A Simple Guide To Keeping Your Infant Happy And Healthy

Whether you’ve got a newborn baby or a little toddler, the early years of parenthood can be difficult to navigate. You’ve read all the books on being a good parent, but nothing can really prepare you for having a child. Obviously, that’s the most stereotypical thing in the world to say, but you know that it’s true now that you’re living through it. Still, it’s a wonderful thing. Every child is an individual, so the same rules don’t always apply to different babies. However, intuition will serve you well. You can trust yourself as a parent to know your child and what’s best for them. Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t certain universal rules that will help you to keep your infant happy and healthy in their early years of life. Here’s a simple guide to help you out with the whole “parenting” thing.

Get into a good sleeping pattern

This is a good piece of advice for anybody, regardless of their age. As a new parent, you should make sure that you’re sleeping well too. Of course, the importance of a good sleeping pattern is even more pressing when it comes to a newborn baby or a young child. In your child’s early years of development, it’s crucial that they lead the happiest and healthiest life possible. Sleeping properly is essential to not only ensure that your child is an energetic bundle of joy but to ensure that they’re healthy. Sleep allows the body to rest and recover, but it also keeps the body strong. It’ll ensure that your infant has a stronger immune system and is less susceptible to illness or infection as a result.

Additionally, sleeping well keeps the mind healthy. That’s very important because your child is learning and growing rapidly during his or her early months of life. A good sleeping pattern will ensure that they learn at the appropriate rate. Of course, it might be hard to keep your child asleep at first; they’ll wake up crying during the night more times than you can count. The important thing is simply that you give them the best conditions possible for sleep. A comfortable bed and the right room temperature are both conducive to comfort, for example. And if you have a baby who naps during the day then make sure you keep the house as silent as possible so as to give them the rest they need. It’s hard for the first few months, but it’ll get easier to keep your little one sleeping soundly as they get older.

Look after their skin

A child’s skin is soft and sensitive, and that means it’s prone to problems. Your baby might develop a rash, acne, peeling skin, and other issues that cause you concern, but it’s nothing to get too worried about. Your child can’t be in bubble-wrap 24/7, and health “hiccups” are all a part of his or her growth. Still, there are things you can do to help alleviate skin problems that might be giving them grief. You might want to check out the best guide to treating your baby’s skin rash if you’re worried about their skin problems and unsure as to how you could improve them. Often, you can make an improvement to your baby’s skin by simply keeping them better hydrated or using a different cream or moisturizer to get rid of rashes and other irritations. The important thing is not to worry. You just need to find the environmental trigger that’s causing irritation to your baby’s skin, but time is often the best thing that clears up skin problems. As your child gets older, they’ll be less prone to such issues (until they become a teenager and acne flares up all over again).

Make sure they eat well

Obviously, the type of food your child can eat will vary greatly throughout their first year of life. At first, it’ll be soft and plain food that they can chew easily, but the principle is still the same: they need to eat healthily. All humans, regardless of age, need a certain amount of nutritional goodness to keep their bodies sustained. As children, it’s more important than ever to eat the right kind of food. Your baby or toddler needs the certain kinds of food to ensure that they grow and develop properly. You’re not just telling your little one to eat their greens because that’s the mean game adults play - it’s vital for your kids to get the iron they need for bodily strength, the protein they need for muscle development, and the calcium they need for healthy bones. The list goes on, of course, but the point is that good food equals good health. If there’s one thing that you manage to master as a new parent then make sure it’s a balanced and varied diet for your little one.

Get the balance right.

Whilst you should let your little one play in the outside world with their friends and get muddy from time to time, that doesn’t mean they should completely dismiss the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Remind your child to wash their hands before dinner, for example. It’s important that they learn good habits when it comes to their personal health. You can’t protect them from germs, after all. It’s simply important that you teach them how to prevent the spread of cold or flu germs by practicing good hygiene. Children are more susceptible to health issues than adults, so it’s an important lesson to learn early on in life.

Happy parents lead to happy children.

Whether you’re a single parent or you have a partner to support you, it’s vital that you strive to protect your own wellbeing. You want your infant to be happy, and that only happens if they’re surrounded by happy people. As their number one role model, you need to strive to be the person that you want your little one to grow up to be. Your child is incredibly influenced by you. If you’re unhappy and stressed then they’re going to soak up those emotions, whether they’re 2 months old or 2 years old. That’s why it’s so important for you to take time out to look after yourself. Maybe you and your partner could go on a date whilst your parents look after your child for you. Make sure you keep yourself happy so that you can keep your infant happy. Mental health is the key to overall health, at the end of the day.

**This is a collaborative post.**