Becoming a new parent is undeniably difficult. The sleepless nights, 3am feeds, and the seemingly never-ending colic phase make it a somewhat uniquely challenging experience. Besides the demanding nature of parenthood, the self-doubt that comes with it adds an extra layer of stress.
Carry on reading to find out our best tips for managing your self-confidence as a new parent.
Bond With Your Baby
By implementing parent-child bonding with your baby, you can grow your confidence in yourself. Bonding together helps you get to know what your baby likes and dislikes, which can help you become more secure in realising your baby’s needs. Bonding with your baby now will also have long-term benefits, as it is suggested that babies who have secure early bonds grow into emotionally capable adults. Babies who feel secure in their relationships with their parents tend to be less anxious and depressive too, leading to happier babies. A happy baby can in turn make you feel less stressed, which will strengthen your confidence.
Do Some Research
You shouldn’t feel as though you are expected to know everything about your baby by instinct. No matter how old your baby is, there are plenty of resources which can help you learn and therefore develop your confidence. There are endless amounts of books, websites, online videos and people to help advise you.
Connect With Other Parents
Knowing you are not alone can make you feel much more confident. Many parents can feel concerned that they are somehow bad parents, and compare themselves to representations of other parents. By getting to know one another, it is much easier to get an understanding of realistic parenthood. It can also show you that what may be right for one parent and baby may not be right for another. In learning about different parenting styles, you can become confident in your groove.
Take Time for Yourself
Remember, to give your baby your best self, it is just as important to look after yourself. Finding time for yourself may be challenging in itself, so it’s great to build a support network that can give you the time you need. Alone time can help you manage your stress and give space to your interests. You can also spend this time performing acts of self-care, such as having a relaxing bath.
Reach Out for Help
Finally, allowing yourself to ask for help when you need it can make you much more confident. Whether it comes in the form of guidance from other parents or an extra pair of hands, knowing you don’t have to manage everything by yourself can be helpful in itself. Help doesn’t have to come solely from family and friends either, but childcare can also be a great hand. Many nurseries offer to have newborn babies, meaning you don’t have to worry about delaying help. You can often spend time with your baby in a nursery setting too, which will help you become confident and comfortable leaving your baby in the care of staff.
Check In With Us
To help you and your baby grow together, we offer a Saturday morning club every first Saturday of the month at our nursery in Hedge End. During the club, you can bond with your baby in a non-judgemental environment whilst getting to know other parents and learning more about what the nursery can offer to help you and your confidence grow. If this sounds like something that might interest you, don’t hesitate to contact us.