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New Year, New Baby

10 Resolutions for New Parents and Parents-to-be

By Gina Roberts-Grey, LCSW

Many of us tend to see making resolutions as the time for implementing ideas of grandeur. Completely overhauling your lifestyle or routine can be impossible to live up to. Vowing to keep realistic expectations of yourself, your partner and your children significantly reduces your tension.

Remember that parenting is not easy, nor is it something that you need to master hours after bringing your baby home. A realistic attitude means you're less likely to become disappointed in your inability to constantly exhibit super hero parenting powers.

Starting a new tradition or rekindling one from your childhood combines celebrating your new baby and the new year. Use the time before the baby arrives to start a time capsule, or dust off the books you read as a child and read them to your children.

Choose an aspect of your family's life that you want to enhance, and find a way to incorporate consistency. Sunday breakfasts together in bed, celebrating half birthdays or archiving family photos are just a few creative options for New Year's family traditions.

Being contributing members of a family means more than living under the same roof and passing each other in the bathroom. Although it may seem like you will spend an amazing amount of time with your new baby, children grow quickly and families become busy. Consider adopting a family policy of taking a family photo every New Year holiday, eating dinner all together every Friday night or designating time to spend as a family once a week.

Needing help is not a sign of weakness or inaptitude. Rather, recognizing the need for some assistance is actually an admirable strength.

Whether you need to rely on a support system to ease new parenting fears or need domestic help to keep up with the demands of your household, make a resolution to accept help when it is offered. If sleepless nights or diaper changes leave you wondering how to cope, ask a trusted friend or family member for tips or advice.

Want to see more?

• Scrapbooking: Creatively Keeping Track of Baby's First Year
• Learning to Let Go: Coping With the Stress of New Parenthood
• Mommy's Day Out
• Talk about it!

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