Mom Of Three Shares The 27 Things She Wished She’d Known As A New Mom
Parenting is hard. There's too much information available, everyone has an opinion about how you should raise your kids, you have no idea if you're doing it "right," and you're just praying you don't traumatize your kids permanently.
To give comfort to the new parents she knows, mom-of-three Casey Huff wrote a post on Facebook of the 27 things she wished she could tell herself as a first-time mom, and now her great advice has gone viral. The biggest take away is the best thing you can do is love your children, but here's all of Casey's advice...
You Will Sleep Again. Someday.
It may seem like you haven't had a full night's sleep in weeks (because you haven't) and you're questioning if your baby is ever going to sleep through the night, but Casey wants you to know that day will eventually come.
Feed Your Baby However You Want
If you want to breast feed, that's great. If you want to use formula, that's cool too. Casey says "do what you gotta do" because it's your baby, and it's your body.
Screen Time Is Not The Enemy
Every time you hand your kid a tablet or put on a movie to distract them, you feel a little guilty, right? Don't worry about it. As long as it's appropriate content, don't stress about them watching something on Disney+ while you make dinner.
Put Back The Baby Shoes
According to Casey, baby shoes are a waste because as cute as they are, "your baby will wear them exactly one time" before you lose one or one gets ruined. Your baby's feet barely even touch the ground, so don't spend your money on shoes for a 3-month-old.
Always Have Chicken Nuggets In The Freezer
A box of chicken nuggets (or something similar) will be your savior on those nights where you're too tired or too busy to cook dinner, and one night of processed dinner isn't going to ruin your kids.
Don't Forget The Change Of Clothes
When in doubt, pack a change of clothing for your baby. Hell, pack two if you want to be extra careful. The day that you don't pack the extra onesies will be the day your baby projectile vomits in Costco.
You Are Your Child's Parent, No One Else
You and your spouse or co-parent are the only people that matter when it comes to making decisions for your child. It doesn't matter if your parents or friends don't agree with your parenting decisions, as long as you have the best interests of your child in mind.
Trust Your Intuition
There's a reason they call it "mother's intuition." Trust yourself and trust your gut when it comes to making decisions for your child because your intuition is a gift, and it's not going to steer you wrong.
Your Pediatrician Isn't There To Judge You
You visit your child's doctor so they can make sure your kid is healthy. That's it. Your pediatrician doesn't care if your kid has mismatched socks or hasn't had a haircut. Focus on their health.
Google Is Your Friend & Your Enemy
If you're going to ask Google for help on something to do with parenting, remember to limit your time. Don't dive too deep into the mommy blogs or you'll get sucked in by other people's opinions on your parenting style.
You're Going To Make Mistakes
Don't focus on the mistakes you're inevitably going to make. Instead, focus on how you can learn from those errors and how you can move forward in order to do better next time.
Always Look In The Target $1 Section
The dollar spot at Target is your holy grail for $1 craft projects, which Casey calls "sanity-savers and boredom-busters." Always toss a couple of kid-friendly crafts from the dollar section into your cart to keep on hand at home.
You're Going To Do A Lot Of Things You Said You Never Would
Casey says the list of things you would "never" do is going to get shorter and shorter the longer you're a parent, and the best thing you can do is laugh at your pre-kid optimism and "insight."
Your Mood Matters
You may think that your kids don't listen to a word you say and don't know how you're feeling, but your kids will pick up on your mood. They'll mirror it too, so before you call your kids badly behaved, look at your own behavior.
Make The Pancakes, Then Pick The Shape
Parenting pro tip: if your kids want you to make pancakes into fun shapes for them, wait until after you make the pancake to tell them what the shape is.
You're The Only One That Cares If You Vacuumed
Any person who has children that is coming over to your house isn't expecting your house to be spotless. They know you have other priorities, like raising human beings, so don't stress about not washing the walls.
Don't Feel Bad For Posting Photos Of Your Kid On Social Media
People are going to complain no matter what you do, and your friends might complain about you posting photos of your kids on Facebook all the time. But here's the thing: they don't have to look. They could just scroll past them if they don't want to see, so post those pictures if you want to.
Your Kids Are Lucky To Have You
Your kids are a blessing and they make you who you are, but don't forget that your kids are just as lucky to have you as you are to have them.
Frame The Photos, Even If They're Not Perfect
You'd love to get that perfect family photo to frame and hang on the walls, but you're quickly going to realize that "perfect" simply means everyone is looking at the camera. As long as everyone is in the photo, even if they're mid-cry, take the picture and put it on display.
You're Going To Miss Them When They're Gone
They drive you crazy most days and you swear that all you want is a break from them or a night without them, then they go for their first sleepover and you miss them like crazy.
Cherish The PJ Days
The days when everyone stays at home to do nothing but sit around in their pajamas are going to be some of your favorite days, so don't rush to get all the kids up and dressed on a Sunday morning.
Loving Your Kids No Matter What Is The Most Important Thing
Loving your kids in "all of their forms" is what most of your job as a parent is. Nothing else really matters in the long run, so long as your kids are supported and loved by you.
Babies Won't Fix Your Marriage
Marriage is already hard enough, and a baby is going to make it a lot more complicated. "Your spouse is worth it," but it's going to take a lot of hard work to manage kids and a healthy marriage.
Stock Up On Your Favorite Clothing
If you have a pair of yoga pants or a sweatshirt you find yourself wearing constantly, buy two or even three pairs so you always have backups for the days you didn't get a chance to do laundry.
No One Has It All Together
No matter what your friends say or what you see other moms posting on social media, no parent has it together 100% of the time, and you're not going to either.
You Are An Extraordinary Mom
You are an excellent mom and Casey reminds moms that "there will be many days that you forget that" or don't feel like you're doing very well, but it doesn't mean it's not true.
Being Perfect Doesn't Matter
You don't have to be perfect in order for your kids to love you. They only have one mom and they're going to love you regardless, so don't waste your energy trying to be perfect.
Advice From Others
Parents have to be able to adapt with the more kids they have because no two kids are the same. What you did to get your first child to go to sleep might not work for your next child, or your second son might hate the food your first son loved. You'll make it through as long as you can adapt.
People Definitely Agreed
Whether your kids are babies or teenagers, every parent can use a reminder that they're not going to mess their kids up permanently if they make a couple of mistakes along the way.
Everyone Is Doing Their Best
As long as you're doing your best to love and support your kids, none of the rest matters. They're going to grow up to be just fine, and then they're going to pass on all the love you gave them to their own kids.
