Riding The Emotional Rollercoaster of New Parenthood

Here’s How You Can Navigate the Highs and Lows

Strap on your seatbelts, mums and dads, because this journey has got steep inclines, sharp turns, and sudden drops.

Being a new parent is highly rewarding, of course, but it’s also hard work.

When you’re up at 3:am, wonky from a lack of sleep, and knee deep in dirty diapers, you might start to wonder if you can really cope.

But try and remember that you’re not alone, it’s the same for everyone who has just brought their baby home.

There will a lot of times when you don’t know what you’re doing.

After all, you’re learning on the job.

Here is Greendigo’s parenthood starter pack to help make the ride a whole lot smoother and steadier.

Embrace the mixed emotions

Parenthood brings with it a mixed bag of emotions. For some, this is positive in nature. After all, having a baby is a dream come true. Others, however, may feel like they’re losing out on their independence, spontaneity and career trajectory. Then there are those who just cannot cope with the pressures of the change. The first step is to accept and acknowledge how you’re feeling. Clear your mind of all that extra noise, and let your thoughts sit.

Plan-plan-plan, as much as you can

While there are many things that are out of your purview of control, there are whole lot of to-dos that can certainly get ticked off your list. Planning is the secret sauce to early parenting. From stocking up on baby supplies, to child-proofing the house, deep cleaning, cooking healthy meals in advance, and even developing an efficient feeding and sleeping routine, there are many ways to make this phase more manageable.

Practice ‘imperfect parenting’

Now this doesn’t mean we’re encouraging you to neglect your baby. We’re simply saying, that there is no such thing as being a perfect parent. It’s unrealistic to expect yourself to be anything other than who you are. Accept this fact, shed the shame, and trust us, you’ll be better at the parenting game. It’s all about having a positive outlook.

Seek support and guidance

Tap into your personal network of family and friends. This doesn’t cost a thing, except for the reality check that your ego gets. Have open and honest conversations with your inner circle regarding how you’re feeling, any questions that you may have, advice that you may need, help that you may require, and so on.

Say no to social media pressure

Social media is not the gospel truth. The sooner you realise this, the better for your mental make-up. Rather than cutting out the gram altogether, learn to look at these carefully curated feeds with a pinch of salt. You can’t see the struggle behind those shiny, happy faces.

Adjusting to parenthood can be a hot mess, and often, a process of trial and error.

It’s perfectly natural to take a while to feel comfortable, confident and calm in your new role.

Like we always say, “be kind and patient with yourself.”

And remember, your little one adores you.

Focus on the love, and tune out everything else.