Striking a balance between your new baby and the rest of your family can be a challenge in the weeks and months following the birth. You’d like to have enough time to satisfy the needs of everyone, but sometimes it can be a challenge. Other people who depend on you, like aging parents, need to take a backseat temporarily while you tend to your child and create that all-important bond with them.
Every family is different. Some people have very few family connections at all. If that’s you, then you don’t need to focus so much on managing your time. However, others have complicated and intimate relationships with multiple family members, all of which will inevitably be on the back burner during the initial phases of motherhood.
In this article, we look at some tips for managing your time (and your life) as a new parent. Check it out below:
Tip #1: Delegate Tasks To Others
As a new mother, the people around you will be desperate to help out in whatever way they can. For that reason, it’s vital to delegate as much as you possibly can, spelling out what you need doing and by when.
Often, it’s the small things that make all the difference. For instance, asking friends to pick up groceries from the shop can help save you time and avoid the rigmarole of taking a baby to the superstore.
Similarly, you can ask the family to do household chores, like cleaning the toilet or putting the dishes in the dishwasher, thereby saving you time.
Tip #2: Avoid An Endless Stream Of Visitors
When you’re a new mom, people will want to see you and the baby to show that they care. But be warned: visitors can be exhausting.
Where possible, try to avoid an endless stream of visitors. During the first few weeks, you’ll still be tired from the birth and require recovery. You’ll also need to be on your best form to provide your child with the sustenance they need to grow up big and strong.
Visitors can sometimes sap your energy, so try to limit when you see them if you find this happening. Many new mothers like to block time during the week for people to visit – say, Sunday afternoon. Then the rest of the week is free for you to get on with the job of looking after a baby.
Tip #3: Get Care For Your Parents
As a new mom, you have a new set of priorities. If you currently assist your aging parents, that might need to come to an end. If you try to juggle looking after a baby and caring for elderly relatives, you’ll eventually become exhausted, and everyone will suffer as a consequence.
Fortunately, elder caregivers can take your place – at least for a while. You don’t have to do all the work yourself. There are options.
Tip #4: Ensure That You Provide Bonding Time
Babies and mothers need to spend as much time bonding as possible in the first few months of life. It’s crucial for the child’s health as they develop and your ability to look after them.
Bonding time is a precious experience and something that you can do the moment the child wakes up. Simply holding them against your skin and providing food when they need it is sufficient in the first few weeks. As they become more aware of their surroundings, you can move onto babbling and speaking to them.
Tip #5: Set Ground Rules
Most of the time, you’ll be stuck indoors, changing nappies, prepping food, and doing the laundry. Therefore, it is crucial to set ground rules with family and anyone else who might want to visit.
Be clear about what you expect of people when they come around. And tell existing family members or partners what you’d like them to be responsible for throughout the day.
Ground rules often mean that visitors are only allowed if they have a purpose. It could also mean limiting the number of visits per week.
Tip #6: Talk About What You Want
Raising a child is stressful by itself. But it can be even more challenging when you don’t feel able to speak about your needs. You feel trapped inside your own mental space.
Many life coaches say that if you are going to pick a time in your life to be bossy, you should do it as a new mother. After all, you have the excuse that you need to raise the baby, and it is your priority now