8 Things Every New Mom Should Know ...

Living in the moment is definitely one thing every new mom should know. Any parent will tell you that time really does fly. Kids are babies one moment and heading off to school the next. They are asking for the car keys while you are still thinking they aren’t even close to being old enough to drive. Enjoy each stage to the fullest!

Your child will count on you to be his/her biggest cheerleader. If you do have something negative to tell your child, be sure to provide two positive statements to go along with it. The more praise you can give, the higher his/her self-confidence will be.

One important thing every new mom should know is that mistakes are okay. Even if you make mistakes from time to time, it’s perfectly normal. It’s hard to be a perfect mom. Sometimes you will feel you’ve made a mistake, but your child won’t even notice. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Teach your child that mistakes are a part of life and they can be an excellent learning experience.

Demonstrate how to treat others with respect, how to have good manners, and basically be a pleasant person simply by doing all of this in front of your child. As he/she grows, this will become a natural part of life instead of something he/she has to learn later on. Being a good role model is key.

I think silliness is a huge part of being a mom. Kids are naturally silly and they enjoy laughing at every little thing. It’s amazing what gets them giggling uncontrollably! Let them know it’s okay to be a bit goofy every now and then. It’s also important for kids to learn when to call it quits. Silliness can easily get out of control…but it’s fun.

You may think you’d like your child to hurry up and become more responsible and mature, but I think there’s a time when kids just need to act their age. Let them goof off with friends now and then. Allow them to make a mess – which kids are very good at – and then teach them how to clean it up properly without getting bent out of shape over the ordeal.

One thing every new mom should know is how to go with the flow. Taking things in stride and doing things on the spur of the moment are big parts of being a parent. New moms should know that not everything can be planned out. You might have to reschedule nap time every now and again, but this is part of parenting. It’s difficult to make a rigid schedule when you have kids.

Learn right away how to take a deep breath, count to ten, or some other way to relax when needed. This is extremely important for moms with a very short fuse. Yelling will only teach your child that being loud and abrasive is how you get what you want; a tactic used by tantrum throwers.

Like I mentioned, there are many things new moms need to know. I had a hard time deciding which one I wanted in first place on this list! Out of this list of 8 things every new mom should know, which one would you put as number one?

Top Photo Credit: Imapix