Parenting while still being parented
Becoming a new parent while still living at home with your own parent/s can be a great thing, however it can also be a big change which can be difficult for all involved to adjust to. Your parent is still going to see you as their child and may try to tell you what to do and how to do things, including how to take care of your baby. Hopefully during pregnancy, you will have had some opportunity to talk with your parents about your dreams of what type of parent you hope to be. Try to reinforce this with your parents from the start, using granny, granddad all the time when talking about them to baby. Communicate with your parents that you really appreciate the support they offer and really feel this will allow you to become a confident parent. Thank them for advice they share but let them know you have to go with what you feel is best also. Talk with them about how they managed the varied opinions when they were new parents. Remember you need to act like an adult now too. Be open to listening, talk with your parents, compromise, find answers together as adults. If you shift from teen to adult and move back and forth then your parents will find it hard to know what role to play. In the early days you may enjoy your parent/s taking a lot of the load off or helping as much as they can until you find your feet as a new parent. However, try to have them focus on helping with housework, cooking and cleaning as this allows you to have the time with baby.