The first few months with a baby are a very special time. Excessive demands and bliss, exhaustion and joy often go hand in hand. That’s why it’s important as parents to be a team, to work on equality, to get help and support early on, and to stay in contact with one another. We have summarized a few tips for how young parents can achieve compatibility right from the start.
Compatibility: Tips For Young Parents To Be A Good Team From The Start
Talk About Your Family Vision
While the baby grows in the womb, there is a lot for expectant parents to do. We have to buy rompers, childproof the apartment, rack our brains about the right name and take a childbirth class. But with all this hustle and bustle, it makes sense to talk about the common ideas about later family life. So how do we divide up the common tasks as parents sooner or later? Who stays on parental leave for how long? Who supports us in everyday life? That may sound a bit abstract, especially without a child. But the job makes a lot of sense and protects against nasty surprises, for example if the man doesn’t come across as committed, as the generation of the “New Fathers” is commonly said to be. It is best to clarify such conflicts in advance and not only when you are completely overtired and with a whining baby in your arms.
Start The Postpartum Together
Most couples experience childbirth together. That’s great. Another step would be even more important, namely a shared childbirth bed. In the first six to eight weeks after childbirth, the female body recovers from childbirth and adjusts hormonally. This requires rest and support from your partner. While mum breastfeeds or gives bottles, cuddles and rests, dad does the housework and takes care of the young family. Once everything is done, you should all snuggle up in bed together and use the valuable time together to find each other as a small family.
Find A Common Everyday Life
Over the course of the first few months, a common parent-child everyday life with routines and rituals slowly develops. This everyday life is very important, especially for mothers and fathers on parental leave. Don’t get me wrong: This is a great time, never again will you be able to watch a little person grow and develop so intensely. Nevertheless, the time at home can sometimes be very lengthy and overwhelming – after all, we as parents have to be there for our child all day and all night in the first few months.
Ask For Support
As a young parent, wanting to do everything on your own is complete nonsense. We can use any help, no matter how small. It makes even more sense to ask for them or to accept them straight away when they are offered by relatives and friends. Pushing the pram for an hour while you shower and have a cup of tea, bring something back from the shop or have your sibling picked up from school or kindergarten – all of this can help. With such “mini support” it is easier to recharge your batteries and often also prevent larger problems that can only be solved with professional help. Of course, help is not a one-way street, so feel free to offer your support to other parents in your circle of friends.