Let’s not kid ourselves, as much as being a mom or dad is a joyful experience, it’s also extremely demanding on your time and energy. So here’s a list of parenting hacks to make your life a little easier. Use our tips & tricks to save some of your time for more important things than folding socks, like taking a relaxing bath or a tickle party with your baby and you know… stay sane.
Hacks around the home
Ditch non-essential tasks
This parenting hack is a no-brainer, which baby needs his clothes folded or ironed? Think about your typical tasks and eliminate or adapt the ones that are sucking your time but aren’t creating value. For example, instead of neatly folding baby clothes, organize them in baskets or sections according to their usage.
Involve the whole family in chores
Unless they are a baby, everyone living in the house needs to contribute to maintaining the house clean and clutter free. From sorting the laundry, to picking up toys, sharing house shores with kids teaches them a sense of responsibility and to appreciate the work that goes into taking care of a home. When the kids are little, keep their task simple and try gamifying it.
Keep a donation box handy
We tend to accumulate a ton of stuff we never use and the clutter piles up. Instead of doing a big “Marie Kondo” purge, designate a donation box where you place all the things you don’t need or want. Once it’s full, head to the charity shop so your discarded items can find new owners.
Parenting hacks in the kitchen
Grocery shopping
Keep an ongoing grocery shopping list on the fridge or on your phone to avoid wasting time trying to remember what you need. If it’s a good option for you, do the bulk of your shopping online to save time going back and forth.
Buy on sale
When your typical purchases are on sale, buy a few extra for storage. It’s especially useful for all the baby changing items, toiletries and preserved foods.
Find inspiration in the sales items to beat cooking monotony. Not only is it an opportunity to think of different recipes or try different ingredients, it’s also good for your wallet and the environment.
Double cooking portions
A great parenting hack for saving tons of time in the kitchen is simply to prepare bigger portions. Instead of just making the amount of pasta / veggies / rice… double it. Keep half of it in the fridge to eat that week or in the freezer for later. You’re literally cutting your cooking time in half. Another advantage is that you always have meals ready in the fridge or freezer, so whenever you are tired or don’t have much time, you know there’s healthy homemade food available.
Parenting hacks on the go
Always carry snacks
Avoid buying overpriced, over processed sugary snacks or drinks by carrying a couple of healthy alternatives in your bag or car. Have snacks appropriate to your child’s age, but also some that you enjoy yourself. Nut bars or dried fruits are great options that resist any weather.
Keep your diaper bag ready to go
When we are already running around the house to get ourselves and our baby ready for the day, it’s a great time saver to have our diaper bag already prepped.
Instead of preparing your bag before going out, get it ready every time you come home. When you empty it, just refill with cleaned items at the same time. Don’t forget to include our Nourishing Balm to treat rashes and boo-boos.
Be selective about toys
As babies grow into toddlers it’s great to have their little bag of toys for them to carry around and distract themselves with. Avoid toys that have too many little pieces that get messy or loud. Having 3 different toys is a good number, like a plush toy, a coloring book and 3 crayons, and a story book.
A note about mobiles for youngs kids
Don’t keep your kids busy with a phone. From the screen’s blue light that affects sleep to the radiation emitted by cellphones, many studies show the health risk of cell phone exposure and its impact on behavioral development. Unfortunately, parents keeping kids busy watching cartoons on their phone while having dinner at a restaurant is becoming commonplace. Kids are kids, they can get loud and they don’t deal well with boredom. Learning how to behave is part of growing up, just like setting boundaries is part of parenting.
Wellbeing hacks
Make a routine
On days when we’re too tired or stressed to get organised, it’s great to fall back on a routine that allows us to operate on autopilot. Take the time to create a routine that includes all the little things that need to fit into your day. When you need it, it will spare you time wasted trying to figure out what to do next when your brain is off.
Sleep train your baby
Putting your baby to sleep in its cot doesn’t have to be a wrestling match. A great night of sleep starts before you put your child down. A great parent hack is to establish a bedtime routine. It removes the stress of bedtime for both parents and babies.
Read our article about sleep training your baby.
Until next time, Tania xx