Raising a child can be full of surprises. No matter how much you prepare or how much advice you receive, there are some things can only be learned by experience. Still, every bit of advice helps.
We asked our fellow moms on Facebook to tell us what advice for new moms they wished someone had shared with them. Here’s what they had to say.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff.
- Everything will be okay.
- Choose your battles.
- Temper tantrums last much longer than the age of two.
- Don’t be so hard on yourself.
- It’s okay to not be “ON” all of the time.
- Be patient. Kids grow up so fast.
- You’re only given what you can handle.
- Sleep. Travel. Enjoy your spouse.
- There will be explosive diapers and projectile vomit.
- Stop at one child. LOL
- You’re going to make mistakes!! And they will be okay if you do.
- It’s okay to step back and take a break. Sometimes you have to put everything down for a 5-minute breather.
- Your house will not always be spik-and-span clean.
- Don’t compare your kids or yourself to others around you. All families are different.
- Hold on tighter and snuggle just a little longer. Cherish the memories… Time flies by so fast.
- The hardest part of raising a child is when they start leaving home. I have four kids and two of them are out of the house and that is the hardest thing that I have gone through being a mom.
- Relax and go with it. You won’t do everything right and that’s okay.
- Get all the sleep you can.
- Let the small stuff go… They are only kids once.
- Go with your gut.
- Sleep as much as you can before you gave birth.
- Relax and enjoy your kids
- It’s trial and error.
- Don’t let anyone talk you into something you know in your gut to be wrong. Listen to that voice inside you when it comes to making decision. The rest will work itself out.
- Don’t worry about the little things.
- Relax more!
- Go with the flow.
- You are not going to be a TV mom. They don’t exist.
- Things never go the way you think they will.
- Wait!!! LOL. Enjoy your time being kid-free. Once you have them, they are the best thing that will ever happen to you, but you’re in it for the long haul.
- Relax. Not everything has to be an event.
- They won’t be this way forever or for long. Cherish every cry along with every smile.
- You’ll never be perfect! And that’s okay.
- Don’t sweat the little things.
- Enjoy them when they are younger.
- Don’t buy stuff brand new.
- There is no such thing as a perfect parent… just give them love, guide them and protect them.
- You are going to make many mistakes. Your kids will learn more from how you handle them.
- The things they hide when you tell them to clean. LOL
- Just enjoy the small things.
- Your parenting skills are not going to be perfect.
- Never compare your kids to other kids. Listen to other moms advice, but always doing what you feel is right for you and your kids.
- It’s okay to breathe. Always trust your gut and don’t let others get into your head.
- Being a mother is not always going to be easy.
- There is no such thing as a perfect mom, as well as no matter what happens, there are going to be mistakes. Don’t compare yourself to other mothers or your child to other children their age because no two mothers or children are alike.
- Have patience. There is no perfect mom. Make sure you’re loving yourself.
- Go with the flow.
- It’s ok to put yourself first at times, don’t compare yourself to other moms.
- Consistency is key. Once you allow children to get over on you, they will always try you. My children always push the limit with me more than anyone else.
- Enjoy the late nights. This sounds crazy but my daughter has slept through the night for about two months now. She is almost four months and I miss our alone time together at night. Especially now because she is ready for bed by 8:30 every night.
- It’s okay not to be perfect! You don’t know everything and that’s okay. It’ll all work out. You’ll teach each other.
- It’s natural… go for it. It’s okay to not know everything.
- You’re going to feel like you’re just doing everything wrong sometimes, but you’re not. Best thing is to try to not compare yourself and family to everyone else. Everyone is different and has their own struggles, even if it looks perfect on the outside.
- Someone should have told me that epidurals don’t work sometimes. I would have practiced more pain control methods for labor.
- There is always a mess. And organization and plans are out the window.
- Sometimes the house is going to be a mess and that’s ok.
- How hard it would be to have two kids instead of just one!
- Poop comes in all colors, shapes, and consistencies. LOL
- Be consistent. Even when it doesn’t seem to be working it will in the end.
- Don’t go Googling everything. You’re just gonna give yourself a heart attack.
- Don’t rush their stages of development; Encourage them. Time flies as it is.
- That some days wouldn’t be worth it.
- It’s a learning process, for you AND daddy. Let him learn at his own pace.
- Remember that timeout works for moms too! The rule is one minute per year of age.. that’s a trip to Starbucks and back. LOL
