Many parents find themselves spending every moment stressing over the smallest things. Are you one of them? Did you spend your pregnancy doing research on everything safe and healthy about newborns? From baby-friendly detergents and soaps to greeting guests with hand sanitizer or converting your way of eating to a fully organic kitchen, there are all sorts of ways parents worry about their newborn baby. However, there are some things that worrying about simply won’t matter later. 

For example, when children age and things get hectic, that hand sanitizer easily turns into overlooking children not washing their hands constantly. In fact, even with hand washing, children are going to find ways to get sick. Chances are, as your days seem shorter and shorter, late-night dinner will become more relaxed too; some nights, it may be even be something quick as cereal!

These are not signs of giving up, but as the lifestyle of a parent becomes chaos, some things seem more important than a fully organic meal every day. If you have multiple children, it only limits your time even more. 

The following are some of the things we as parents may worry about as our children are babies that simply do not matter as much in the long run. 

• Organic and Homemade Foods

Nutrition is important, and many people prefer homemade organic meals because it allows you to know exactly what is in them. However, as a parent, you need to realize that with limited time it may not be ideal to stress over every day. Chances are, even if your baby ate the organic pureed carrots or broccoli puree, things change. 

You may find that one day they won’t touch carrots or only want to eat certain things because of the world of processed and sugar-filled foods we live in. When at school, chances are they will be introduced to various snacks and sugary foods if/when a classmate has a birthday. Therefore, at some point, sprinkles may become a food group, and that first year spent stressing becomes rather pointless. 

• Limited Screen Time

There are various debates on screen time, from none at all to very limited amounts before the age of two. Sometimes, screen time can be your only moment of peace to gather your thoughts. When you have multiple children, your thoughts on no screen time become less important, and with everything being a screen nowadays, it seems impossible to prevent. Even schools are introducing children to computers in elementary school, which is why so many 7 years old’s can work smartphones better than parents!

• Expensive Baby Boutique Apparel

As first-time parents, we all want our babies to look their best, but does it make sense to stress over having the latest hot trend and spending more on a baby outfit than your own? Of course, if you’re having a special day such as family portraits, it may make sense to spend a bit more on an outfit, but for daily wear, $45 on a t-shirt that will be stained up by night, not so much. Might as well toss that $4 Old Navy top on and go about your day.

After a while, you get to the point where you realize children go through so many clothes and outgrow them quickly. That is why so many parents simply purchase bags of used baby clothes to save money. If you pay $45 for a top, you’re going to feel bad when they stain it. If you spent $0.50 on a pre-owned top, chances are you won’t care.

• When To Potty Train

Many parents stress over this topic of when to potty train their little ones, with many starting at two years old. Many say starting earlier can be traumatizing, and so could starting too late. However, the truth is there is no “right” time for you to start; every kid is different. Although, just because a baby is using the potty and out of diapers at 16 months doesn’t make them any more of a genius than a preschooler that continues having accidents. Kids develop at different stages; that’s life. 

• Walking 

If you are starting to worry about when your baby will begin walking, remember they develop differently. Some babies will begin walking before their 1^st birthday and skip crawling; others crawl for what seems like forever and don’t walk until well into their 1-year or older. 

Hitting these milestones by a certain age is not a set target, but late bloomers can be a sign of other issues. However, in most cases, it is nothing to stress over. If it is a concern, simply bring it up to your child’s doctor and get their opinion. After they begin moving, they’re never going to stop!

• Solid Foods

Another milestone parents often stress over includes the solid food stage. Again, this doesn’t need to be rushed and will come with time. Some parents suggest waiting until after the age of six months; others simply stress over which solids to introduce first. Instead of stressing over meat vs. veggies or fruits is a combination. Try different things slowly to see what works. 

• Germs

This is maybe the biggest stressor as a parent and one that anyone that’s been a parent for years will tell you – it doesn’t matter. In fact, germs can help your baby develop a stronger immune system to help fight off germs and bacteria in the future. Of course, this doesn’t mean ignore hygiene, just don’t freak out if they put their hands in their mouth after crawling on the floor.