raisingason.com

How exciting is it to be pregnant for the first time? I was beyond excited; there were no words really to describe how I felt. But, what I didn’t know stretched my emotions across the spectrum. Jumping between utter joy and complete worry was almost as exhausting as my first 3 months of pregnancy!! I was feeling very overwhelmed about the physical changes my body was about to go through. That lasted until I felt the baby move for the very first time. After that, I didn’t really care what I had to endure; I was bringing life into this world.

One of my biggest worries was if I was going to be a good parent or not. You can buy all the books in the world on parenting, but I have found, after 3 kids, that there is no perfect parenting handbook. Those books are good guidelines, but what may work for one child, may not work for the next. No two kids are the same so no situation can be handled identically. And parenting is a full-time job, one that lasts pretty much the rest of your life. One of the best compliments I can ever receive is when someone I know or even a stranger tells me I have well behaved kids. I mentally pat myself on the back and think “I am doing ok.” I can’t say great because I am not done raising my kids. We may have the basic manners and such down, but there is so much more to teach them about life.

I have found that other parents can be a great source of parenting tips. Most times, all you have to do is ask; sometimes you get it freely. You can also find parenting tips online and in books. But I rely on my mom the most. She raised 10 kids. I believe she knew what she was doing. A lot of parents will give you advice on how to handle certain situations and most of it can be very valuable. You just need to apply the knowledge when the situation warrants it. Not everything is going to be the magic answer, but it can definitely help first time parents. My parenting tip is to do what you think is right for you and your baby. You will know deep down if it is.