New Moms....

In the Tree House: What a New Mom (or parent) Should Know

By: Samantha S. Daviss

Now typically I am not one to give advice, because the good Lord knows my way is not the right way or the best way. I just say what I think, and give a little insight on how I manage the daily activities, curve balls, and adventures of life.

But I recently attended a very sweet and well-organized baby shower and one of the requests of the hostesses was for each guest to write down one piece of advice to give the soon-to-be mommy. So that gave me an idea and I recruited some of my friends and family to offer up their favorite pieces of motherly advice; be it how to care for the baby, themselves, or just make it through motherhood ALIVE.

What all moms should know:

10) Sleep when the baby sleeps.

9) If there are toys out all over the house, sit back and enjoy them. Because that means your house is full of love, laughter and activity. The laundry will be there tomorrow, the dishes will soon get cleaned, but the time spent playing with your kiddo is irreplaceable.

8) Listen to the advice given by older women…they’ve lived it and learned from it. Remember advice is free.

7) Stop listening to everyone else’s opinions…go with your gut and do what feels right to you and what fits your lifestyle. You’ll learn that not everyone is right and every child is different.

6) Be patient…with them and yourself.

5) Give yourself a little time out when you feel like you are going to explode.

4) Let your children know how much you love them and how proud you are of them each and every day.

3) Do as much as you can together as a family. You don’t realize it, but one day you will wake up, in the not too distant future, and have numerous empty bedrooms that you are staring into and wondering where the time went. (I even do that today, with mine all still at home…but their social lives keep them busy and away sometimes and I miss them like crazy.)

2) Fill each day with laughter. Don’t let the little things in life bring you down…find the humor in it all.

And finally, to new moms…

1)  It’s OKAY….meaning, it’s okay for plans to change. Don’t get so set on one idea that you are completely disappointed when it doesn’t turn out the way you imagined. And this can be anything from your birthing plan (natural or c-section), to how you feed your baby (breast or bottle—sometimes your body just can’t do or produce what is considered the norm in our society), to how a play date or a birthday party goes. Sometimes there are hiccups and things don’t go as smoothly as you would want. So it’s OK, just learn to sit back and roll with the punches. I promise you, those who really love you and care about you, aren’t judging you.

Being a mother is the toughest job in the world. With this “career” comes numerous smaller jobs like being a nurse, a doctor, a teacher, a maid, a cheerleader, a coach, a bank, a chef, a chauffer…but your most important title is that you are their hero!!

Bear in mind, you made these little people, you made the decision to bring them into the world, so it’s your responsibility to devote your entire self to them. You constantly feel like you are failing them, yourself, or society…but just remember it is the toughest job you never get thanked for, your pay is way below minimum wage, and the perks and benefits are gray hair and circles under your eyes…but you wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

Remember, that the kind of people your grandchildren turn out to be is the best evaluator of how good of a parent you were or are to your own children, because we all lead by example.