As The Baby Takes Over

New parents are often very focused on caring for their child, and there is nothing at all wrong with it. Their job is to learn how to care for the newest person joining their relationship, and they need to learn how to interpret non-verbal noises. It can be a monumental task for those who believe they are not quite suited to be parents, but it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences of their life. Those who do not want their child to consume every minute of their day and night must learn how to best do their job while being able to continue their life. When a baby takes over their entire life, they will eventually burn out.

Learning the signals

Children are born without the ability to form words, so their ability to communicate is limited. Parents have only a short time to figure out how to interpret what they want when they begin to cry, and it can be a frustrating exercise. Many new parents go through a mental list to figure out if the baby needs to be changed, held, fed or put down for a nap. Learning the signals takes a bit of time, but the needs of most infants are fairly simple. They can learn them quickly, and they will then have an opportunity to focus on their own needs.

A day and night job

Children that have just been born have no concept of time, and their needs can come at any time of the day or night. They generally need to be fed every few hours, and that does not stop when the sun goes down. New parents might feel they have both a day and night job, but they can rest assured the baby will eventually begin to sleep at night. Once they have settled in to their new life, their needs will become separated by hours instead of minutes. This will give the new parents a sense of accomplishment, and they will also be able to get a few more hours rest during their days or evenings.

Helicopter parenting

There will always be a few new parents who are unwilling to let their infants mature, and they will eventually fall into the habit of helicopter parenting. These are the adults who choose to constantly hover over their children, and they are intent on seeing to their every need. They hold the belief their child should never cry, so they work to avoid it at any cost. This is when baby takes over, and it can last a lifetime for those who never let go.

Being a new parent is a difficult adjustment, and it calls for deep reserves of energy at first. Learning how to understand the needs of an infant is difficult, but listening to them will help parents learn. Once they have figured out their child’s needs, they can begin to focus again on their own needs. Those who choose to hover over their baby will often find they have set a pattern for a lifetime where their own needs will never be satisfied.