It’s something you hear a lot as a new parent, “enjoy every moment.” But sometimes, we can struggle to do this for a number of reasons. Perhaps we’re not sleeping well or it’s just all getting on top of us. Motherhood is an exhausting job, but we have to remember that we must be present with our children and be in the moment. So what does it really take to be a parent that enjoys the role of motherhood, especially if you feel like you cannot?
Put the Baby in Their Room
This is one of the big things that we can do. If we start by putting their bed next to ours, every time the baby stirs, it wakes us and we feel like we have to tend to them. But putting a baby in their own room means that you are going to get a better night’s sleep (if you get any at all), but you will also help the baby to learn how to get back to sleep by themselves. This is one of the biggest obstacles a lot of parents have because we feel that we’re not able to get to them if something happens. But for all the common concerns we have, for example, the baby is not breathing, there are things that can give us peace of mind. Babysense’s baby breathing monitors are one such thing that means that we can keep tabs on our baby, but also give ourselves the literal breathing space.
Spend Some Time Awake by Yourself
If you find yourself glued to your child, this is not going to be healthy for you in the long run. Even having a few minutes to yourself can give you the opportunity to center yourself before the motherly duties begin. It doesn’t have to be long, you can spend a couple of minutes meditating, or do some breathing exercises. Whatever it takes, if you can spend 2 minutes to yourself, it could make all the difference. Granted, many mothers feel they do not have the opportunity to do this but the baby will have to go for a nap at some point, and making sure that you have some proper quiet time before you have a nap yourself will make a massive difference.
Learn to Take the Rough With the Smooth
If we are not in the moment, we’re always thinking away. But sometimes, we can be in too much of a preventative mindset. Whatever happens, there will always be something that can stress you out, but it’s about having that ability to bounce back. Give yourself a pass, because stress is always around, and it always will be. This is the key to being an effective parent, but also how to be someone that enjoys the moment. You have to remember that your children are going to grow up and fly the coop one day so don’t waste precious time thinking about what could go wrong. Everybody makes mistakes. And the sooner we make peace with the fact that we can make mistakes, the more we realize that we can enjoy parenthood.
