Parenthood entails assuming a whole new level of responsibility. After all, you now have a new life, and your child depends on you. There are countless questions that young parents have regarding how to give their children the best start in life.
Being a new parent is undoubtedly one of the most life-changing experiences, but it’s highly rewarding. Parenting well is a labor of love. While successful parenting isn’t about aiming for perfection, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make progress toward it. For new parents, consider the following recommendations.
1. Estate Planning
As a young parent, your life changes in a million different ways. Things like buying diapers, creating feeding schedules, and obtaining a decent nights sleep are all new to you. While it may not seem necessary, estate planning is a thing to consider. The birth of a child is an ideal time to start writing down your final wishes and ensuring your family is taken care of when you pass away.
Your estate is the collection of possessions you leave behind when you pass away, such as your home, car, and bank accounts. Additionally, consider getting life insurance. The cost of raising children can be very high. In the event that one parent passes away, life insurance ensures that resources are accessible for the remaining parent or guardian. Life insurance can also raise a child until adulthood, or pay for the child’s educational expenses if both parents pass away.
Think about establishing a trust as well. Your children can’t directly inherit your assets if you pass away before they’re 18 years old. However, with a trust, your child will inherit your assets without conditions once they reach 18 years old.
Consider updating your will, if you already have one, to include provisions for your child and make sure you name a guardian. Don’t hesitate to seek expert guidance. Employ an attorney or other specialist to assist you in drafting your estate plan according to your financial circumstances, your family’s needs, and your schedule. Start by asking friends, family, coworkers, and other experts for recommendations. Taking appropriate estate planning measures may not seem necessary now, but it’s one of the best pieces of advice for young parents.
2. Child Custody
Children of married parents typically enjoy shared legal and physical custody. Generally, decisions about child custody always come up in divorce, separation, adoption, or parental death cases. Selecting a competent child custody lawyer can be challenging as numerous emotional issues arise during child custody disputes. A knowledgeable family lawyer is necessary to handle legal matters regarding child custody. It’s important to select a competent child custody attorney because the decisions made during a child custody case have a significant impact on both your future and that of your children.
The ideal custody lawyer should represent both you and your children. A lawyer’s qualifications and skills matter; so, make sure you get a competent one. Considering you’ll be spending time with your lawyer, it’s crucial that you feel comfortable communicating honestly with them. Also, while making your decision, consider whether a child custody attorney is dedicated to family law. The ideal child custody attorney specializes in family law and has a great deal of experience managing situations like yours. Having a child custody attorney on speed dial is great advice for young parents. You never know when you might need one.
3. Financial Planning
Having a personal financial advisor is crucial advice for young parents. It can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to raise a child. A financial advisor helps you project how your baby will influence your finances, the appropriate sufficient insurance to take, create an estate plan to secure your child’s future, and figure out how having a child will affect your income taxes.
Your baby’s initial expenses may also be pretty significant. You’ll need to furnish your home with baby furniture, bedding, and clothing. You may be tempted to spend more on just the necessities, and many new parents do. However, a pricey bed won’t make your child any cuter. Most of the time, saving money doesn’t require compromising quality or safety. Discount retailers may have good deals if you start your shopping early enough. Ask your friends and family members if they have any extra baby supplies that they’re not using.
When it comes to daycare, the cost varies depending on your location, the number of kids in care, their ages, and the type of childcare you need. It’s a good idea to start saving as soon as possible for your child’s education. Another essential factor to think about is setting up an emergency savings account. If you don’t already have it, get one right away. You can use money from your emergency fund if your child gets sick, your car breaks down, you have to move abruptly, or you lose your job.
4. Child Care
As a new parent, you need to know that your child or children must be cared for and supervised at all times, whether you’re there or not. There are numerous child care programs available today. Child care refers to the care given by caregivers, who are usually not the child’s parents. New and young parents should adequately prepare for childcare programs. Early childhood education and care benefit the development of young children. Child care helps children develop by offering them the chance to participate in social and educational activities. High-quality childcare is one of the most invaluable pieces of advice for young parents, especially new parents.
5. Education
Putting appropriate measures to guarantee your child’s early education is one of the best pieces of advice for young parents. Every child should have access to high-quality early education. The success of this stage of education sets the stage for the success of a child’s future education. To ensure your child gets to enjoy the best educational opportunities, preparation is key. As new or young parents attend every event your potential schools of choice hold in the months before your child starts school to help your youngster adjust from transition days to full-school activities. If you can, schedule some time to practice the school run.
6. Summer Camps
Most people associate their favorite childhood experiences with summer camps. Young parents should start planning to send their kids to summer camps as early as possible. Summer camp is a rite of passage in its own right. It provides youngsters with an organized environment in which they learn valuable life lessons. Summer gives children an opportunity to gain new skills, such as game programming or app design, and stay mentally active. The good news is that there’s a camp suited to the interests of every child, thanks to the abundance of options today. Enrolling your child in summer camps may not seem like a necessity, but it’s one of the best pieces of advice for young parents.
