What They Didn’t Teach Us - #4

In this entry Angie and I thought we would make a list of things that we learned during the summer of 2006, the months after Lenka was born. We heard all the stories and went to all the classes about dealing with an infant, but there were things that we weren’t told and had to find out for ourselves first hand. For this week, Angie made a list of things she learned as a mom and I put together a list of things I learned as a dad.

Angie

- It is okay to let your baby cry.
- If you need a break from your baby, put them in a safe spot, like the crib, and walk away until you are ready to help your baby.
- Cut your baby’s fingernails while they sleep. The nails are soft, so you can bite them if you are scared to use a nail clipper.
- Books are the best “toys” for baby. Read to them often!
- Establish a good sleeping routine.
- The housework can wait! Enjoy your baby while you can.
- Accept help when offered from friends and family.
- If possible, make dinners all at once and stick them in the freezer to cook at a later time. This will save you time and energy later.
- Relax – babies can sense if you are tense!
- If you are able to breastfeed, stick it out!! The bond between a child and breastfeeding mother is amazing! (and it will save you lots of money from buying formula)
- Invest in a good breast pump. Again, it will save you money on formula when you go back to work.
- Working and being a mom is a difficult challenge! Leave work at work and enjoy your family.
- Cloth diapering can also save money. It is fun to see the different colors of the diapers and it is actually kind of fun washing them. It is also better for the environment. I have a lot more information on cloth diapering, where you can buy them, how to care for cloth diapers, etc. If you would like more information, shoot me an email at parenttoparent00@yahoo.com.
- Do not use q-tips on your baby’s ears. Using q-tips pushes the wax further into the ear canal and can cause issues for your child.
- If you think your baby is sick, your intuition is probably right. Get them checked out at the doctor.
- Take lots of pictures for the baby book.
- You and your significant other need to be on the same page regarding discipline.
- There is not just one way to be a good parent. Do what works for you and tweak your style as necessary.

Eric

- If one parent isn’t constantly feeding, playing, or giving as much attention to the baby, they will look at you as a stranger
- Babies like to be tossed in the air. (Not too high and of course caught right away)
- You can go from completely frustrated and on the verge of giving up one moment to having your heart melt and on the verge of happy tears the next. All a baby needs to do is smile at you.
- A bottle, or maybe a pacifier, can be a saving grace to a crying baby.
- Baby Einstein DVD’s can be great when you need to take a quick shower.
- Babies like to be entertained, when in doubt, dance
- Changing a poopy diaper isn’t as bad as they say it is on TV
- A baby is like a sponge when it comes to learning new things.
- Babies sometimes don’t know when they are full and have a tendency to “overflow”.
- Tummy time is important
- If you hold a baby all the time, they will want to be held all the time. Letting a baby play by themselves is great teaching tool.
- Babies really do grow up too fast.