Six Things You Learn As An Experienced Parent

When you first learn you’re going to be a parent you can feel so overwhelmed. There are so many choices to make from picking a name, choosing which products to put on your registry and even where and how you plan on delivering your new, precious bundle. As an experienced parent, you feel much more comfortable and you’re aware more of your personal parenting style; or at least you’re starting to.

You learn that you can’t break your baby just by holding them. You know that your baby will love you and you will love them. You know where you want to deliver and you are crossing your fingers that you can get the same Dr or midwife who helped you deliver previously. You’re biggest concern is how you’re older kids will respond to your newest addition. Even if this area if a hiccup, I promise they will come around. My middle went hysterical at our ultrasound and had to be removed once he found out he was having a little brother because he didn’t want another. As you can see, he loved him immediately!

I’ve learned a lot since I started my parenting journey 17+ years ago and through all the years here’s what I learned and share with my friends just starting off.

Six Things You Learn As An Experienced Parent

Enjoy It. Any experienced parent will tell you they wish they spent more time just holding their child instead of doing the dishes. No- you can’t spoil a baby by holding them too much, and in fact, most moms wish they held their babies more often! When they are little, (especially around the three-week mark!) your child feels the need to be constantly held but you’re at war with being able to do that and move around and get stuff done. My carrier was a saver and made a huge difference. If you need to get stuff done it will allow you to keep baby close and your hands-free all at once. I also loved that it allowed me to ditch the stroller because other than the convenience of being a bag holder, I was constantly at war with it.

Brand Name Diapers Are Over-Rated- I can’t tell you how much money I’ve spent on diapers over the years. I’ve tried all sorts of ways to cut down on the expense from couponing, home delivery services, bulk buying and even generic brands. In the end, I was still spending a lot or my generic brands were leaking which resulted in no savings at all. If I had only known about LUVS diapers sooner. LUVS diapers won’t leak, will fit your child comfortably and will save your family money. If you’re an experienced parent who hasn’t tried LUVS diapers, you really need to give them a try! I promise you won’t be disappointed. Also, for a limited time, LUVS diapers are available for a lower price! What’s not to love about that?

Needing Every Product Out There- There was a point in that first year when I thought I was going to lose my mind over the amount of large new items trickled all over our home. There were swings, bouncers, exersaucers, bassinets, you name it in every room on every floor of my house and the truth was that I wasn’t using them all. In the first few years, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of “stuff” your kids will accumulate. Ask your mom friends or go online and look at reviews and recommendations of all the favorite products that are currently out there. My personal favorites was a swing that could plug into the wall and swing both ways as well as a rock and play like we used below. I felt it eliminated multiple products taking up space and I could easily move it all around my home or fold it up and take it with me.

Bathing Your Baby- Not only does your baby not need a designer spa tub but your baby really doesn’t need much when they first come home. A simple large towel at the bottom of the sink with a little water and a mildly soapy washcloth is all you really need. Once your baby is a little less squirmy I always found that it was really the easiest to just have your spouse take them in the shower and then meet them with a towel afterward. This commercial from Luvs really explains it well. Be prepared to giggle a little because we all know we’ve been there.

Trust Yourself- I felt like I questioned everything around me the first time around. Even when my gut was screaming to do one thing I still felt the pressure of maybe it wasn’t the right way to do it or go about it. With every additional child I’ve had, I’ve grown to trust my instincts. More often than not my instincts (aka my gut) was always right. Chances are you really do know more than you even realize and you’ve got this parenting thing.

Ask For Help! For some reason, as mothers, we feel the need to be able to be superwoman every.ingle.day. Remember it’s always okay to ask for help. Sometimes even the best of us need a little and there’s no shame in that either.

What was something you learned as an experienced parent?