Becoming a parent is a high stress proposition. There's no doubt about it. Having a baby means saying hello to worry.
Some worry is good. It helps you keep an edge. It helps you stay alert, on two hours of oft-interrupted sleep. It keys you in to consumer product safety recalls you might otherwise have ignored. It makes you think twice before leaving your infant alone in a room with a strange pit bull terrier. But there's a fine line between healthy vigilance prompted by concern for your baby's safety and outright obsession.
Having advance knowledge of the most common first-time parenting mistakes probably won't actually help you avoid them. Like every new parent since Adam, you'll still make mistakes. With luck, you'll learn from them. But it may help to know, when you feel you've made an irreparable error, that you are not alone, and that the world will go on. And unless you mistakenly dip your newborn in the deep-fryer, it's unlikely he or she will ever know the difference, in spite of your guilt and angst.
Here is brief list of a few of the more common mistakes new dads and moms are likely to make.
Ignoring unsolicited advice.
There's something about a pregnancy that brings strangers bearing gifts of unsolicited wisdom out of the woodwork. Sometimes it's endearing, but more likely it's annoying. Who are these people and why do they think it's all right to comment on your wife's body, or worse yet, feel free to fondle her belly in public? The odd thing is, sometimes, there will be a nugget of wisdom buried among otherwise questionable advice and commentary. So be careful not to dismiss everything you hear out of hand.
Heeding unsolicited advice.
The corollary of the above is that occasionally you'll be presented with soundly bad advice. Take everything with a grain of salt, and remember: What works for your family is what works. Period. If you make a mistake, learn from it and move on. No harm done. No one way is ever the only RIGHT way.
Fretting over every hiccup to the point of exhaustion.
This is one of the most common pitfalls of new parenthood. A certain level of hyper-vigilance is both useful and understandable, but taken to the extreme this form of worry can be detrimental and counter-productive. Babies are generally far more resilient than new parents realize. Relax. If in doubt, consult with a more experienced parent before lunging for the pediatrician's speed-dial button.
