7 Common Mistakes New Moms Are Bound to Make
If only babies came with an instruction manual. The number one thing new mamas should remember: No one’s perfect. So don’t expect to be a super-parent 24/7. Yes, you’ll have your magical moments. But you’ll also have those not so Facebook-worthy times when you fully flub your perfect parenting attempts. We get it; those mistakes seem major right now. But most of the time, they’re also completely common — and fabulously funny to you and your mom friends. And trust us, your kids will turn out just fine anyway. Here are seven common mistakes you can almost count on making as a new mom.
1. You have a diaper mishap. You’re a diapering genius. Or maybe it’s more like you think you are. After all, you’ve changed at least two dozen diapers by now. And, then IT happens. You thought you pulled those little gaps in and secured everything as tight as can be. Then you’re holding baby and suddenly there’s a warm, wet feeling on your leg — and it’s not the clear kind. Oops. Next time, you’ll pay much more attention to what that diaper’s actually doing.
2. You perfectly packed all the wrong stuff in the baby bag. It’s time to go to Grandma’s! You just spent an hour and a half packing the baby bag. And then you get to your destination and realize hours later that you’ve left behind most of what you’ll actually need. Instead of packing all the diapers that your baby could possibly use (along with wipes, rash cream and binkies galore), you seemed to have only stashed away 14 receiving blankets, 12 burp cloths and four different rattles. Don’t stress. You’re hardly the first mama to blank on bag duty. Make a pit stop at the closest store and grab a brand new pack of diapers and a travel-sized box of wipes.
3. You over-bundled your (now) sweating baby. The temperature dipped down to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. You’re convinced that this chilly breeze will definitely give your baby the sniffles, so you layer a sleeper over her onesie. But you don’t stop there. You keep going and going with a sweater, a pair of sweat pants and a jacket. Hold up. Your baby doesn’t need to be bundled up to the point of sweating like she’s just done hot yoga (unless it’s seriously cold outside). Dressing her as you would dress yourself, plus one extra layer, will do.
4. Oh boy, you got splashed during bath time. This first-timer flub tends to happen more with moms of boys. You’re giving your baby a bath, and he’s happily splashing around. Sorry, it’s not water that just hit you in the face. Toss a washcloth over your little guy next bath time to make sure that that spray stays below.
5. You set yourself up for a car seat countdown. Baby’s first day out sure was fun. Now you’re ready to get in the car and go home. You pre-pay the parking ticket at the garage kiosk, and the clock’s on! You have a set amount of time from the moment you pay to when you slide that ticket into the exit gate. You’re sure that you can get your baby out of the stroller and into the car seat before your time’s up. Suddenly, you forget how to weave the five-point harness around your baby and the stroller won’t cooperate when you try to pack it up. It happens. Next time you’ll be better prepared and (hopefully) twice as quick.
6. Your babysitter asks you, “What’s she wearing?” You drop your darling daughter off at daycare, and hear, “Oh, is she still sleepy?” Why would her teacher ask this? Most likely because she’s still wearing her PJs. Yep, the ones you thought were a cute matchy-matchy outfit. Your baby could care less if she’s wearing sleepwear, daywear or a teeny tiny evening gown. Even so, you might want to acquaint yourself with the various types of baby clothes.
7. You seriously over-estimate your super-baby. Your three-month-old can surely sit in the front seat of the shopping cart, right? No, she can’t. Developmentally, most babies don’t sit until somewhere between four and seven months. Even though you may have a super-baby, knowing the developmental milestones can help you to better understand what you baby can do and when she can do it.
What was your biggest parenting flub? Share your mini mistakes and tweet us @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)