Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Stages

Advice for new parents that they’ll want to hear

Know someone about to have a baby? This advice for new parents will make you their hero

Dannielle Beardsley
By
A parent looking at a baby laying down on a bed.

Everyone has something to say to new parents. Recommendations, products they should or shouldn’t get, or just ways they should be a parent. While suggestions are great, there’s advice for new parents that is more welcome than others. If you want to be supportive but not overstep boundaries, stick to these topics.

Find your support squad

There’s going to be stress no matter what, so your support system is key. Help the new parent find a group they would feel comfortable in. Check your local library, community center, Facebook, or even nearby schools for different groups the new parents could join. Whether they want a play date or an emotional support group, there is a place for every type of new parent.

Recommended Videos

Don’t be too big to accept help

If someone offers help — take it. New parents want to spend every second enjoying their new bundle, and while that is understandable, you cannot do it all alone. While keeping your boundaries in place, make a list of help you’d personally love to have.

Do you want meals delivered to the doorstep? Do you want help exclusively with cleaning? Are there other siblings that could use extra attention? Have a sign-up for relatives or friends to take on those tasks themselves. People love to help out a new parent, so let them, as long as it’s still on their terms.

A couple of toddlers on a play date with their parents playing along

Even veteran parents have questions

Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions. Each age is a first experience for a parent that comes with a whole new set of questions. But there’s also the fact that no two babies are the same, so even if you have more than one child, this new baby could need a different kind of parenting manual.

New parent or veteran, ask the question. That goes for any doctor’s visits, asking other parents at playdates, or any time you’re around other fellow mini human wranglers. Ask away.

Hold that baby as much as you want

You will have a newborn for a month, and an infant for one year. Hold that baby. You cannot spoil your little nugget by holding them too much or giving them too much attention. If anyone gives advice like “put the baby down and do something else,” you never have to listen to them. Soon you’ll have a toddler that you’ll never be able to catch, so enjoy those snuggles.

Parents cuddling with their little baby.

Be in the picture

Be in the picture. Be in the picture. Again, be in the picture. We know new moms do not want to have their postpartum look captured, but in a few years, they will wish they were in the shot. So, partners, take the pictures with Mom in them no matter what.

Put advice like “when baby sleeps, you sleep” to bed. Instead, offer advice that any new parent would be happy to hear. If a parent asks you for your words of wisdom, it’s your chance to be nothing but encouraging and helpful. 

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Dannielle Beardsley
Dannielle Beardsley
Contributor
Dannielle has written for various websites, online magazines, and blogs. She loves everything celebrity and her favorite…
When do babies smile and laugh? Social cue timelines, explained
When to expect a baby to smile and laugh. Here's when those sweet moments usually happen
Newborn smiling while asleep

New parenthood can be fraught with worry — is my child sleeping enough? Eating enough? It can be challenging to navigate your concerns on so little sleep.

Then, the subject of milestones comes up. Parents — understandably — want their babies to be on track (or advanced). It’s a sign that things are going how they should, even if life feels messy. Some of the first milestones: Smiles and laughs. The moments are priceless — get your camera ready — but often something a parent may ruminate about after a night feeding. When do babies smile? When do babies laugh?

Read more
What is permissive parenting and is it a recipe for disaster?
Is permissive parenting allowing kids to rule?
Permissive parenting checked off on a parenting style checklist

Parenting styles have been the subject of debate for ages. Recently, ABC's The Parent Test has put parenting styles under a microscope in a new reality show focusing on 12 families with different ways of parenting their children. Critiquing parenting styles is not a new thing, though. American psychologist Diana Baumrind studied parenting styles in the late 60s. Baumrind identified three main parenting styles: permissive, authoritarian, and authoritative. She also studied each one's impact on children.
In the 80s, Eleanor Maccoby and John Martin added a fourth parenting style -- uninvolved or neglectful. What exactly is permissive parenting, and is it right for you? Let's take a look at permissive parenting, as well as the other parenting styles considered the norm.

What is permissive parenting?
Baumrind defined a permissive parenting style as one in which the parents are loving, attentive, and lenient. Kids growing up in permissive parenting environments typically don't have boundaries, rules, or consequences. Permissive parenting is sometimes referred to as a passive or indulgent style of parenting, where the support is high and the demands are minimal.

Read more
What is the most common birthday month? The holidays play a key factor
The most common birthday dates (and the most common month) have one thing in common...
Getting ready for an outside birthday party

Have you noticed there's a specific month when everyone in your child's class has a birthday? Notice months that no one seems to have a birthday at all? There's a reason for that, and it has to do with the timing of the holidays. The most common birthday month that will keep you baking treats for your children's friends and have you constantly running from birthday party to birthday party is at the start of the school year for a reason.
Every child seems to be born in this month
No secret to September
Yes, September has the most common birthday dates. Why? Well, do the math backward, and where does that land you? During the holidays! And what do we do during the holidays?

Between the parties, gatherings, the holiday spirit -- and perhaps the holiday drinks -- we are in better moods, which leads to more adults enjoying each other's company. Plus, it's cold outside and we stay indoors longer. Track those nine months, and September is where the babies land.
The most common birthdays in order

Read more