7. Dental Health & Hygiene
Dental care isn’t only for adults. Having a family dentist and taking a baby to the dentist at a young age has several benefits, and it’s great advice for young parents. When you take your children to the dentist, get advice on how to help them brush their teeth and soothe them when they’re teething. This may include giving your child a clean object to chew on, such as a teething ring, or gently stroking their gums with a clean finger to help them feel better.
Look for welcoming dentist offices that foster a family environment. Provide the dentist with your child’s whole medical history during the first appointment. Your child’s jaws had baby teeth at birth. Dentists advise patients to start caring for their teeth and gums before the first baby tooth erupts. If children don’t form good dental habits while they’re young, it’s unlikely they’ll be motivated to take care of their teeth as adults.
Describe to the dentist your worries and queries. Remember that your attitude towards dental hygiene may differ from that of your youngster. Be sincere in how you feel about dentists. Be careful not to transfer your dental phobias or dislikes to your child if you have them. As a new parent, you need to provide moral support to your child, not scare them. Your children can pick up on your anxiety and develop their own.
8. Enroll them in Swimming Lessons
The second most common cause of unintentional fatalities in children is drowning in swimming pools. The safety aspect of teaching your child to swim is perhaps the most important reason for enrolling your child in swimming lessons. Increasing their confidence while in the water reduces the likelihood of an unintentional tragedy. According to WeAquatics, research shows that professional swimming lessons cut the chance of drowning in children between the ages of one and four by an astounding 88%. Learning to swim at an early age creates the groundwork for them to develop into competent, safe, and potentially professional swimmers.
Swimming can also improve your child’s memory and enhance their overall cognitive ability. Between breathing techniques, arm movements, and leg movements, swimming will also improve their coordination. A great deal of concentration required when swimming gives your child an invaluable blueprint that will potentially set them up for success in their future endeavors.
Swimming can also help your child’s health and prevent water phobia. However, you should only do this if you have taken certain water safety precautions, like using touch supervision, ensuring that the air and water are warm enough for the infant, and making use of gates, fences, and pool alarms to prevent harmful mishaps. Enrolling your child in swimming lessons is great advice for young parents.
9. Eye Health
Your newborn baby can only see in shades of gray, black, and white at birth. The retina of the eye and the brain contain immature nerve cells. They also have difficulty focusing, and their light sensitivity is still developing. Every infant should visit their eye doctor often so they can get screened. The sooner an issue is identified, the sooner it’s resolved, making this one of the best pieces of advice for young parents. Newborns are more likely to have eyesight problems. If you have a preterm infant, have them examined by a pediatric ophthalmologist by the age of three.
Here are some helpful tips about your baby’s eye health. Position your infant in the cot facing different directions to give them vistas. Put up a mobile object so your child can see it. Extra caution is required when administering eye drops and ointments to infants and children. As a new parent, it’s important to learn how to carry on with the child’s treatment after they leave the eye clinic or hospital. Call your baby’s doctor if your baby’s eyes aren’t moving together, they’re frequently weeping, or if you have other concerns about your baby’s eyes or vision.
10. Buy Your First Home
Buying your first home is one of the best pieces of advice for young parents. However, you must first prepare yourself financially before you can start thinking of buying your first home. A home is an asset that appreciates over time, and buying one is seen as a fundamental component of a family’s goal. Being a first-time buyer can pave the way for joyful parenting, especially when children are young. As a homeowner, you’ll also get to enjoy the benefit of not worrying about paying rent.
As a novice, purchasing a property can be difficult. After all, there are several standards, stages, and tasks, and you might be concerned about making a costly error. To make the process much smoother, work with a reputable real estate agent. Owning a home as a young parent is a dream come true, whether your baby leaves the hospital early, arrives later, or is adopted. You can also assist your kids in purchasing a home. One of the most popular strategies to help a child buy a home is to buy it outright in your name and rent it out until they come of age. An increasing number of millennials live in apartments that legally belong to their parents.
As a young parent, your child feels safe and comfortable and has the confidence to study and explore. If they have a good relationship with you. You’re in a better position to understand and meet your child’s needs if you have a good relationship with them. When children first view themselves through their parent’s eyes, they begin to build a sense of self-awareness. Your children can read everything you say and do, including your body language and facial expressions. So, be careful around them.
Always review your estate plan after defining life events, such as having a second child, purchasing a home, getting divorced, relocating to a new state, or receiving a financial inheritance. While you’re at it, check your credit score and set up a free credit monitoring service so you can keep an eye on it and any changes. These tips will help you get through your journey as a new parent.
