By Sara Jackson, CSW
Safe and Healthy Families

Yesterday, Doug Marchant, a psychology intern with Primary Children’s Center for Counseling and Safe and Healthy Families shared advice with new fathers. Click here to watch the video. Many thanks to Doug for talking about the difficult reality of being a new parent: There will be tough days of little sleep, an overwhelming sense of responsibility and high stress. One of the great messages Doug shared with new fathers is that there is no such thing as a perfect parent; it’s okay to take a break and it’s also okay to ask for help. Here are some additional tips for caring parents who strive to be the best (not perfect) parents they can.

• Recognize that there will be difficult times
• Know that it’s normal to feel stressed, overwhelmed and/or clueless about your child’s needs at times
• Take a break (If you’re the only adult around, leave your child in his/her crib to cry and step away for a moment)
• Enjoy time for yourself (Ask a trusted family member or babysitter to watch your child while you take a bath, go on a walk, or do an activity you enjoyed before becoming a parent)
• If you don’t have someone to watch your child, consider a crisis nursery to help you get a much needed break (Go to http://www.familysupportcenter.org/ for more information on crisis nurseries)
• Create opportunities for your child that will enrich his/her life (Click here to learn more about how enriching experiences stimulate brain growth)
• If your baby is crying and you’ve done all you can to try to meet his/her needs, try bouncing the baby in your arms or rocking him or her; babies love movement (Click here for more tips to soothe a crying baby)
• Know that asking for help shows strength and courage (ask a family member, a friend or a doctor)
• If you are feeling depressed, irritable and have lost interest in things you used to enjoy, you may suffer from depression. If you are a new dad who is struggling with parenthood, click here to learn more about paternal postpartum depression.
• Don’t try to be a perfect parent: Just do the best you can!

Sara graduated with her Master’s in Social Work from Portland State University, and is a Certified Social Worker. She is currently working towards becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She moved to Salt Lake City and has been enjoying getting to know the Southwest. In her free time, she loves hiking, biking, running, taking her dogs to the park, speaking Spanish, learning about other cultures, cooking, and creating self-serve frozen yogurt creations.