Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Mommy (and Daddy) Resources

Now that Mina is older (almost a toddler! Ack!), I don't have a compulsion to check every single milestones, events, acts, that happen for her against sources like the BabyCenter, Babiesonline Blog, and other parenting sites like Parents Connect. I think the first few weeks I had her I would literally check every parent site on a daily basis, as well as my trusty What to Expect the First Year book. And now the compulsion has died down. I've gained confidence in my parenting abilities.

If you're a new parent, know that there are resources out there, online, literally a few clicks away. Remember that parents have been there before you and have survived. You will too. I promise.

You're guilty about feeling angry, frustrated. You're worried about your baby's poopy diaper, about how much or how little they're eating or drinking. Whatever your worries are. Don't panic. Check out the resources available to you. Your questions probably all have simple answers.

Now that I'm a parent of soon-to-be-toddler, I have a new set of questions. When should she start preschool? Is really that important? How do I get her to practice her large and fine motor skills? I start noticing differences between her and kids her age. Should I work on the things she isn't good at, and other kids are? Am I being too authoritative in my discipline style, or am I doing it just right? She is a really well-behaved baby, my little Mina; have I stifled her too much?

Like Baby Center, Parents Connect have resources for babies and toddlers, but also for kids, preteens and teens. Because we all know that as parents, we'll need all the help we can get, right?