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April 20, 2012

Give Toni Parenting Advice [Friday Funday]

Although I’m writing this post on April 10th, by the time you read it, I’ll totally be a parent. Eek! Speaking as someone who has never even held a newborn (true story), this thought is both exhilerating and terrifying, although, at the moment, terrifying is winning out. As I know a lot of you out there have kids, younger siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins and the like, I’m begging you for advice! Tell me:

  • On a scale of 1-10, how terrified were you of becoming a parent? What experience did you have beforehand?
  • How quickly did you get the hang of parenting?
  • Approximately how long did it take you to get more than 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep?
  • What was your favorite part about becoming a parent/caregiver?
  • What general tips, advice and words of wisdom do you have to offer?

I’m really looking forward to reading the answers for this one, so please leave your thoughts in the comments below. I promise I’ll respond, although I cannot promise the answer will make any sort of sense. Really, if I manage to use proper spelling, capitalization and punctuation, I’ll be quite proud of myself!

Happy weekend, everyone! 

Filed Under: Randomness

  • On a scale of 1-10 how terrified was I on becoming a parent? 12

    How quickly did I get the hang of parenting? I’m not sure I ever did. We just did the best we could and hoped for the best. My kids seemed to survive it intact and whole, they are all parents now. :)

    Do not remember how long it too to get 2hours of uninterrupted sleep. I don’t think you ever really do. At first their cries wake you. When their older you wake to check on them,, to be certain they returned home safe and sound.

    Favorite part? Holding them. Watching them grow. Really, I don’t think there was an unfavorite part, except maybe discipline, hated to discipline them.

    Tips? 1-Trust yourself and your spouse. More than doctors, more than well meaning grandparents, more than friends, trust your team parenting instinct.
    2- Relax, don’t be hard on yourself, don’t set the bar incredibly high. We all make mistakes, it’s ok. Lucky for us children are highly resilient. As long as you don’t throw them on the floor or something they’ll survive. (side tip, do not panic the first time the child rolls, or climbs off the bed and falls on the floor. It will happen, it’s ok.)
    3- Enjoy. Enjoy your child. Enjoy the time. Enjoy the messes (you may as well enjoy them, you’ll have them.)

     

    • Thank you so much for the advice, Nita! We have our first day home alone tomorrow (oh, snap), and I’m just hoping we survive in one piece!

  • Kathleen

    Congratulations!!
    Being a new mom is a scary thing to face, but I’m sure you’ll do just fine=)
    Closets are okay to cry in. You’ll want to, and that’s okay. Be sure to take pictures all the time, because time passes very quickly. Enjoy it! It’s hard and you will feel overwhelmed sometimes, but when baby smiles for the first time or says Mama or starts crawling or walking, you’ll realize how great being a parent really can be=)

    • Yay! Awesome advice, Kathleen. I feel super-lucky that I haven’t had to seek out a closet yet (although, like I told Nita above, our first day home alone is tomorrow, so I’m sure it’s coming), but it’s good to know that it’s totally normal. I also hope my hard drive is ready for the absolutely ridiculous amount of photos to come…

  • Nancy Hinchliff

    OK,HERE GOES:

    On a scale of 1-10, how terrified were you of becoming a parent? What experience did you have beforehand?  Id’s say, a two or a three. I was very young and stupid. This was durng the 50s, when women weren’t allowed to think much. Maybe that was a blessing, in this case.

    How quickly did you get the hang of parenting? Right after the nurse left…around two weeks. Then I was on my own…absolutely no help from my hubby with anything…and I mean anything.

    Approximately how long did it take you to get more than 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep? The third night I fell asleep flat of my back with my baby on my stomach. I didn’t move a muscle  and we both slept for 2 hours and fifteen minutes.

    What was your favorite part about becoming a parent/caregiver? The part where my daughters went to school. (Please don’t hate me)

    What general tips, advice and words of wisdom do you have to offer? Relax and enjoy your kids. Have fun with them…jump in the tub with them, take them to the zoo, eat ice cream with them. Enjoy them while you can. They grow up too fast. I have two beautiful daughters, one of whom  gave me two beautiful grand kids. The other is a psychotherapist. LOL