping for baby supplies, you might come across a plethora of options, which could get very confusing. If you’re a new parent, you might end up buying stuff that’s not actually good for your baby due to false advertisement, or lack of awareness. Hence, it is important to know what to look for, when buying baby supplies.

When you become a parent, you’ll understand the importance of diapers. It is what determines if you’re going to get a good night’s sleep or spend the whole night trying to put your baby to sleep. So, it is imperative that you do some research before you buy diapers for your baby. There are plenty of options when it comes to baby diapers. There are, cloth diapers, traditional disposable diapers, and biodegradable disposable diapers featuring bamboo or cotton.

While cloth diapers appear to be the most environmentally friendly, they  are not the healthiest  for your baby or the most convenient choice for you. In order to keep your baby’s skin healthy, cloth diapers must be cleaned properly to remove any bacteria. Therefore this is not such an eco-friendly option as  it is necessary to consume lots of hot water to properly disinfect.  On the other hand, traditional disposable diapers are not eco-friendly and harm the environment as it takes about 550 years for a disposable diaper to decompose. 

Now, how do we solve this conundrum? The answer is, biodegradable disposable diapers! These diapers are usually natural containing no harmful chemicals, and feature plant based materials such as bamboo and cotton. Since these materials are biodegradable, they can decompose in a landfill for up to 180 days. Now you have a diaper that is natural, eco-friendly and convenient.

Other supplies you will need for each diaper change is two baby wipes, and possibly a disposable changing pad. Make sure that you choose baby wipes that are natural, hypoallergenic and made from bamboo or cotton. Read all ingredients listed and avoid any chemicals that may irritate your baby’s skin

While there are plenty of cute baby clothes to choose from, it’s not always a wise idea to buy them without knowing about the fabric. Babies have very sensitive skin and certain fabrics can irritate their skin and may even cause rashes. There are a few things that you must keep in mind while buying baby clothes. Make sure that they are not made of synthetic fiber using toxic chemicals in the production, are not dyed artificially as these dyes and toxic chemicals can cause irritation to the baby’s delicate skin. Try to look for organic, hypoallergenic, natural fibers such as bamboo when buying baby clothes to keep your baby away from discomfort.

Most people underestimate how huge of a responsibility parenting is. When you become a new parent there are so many unknowns that you will face and it is always good to have a heads up of what is to come. Taking a parenting class will help prepare you and teach  you how to handle certain situations.  It will acquaint you with the basics of parenting and how to cope with the challenges you’ll face and help  unlock the mysteries of parenting.

By taking a class, you won’t just learn about parenting, but also become a part of a community where everybody’s preparing for the same challenges as you. This way you’ll know that you’re not alone in your journey.   

Conclusion

Being prepared helps new parents when they feel overwhelmed as they navigate through the nuances of everyday parenting. Part of that is always making sure that you have the right baby supplies and plenty of them. The last thing you want to happen is not having diapers or wipes on hand  when that diaper change is due.  Also make sure you have supplies for bathing, feeding and sleeping as well. You want to make sure  that you have everything that your baby needs before you bring them home from the hospital.  

To give yourself a head start, try to enroll in a parenting class so you’ll know what to expect from this experience. It will also help you build a community of like-minded people - all going through the same journey as you.

Author's Bio:

Dr. Sharon Fried Buchalter is a Distinguished Clinical Psychologist, as well as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Clinical Hypnotherapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  She has been practicing since 1996 and specializes in counseling children, adolescents, parents, couples, and families.

Dr. Sharon holds a Master’s and Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Columbia University in New York City, as well as a Master’s in Social Work from NYU and MBA in Industrial Psychology from the Zicklin School of Business, in New York City.  She has received the highest accreditation as a Board-Certified Diplomate-Fellow in advanced child and adolescent psychology, marital and family relations, psychoeducational assessment, hypnotherapy, and clinical psychology.

 In addition, Dr. Sharon is also an executive life coach, public speaker, career counselor and has worked as a corporate training development manager. As a Human Resource Consultant she developed and implemented management training programs.

As a parenting expert Dr. Sharon has developed various revolutionary tools to help couples, parents, and families achieve happiness and success. She has developed and implemented a wide range of successful workshops that focus on topics such as family leadership, new parent survival skills, and life skills training for teens and college students. She has authored two award winning parenting /self-help books and articles for national and local publications.

Her latest coaching program Mentor Your Child to Success is designed around business management concepts that is used by many successful leaders. With her “POS“multi-level approach to goal setting,  parents learn  to mentor themselves and their children by developing leadership skills that will last a lifetime and improve happiness. Through parent/child teamwork, children are encouraged to actively participate in the development of their own interests, talents, and goals. Also working together as a team promotes family unity, mutual respect, and long-lasting parent-child interactions.