Child’s Age: 3 Years, 5 Months
Location: New York City (UWS)
Fun Fact About You: My hobby is making quilts!
What has one of your biggest parenting hurdles been?
Our son was a preemie, and his developmental milestones were very delayed starting around six months. We had to see tons of doctors and go through the Early Intervention process. It was so stressful because we had no idea if he would catch up, or if the delays were part of a more serious problem. The most helpful thing was *not googling*. We also met amazing therapists (PT, OT, speech, etc) who were so helpful, knowledgeable, and encouraging.
What has one of your proudest parenting moments been?
When our son was around 2 years old, we found a Sunday afternoon babysitter. We realized that Sunday afternoons were really stressful preparing for the week (catching up on work, meal prep for the week, cleaning, etc etc). It has been SO great for all of us. My husband and I get to catch up on everything we need to and head into the week feeling prepared. Our son LOVES his babysitter and he has a much better time with her than he would being at home while we frantically try to get things done while also entertaining him. It has made a huge difference in our stress levels and happiness.
What’s the parenting advice you wish you got?
I wish someone told me to just lean in to contact naps and to not stress so much about newborn sleep. Both of my babies have only wanted to sleep while being held for the first few months- mostly for naps. With my older one, we stressed out so much about it, and I really dreaded every single nap. With my second baby, I just tried to enjoy the contact naps and lean in rather than fight it and get stressed out.
What’s a perfect parenting product you used?
We have a tiny indoor trampoline for our toddler to get energy out on rainy/cold days. Even in our small NYC apartment, it is worth the space it takes up!
What new things are happening in your child’s life this month?
I just went back to work after having my second baby. Our older one loves Bluey, mini marshmallows, umbrellas, and balloons. Our second is starting solids and starting to roll!