For New Parents

Being a parent is an exciting journey, with lots of magical times and challenges. There are some things that you could think about that will make a difference to you and your child.

• Your baby will love hearing your voice. Talk, read, sing to them, even when they are really small

• You cant spoil your baby with too much love and attention. Babies cry because they have wind, or they need to eat, sleep, be soothed or changed, not because they are demanding or spoilt.

• Some babies are more unsettled than others and may need you to experiment with ways that settle them - you could try taking them for a walk, rocking, soft music, gently patting their back or singing softly to them.

• Your role as a parent is to love, teach and guide your child through to adulthood. A big part of this is helping them to explore their world, experimenting with touching, tasting, listening and watching.

• This will mean babies will try to climb things, poke their fingers where they can, taste anything that they come across, put their hands in their food and generally explore. This is good!

• You can manage all this exploring by making sure small things that your baby can choke on are put away, putting precious things up high and making sure hot things can’t be pulled off a table or stove.

• Rest when you can. This might mean you have to ask people not to visit for a while if you are getting really tired.

• Your friends and family will want to help. Ask them to take baby for a walk so you can get a bit of sleep,or they can help by making meals or hanging out the washing. They’ll all want to hold the baby - but make sure they don’t interrupt the routines you’re trying to set.

• Being a new parent means you will be learning lots of new things. Ask for help if you need it. There are people who can help - for example Plunket, your GP, other parents.