When you are a new parent, you’re likely worried about the health and well-being of your child. You want to do everything you can to ensure your child grows up to be happy, healthy, and well adjusted, but that can feel like pressure. Thankfully, there are a lot of resources available to new parents and soon-to-be parents.
1. Behavioral Education
While it may seem extreme to study applied behavior analysis as a new parent, the more you understand human development, behavior, and signs to look for, the more prepared you will be for anything that arises. You’ve probably heard parents who have talked about what they wish they had known when their child was younger, particularly when identifying signs of an issue earlier. For example, you don’t know if you’ll have an autistic child or a child who will require special education. The sooner you identify that your child may be different, the sooner you can ensure they have the right resources. You can learn how to teach appropriate skills, identify intellectual functioning, and curb undesirable behaviors with positive behavior support.
While all children are different and will hit various milestones at other times, learning to identify when things may be a problem before your child starts school will save both you and your child from frustration and feelings of failure. The sooner you can apply interventions if needed, the better equipped your child will be as they get older. Additionally, if you see your child is lagging with a particular goal behavior, you can look into ways to encourage and strengthen that behavior in a safe and natural environment.
2. Nursing Wear
Research has shown many substantial benefits to breastfeeding your baby, from development to bonding. SimpleWishes.com created a fantastic line of nursing wear that makes the process easier and more comfortable for mothers. You can purchase nursing bras, hands-free pumps or wearable pumps, breast shields, and more. They understand new moms, busy moms, and tired moms may struggle with breastfeeding throughout the process, and providing them with the resources they need will lighten their load. Something like a simple sling that will allow a mother to hold her baby while giving her arms a rest can make a significant difference.
3. Montessori Activities
Montessori is a type of learning that allows children to learn through play and activities, as opposed to sitting at a desk reading or listening to lectures. Montessori activities can start when your little one is a baby to promote age-appropriate skills, goal behavior, and imitation to create adaptive behavior for real-world situations. Because the fundamentals of Montessori are based on play, you can easily involve caregivers and family members in the activities. It’s an excellent way to involve family members like grandparents, older siblings, or visiting relatives. You can allow for learning in a natural environment so your child doesn’t feel it is being forced on them. Children have always learned through imitation and repetition with positive behavior support. This is just providing those things with a bit of structure.
Parents always want what is best for their children, but they don’t always know what is best or how to provide it. Parents don’t need to know everything. The best approach is to learn what you can and surround yourself with other supportive parents and individuals who will help you and not shame you when you make a mistake. Surround yourself with people who will build you up when you’re feeling down and won’t try to convince you that what you’re doing is wrong because it isn’t what they did. Don’t allow competitively or mean parents into your inner circle.
