Caring For Yourself to Care for Baby

As parents, it’s so easy to become bogged down with the baby care “stuff” that needs to be done every day. There’s formula to make, bottles to sterilize, and diapers to change. Add to that the time spent getting baby to practice those ever important milestones such as rolling over, crawling, and pulling themselves up. And of course, we all want to spend time with our baby simply bonding and playing and getting to know each other. While all of these things need to get done and a lot of them are very fun to do, it’s important to take some time out for some quality time with yourself as well.
Taking time out for ourselves is not at all selfish. In fact, it’s helping our children. When we take some time to relax and do things we enjoy doing (notice this does not include running errands), it gives us time to recharge our batteries. We become more relaxed and better able to handle anything that comes our way. This in turn, gives us patience and a new outlook on things when we go back to becoming a parent for the other 23 hours of the day. It’s the same concept as when they tell you on an airplane to adjust your oxygen mask in case of emergency before you adjust your child’s. This is because if you’re not equipped to the best of your ability, you will be of little help to your baby.
So go to the gym, go shopping, or get a massage. Do something that is solely for your benefit and enjoyment. Because it’s not really. You are benefitting your baby by giving them a happy and satisfied parent who can then pass that on to them.
[tags]becoming_a_parent, quality_time, baby_care, diapers, milestones, airplane, parents, shopping, batteries[/tags]
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- Introducing Your Baby to Her Big Sister
- Messages Signaled by a Crying Baby
- Baby Talk: Do You Understand It?
- Parenting Tips for Helping Baby Sleep Through the Night
- Parenting Tips for Bathing Baby
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