FamilyFire

When a new baby enters your house, turmoil and uncertainty follow. Many parents struggle with knowing if their new baby should be picked up and comforted every time he cries, or whether it’s good to let the baby to cry it out sometimes.

Unfortunately, Scripture doesn’t tell us how to handle all the minute-by-minute issues of parenting and kids don’t come with a guidebook. All of this uncertainty can cause conflict in the house, especially if the parents have different approaches to parenting.

To make sure that your new baby doesn’t cause tension with your spouse, make sure to talk about your approaches toward caring for your child and find a strategy you both can agree with. Now this doesn’t necessarily mean that you parent in the same way, but it’s important that you are talking to each other and understanding each other.

Part of this understanding is realizing that people parent out of their past experiences and that every approach will be different. If your wife felt neglected by her parents, she may be adamant about picking up your baby every time he cries. Your husband on the other hand, may think that it’s all right to let your baby cry at times, especially if that was the way his parents raised their children. Neither of these approaches is necessarily wrong; as long as you understand each other and don’t let the baby have control of the house or your relationship.

The most important thing to learn when taking a new baby home is balance. Discuss with your partner some boundaries you can set up to ensure that your child is not taking control of the house and making your relationship with your spouse suffer. But at the same time always make sure that your child’s needs are being met and he feels loved and cared for. New infants take a lot of time and energy, but your relationship with your spouse still needs be a priority. Ultimately, what matters is that your child feels loved by his parents and is raised to know the love of God.