There’s a lot to learn about how to be a parent and still get things done. After all, just because you have a new baby in the house, life goes on outside this encapsulated world. Bills must be paid. That leaky sink must be addressed. Grocery shopping is always waiting and so on.
Beinga Parent
Becoming a parent can be a real challenge for any mother or father. Most of us aren’t really prepared to understand the implications involved completely.
As we grow up, we take our parents (often to their dismay) for granted. We love them, and we know they love us and it’s their job to take care of us, to feed and clothe us and to medicate us when we’re sick.
What sort of adult you become as you reach adulthood may have a lot to do with your parents. Some parents are strict. Some are strict but with kindness. Others, perhaps less patient, are strict without much kindness. There’s a significant difference there, and hopefully, as you become a parent, you won’t become the latter. Other parents are much more relaxed, and some even allow their children a little too much freedom.
But now, as an adult, you can stand back and consider some of these different sorts of parentage. Your parents may have fit easily into one of the brackets mentioned above. You’ve probably known other kids whose parents fit some or all of the above.
The first big step for you as a parent is to look at yourself and decide what sort of parent you intend to be.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a nervous type, an easily-angered person or just an easy-going parent. Whatever your own understanding and personality, you should really consider some books or brochures on parenting. These can help answer some possible questions and offer some sage advice that can help any mother and father over the rough patches.
Whatever your own understanding and personality, you should really consider some books or brochures on parenting. These can help answer possible questions and offer some sage advice that can help any mother and father over the rough patches.
You should remember that children respond best to firm kindness. They aren’t your “buddies” and must respect you as a parent and as an adult. At the same time, they don’t want to become nervous wrecks because mom or dad constantly peck at them.
Bottom line here is that they should love you, and respect you, but not fear you. The last thing any child needs is a sudden, unexpected reprimand that can only make the child become apprehensive and skittish.
How to Be a Parent and Still Get Things Done
With that being said, you may be asking yourself the big question: So just how do I be a good parent and still have time to take care of all the things that need doing?
For the working parents, the chores can be somewhat different. Usually, this means that you have to work and earn a living. That means they will be gone all day. Often when they do get home, they will be tired and sometimes a bit cranky.
That can be hard for any non-working parent to understand. Set boundaries and expectations for each other so that you realize you are both working, but both have to parent as well. This is a shared responsibility. Make sure that you are on the same page about how you will guide your child.
There should be a clear understanding from the first day. And what about that new baby? Babies wake up crying for many reasons, and they don’t respect a timetable.
At two in the morning who’s going to go check on the baby? Again, you need to have a clear arrangement with your partner about taking turns perhaps.
Conclusion
You can be a good parent and still get things done if you remain calm, work with your spouse and stick to the program. And of course, you have to have or learn to have, a lot of patience.
Maybe your own parents didn’t quite have everything together. Perhaps they did. When you think back, remember the good things as well as the bad and act accordingly.
Remember, that new baby is your most precious possession now and it’s also a great and important responsibility. Its life is literally in your hands, and you can never forget that.
