To begin with here are 10 basic guidelines to help you give the confidence you need in-order to face your new role cheerfully....
1. Stop Worrying about - doing the laundry, pumping, buying diapers—and learn to be present with your baby. Enjoy your precious moments together.
2. Stick to an early bedtime - Your child will get the sleep he needs, and you’ll get to recharge yourself.
3. Be ready for sick days - Stock up on re-hydration drinks in the middle of the night when your little one is vomiting and other basic medicines as advised by your doctor.
4. Know your kid - Each child is a unique combination of strengths and challenges. Try to tailor your response to fit the kid in front of you.
5. Find your help - Identify the people you can call when you need to vent—friends who’ll give their opinion when you ask for it and keep their mouth shut when you don’t, and who would drop anything to be there for you and your family.
6. Go small with big changes - Bottle to sipper cup? Crib to bed? Of course you want these transitions to go smoothly and quickly, but that can be overwhelming to your little one. Let him play with the new cup, or sit and read together in the new bed first.
7. Help your baby fall asleep on their own - Feed them at the start of your bedtime routine. After a bath, books, and cuddling, put him/her down while they are drowsy but still awake. If you feed or rock them to sleep, they will always need your help to nod off.
8. Put down your phone. -When you’re with your kids, that call/text/e-mail can wait. They know when you’re not paying attention.
9. Tell “age stories.” - At bedtime, have your child pick a number smaller than your current age. Then tell her about something interesting that happened to you at that age.
10. Go ahead and and let your child know - through your actions and your words—how much you love him and what you think is special about him.
