If you are like many people – having a baby changes your living arrangements quite a bit. So many people find out that their family will be growing and immediately jump the gun and start looking for a bigger home or a bigger car in order to accommodate having a baby. Is this really necessary? If you live in a one room apartment does your baby need a nursery? Is your two-door car suddenly too small for a baby?
Long gone are the days when young parents would make do with what they had and work towards the bigger and better things in life as their children grew older. Today, it is typical for expectant couples to get a new car or buy a new house because they think that they will NEED these things when the baby arrives. The reality is that your baby needs very little in the first year with the exception of TLC.
Your baby will not notice that they don’t have a room, and they certainly won’t recognize the new car smell or be mobile enough to enjoy a playroom all of their own. Heck, most babies don’t even need a closet and can get by with a dresser during the first few months of life. Plus, there’s a good chance that even if your baby had a room of his or her own – they might be sleeping in the corner of yours anyways.
Jumping the gun and adding expenditures and bills to your life will only make things more stressful in the long run. It is completely possible to renovate a one bedroom apartment to give your baby ample space for a crib or place of their own. Plus, you may decide once you have a baby that you don’t want to rush back to work – yet if you have a big new house and new car, you will not have a choice but to do so. Having a baby changes many things. And certainly the mark of a good parent is not the size of the house that you live in nor the kind of car that you drive. If you are worried about school districts – remember that you have several years to ponder that question as well.
My advice to you is to make things as simple as possible. The first year will go so fast! If you can ensure that you enjoy getting to know your baby and realize that things are not important to a newborn, you will certainly make better memories for yourself.
There may come a day when you outgrow your home, or your car. When that time comes, deal with it. But until then keep your life as simple as possible and cherish the moments you have together.
Written By Stef, Mom of 4 @Momspirational
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.