Bookmark This Page

Delicious Google Bookmarks Stumbleupon Digg BlinkList Blogmarks Facebook Ma.gnolia Reddit Twitter Yahoo My Web Livejournal

The Newborn Checklist: A Great Idea, But…

Every new parent assembles as newborn checklist. In an effort to prepare for the coming of a new child, they try to come up with an organized list of things to do and to buy before the big day. Some people work with a shorter checklist, most strive to be as comprehensive as possible. All of those checklists have one thing in common, however. They never really get the job done!

Does that mean you shouldn’t write a newborn checklist? Of course, not. What it does mean is that you should realize that even your best attempt at determining exactly what you will need and what you will need to do will always suffer from gaps and oversights. There’s a level of unpredictability to receiving a new family member that will always foil our best efforts at preparedness.

Even though you will be tilting at the proverbial windmill, you will undoubtedly try to write a newborn checklist if you have a child on the way. Although your list won’t be perfect, it can be helpful. Here are a few ideas for making your newborn checklist as functional as possible. These suggestions won't make your list into a perfect child-rearing system, but it will make adding a new family member at least a little easier.

First, concentrate on items instead of scheduling. Scheduling and time management is an important part of baby preparation, but it is difficult to set aside time during that busy period to get everything done on a schedule. Additionally, it isn’t always easy to predict how long something will take to assemble or complete. As a parent, you will, somehow, find the time to get everything done. Trying to block out time on a newborn checklist, however, won’t help you much. As such, it is better to concentrate on the things you need more than on the time you will need to spend.

Second, don’t forget gifts. You will be surprised at just how many items that appear on your newborn checklist will end up in your hands as the result of gift-giving. If you purchase everything you think you need, you will end up wishing you had saved some of the money after friends and relatives hand over the same items! Although a newborn gift registry can help with that, many of the people on your list will buy presents without even consulting the registry. Unless you are excited at the proposition of owning five sets of crib bumpers, you might want to wait until the gifts start pouring in before you make your purchases.

Third, make your newborn checklist flexible. Bringing a new baby into the world should be a wonderful time, not a stress-filled nightmare. Although you will want the peace of mind that comes with the idea of preparedness, a complicated or inflexible newborn checklist will add to stress. Be prepared, but be flexible. Understand that your schedule and your real needs (as opposed to those you may have anticipated) will change.

Getting ready for baby isn’t all that easy. In an effort to make things run more smoothly, most new parents take the time to construct a to-do and to-get list. That’s a wonderful notion. However, you should keep your list focused on items while remaining cognizant of gift receipts and maintaining flexibility. If you can accept the fact that your list will never really be perfect and can follow those suggestions, you will have a helpful newborn checklist.