Few times in life are as stressful to a couple as becoming first-time parents. It starts in the form of nightmares that your child will come out disabled or with three eyes. That graduates to dreading the birth itself and what could go wrong under those circumstances. Once your baby is home safe the real challenges start. While some people might think getting up in the night is the hardest part of becoming a parent, the real hard work is when you change your own behavior for your family.
For instance, if you are a poor eater with a diet high in saturated fat and processed foods, the time to change is now to alter how you eat. As a parent, you are setting your child’s habits from the time they consume solid foods. If you are putting fresh vegetables and lean meats on your child’s plate then she will like that food and eat it more as she grows. Offer water as a drink to your child and not soda. You may as well hold off your child’s introduction to soda as long as possible to save on tooth wear.
Another adjustment for first time parents is to learn to re-budget your time. There will be less time that is yours but parents working as a team can still have a life and be great parents. If a mom enjoys yoga or the dad enjoys softball, the other parent simply needs to make themselves available to cover that time for the other person.
