New Parents

Every relationship undergoes changes when a child is born.  Depending on how couples negotiate these changes, relationships can grow stronger or become strained and weaker.  Studies show that the level of marital satisfaction often falls when a new child enters a household.   Protect against this by acting proactively.  

Don’t neglect your marriage for the sake of your child; in the long run that approach will not pay off for you, your spouse, or your child.  

1. Be patient.  Adjusting to life as parents can take some time. 

2. Be realistic.  Babies can be wonderful, but they also can be loud, messy, and stressful.  Life with children rarely mimics that on commercials for baby products.

3. Work together.  Talk about what you feel, see, or need.  View each other as true partners in this new parenting role. 

4. Deal with frustrations.  Exercise, talk to a friend, relax.  Find a way to deal with anger and stress without hurting one another.

5. Accept support.  Parents cannot and should not be expected to do it all alone.  Support one another.  Accept support from others. 

6. Learn as much as you can.  Think of parenting like a very big project.  The more tools, and the better the tools, the more successful you will be.  Learn about children.  Learn about how they learn.  Learn about what works and what doesn’t.