The phase when nobody sleeps, everybody smells, and one mesmerizing baby convinces you, "I Need You Now."
New Baby:
PARENT RESOURCE CENTER
Maybe that's why every book on babies seems to be primarily dedicated to keeping them happy (stop the crying, please!) or helping them sleep longer (so you can sleep longer).
You've never known sleep deprivation like this.
the New Baby Phase
welcome to
When faced with the choice between sleep or a shower, there are days (no one's counting how many) when cleanliness doesn't win out. The smells aren't all bad though. Just watch how long it takes grandma to lean over and sniff a new baby the first time they meet.
You’ve never really smelled like this.
Your baby needs you more desperately, more consistently, and more frequently than at any other stage of life. They need you to feed them, clean up their messes, and help them get to sleep. They need you to comfort them, smile at them, and entertain them. And although the days can be long and the tasks can feel demanding, only one thing matters most at this phase: you be where you're needed.
You've never been needed like this.
Emphasize embracing your child's physical needs to plant the seeds of your child knowing God's love. Especially in these early years, forming familiarity with Church and modeling faith patterns prepare your child for what comes next.
plant the seeds
In The Early Years:
In the New Baby phase, your role is to embrace their physical needs.
- Preschoolers think like an artist. | You help them learn when you... engage their senses.
- Preschoolers want to know, "Am I safe?" | You capture their heart when you... establish trust.
- Preschoolers are motivated by safety. | You coach them when you... consistently meet their physical needs.
Think. Want. Motivate.
Rhythms & Responses
Make the most of Each moment (Eph 5:16)
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Why Rhythms & Responses Matter:
Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Eph 5:15–16)
In other words: Life is short & the days are evil. Days, however, are also opportunities.
Our English word opportunity comes from a Latin word meaning, “toward the port,” suggesting that a ship can take advantage of the winds and tides to navigate safely toward the harbor.
The brevity of life makes it all the more important to make the best use of the opportunities God gives us. Much like a ship, in life's short journey, there are winds and tides that can be leveraged for a good purpose.
In Paul’s time, when Roman persecution was on the way, how foolish to waste opportunities to win the lost when soon those opportunities might be taken away! In the moments we have with our children, this is why our rhythms and responses matter: that by the grace of God, we could redeem the time we have, no matter how fleeting or frustrating.
Wind down together. Provide comfort as the day draws to a close.
Bath TIME
Be personal. Spend one-on-one time that communicates love and affection.
Cuddle TIME
Reconnect throughout the day. Make eye contact and hold them close.
FEEDING TIME
Set the mood for the day. Smile. Greet them with words of love.
MORNING TIME
be wise with your time.
"God, thank You
for this healthy baby."
"We are going to church!"
"Jesus loves me."
Pray aloud while
you are with your baby.
Sing hymns while
you hold your baby.
be wise with your words.
This year you will incite wonder so your child will know God's love and meet God's family.
Your baby isn't ready to make a public declaration about what they believe, but that doesn't mean you can't begin to lay a foundation for their faith.
In this phase, incorporate faith into a few of your daily routines.
show authentic faith
– Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Our aim as parents
Child Developments & Change
Your Child's Growing Capabilities (1 Cor 3:2)
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Why Development & Change Matters:
But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready. (1 Cor 3:1-2)
At one point in time, you had to start out with the basics. As you learned and you grew, you were able to handle more difficult things. This is why Paul compares himself to a mother in places like 1 Cor 4:15 and 1 Thess 2:7.
A major part of intentional Christian parenting means giving your children what they need when they need it. By being aware of their milestones and tendencies, you can adjust their goals with their capabilities.
Then, as they near their next milestone, you're there waiting to celebrate, and you're ready to give them more. A good parent knows when their children need to grow. Instead of just leaving them with milk, like Paul, we should desire to give them more and more as they become ready for it.
As your child grows, this is why you need to navigate the changes well: that by the grace of God, you could help them stretch and learn to know the Gospel at every age. To do this, you can't just meet them where they are, you must know how to gently push them on where they need to go.
- Mirrors your expressions
- Distinguishes happy faces from sad faces
- Turns away from strangers to show fear
- Shows surprise at loud noises
emotionally
- Has distinctive cries for different needs
- Turns toward your voice
- Mimics your tone and "babbles"
- Understands around 70 words & may say first "words"
socially
- Is mildly aware of everything
- Learns through their five senses
mentally
- Lifts their head and chest
- Reaches for objects & rolls over
- Sits up & grabs with two fingers
- Crawls
- Stands unsupported and maybe even walks
physically
your child is changing...
In the early years, setting the right rhythms and setting the right long term goals are important for the long haul. If you want it to happen for your kids, it starts with you.
Resources For This Stage
No matter how much you prepare, no matter how much you work, you're going to miss something. You're going to mess up. You're going to say or do something you regret. And yes, God can redeem even your short-comings as a parent.
To the best of our ability, we can hope that we use the tools given to us to be Godly parents, grandparents, and mentors. But thanks be to God that the salvation of the children in our care does not depend solely on us.
To play on Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 3, I ask: What then is a father? What then is a mother? One can plant, and one can water, but it is God who gives the increase.
So, as a parent, do what you can. And aim to do it well. But trust that God, who is able to do far more abundantly than all that you could ask or think, will be glorified throughout all generations, even yours.
God's got this.
This all might sound like a lot, but I can assure you...
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