Top Life Hacks and Parenting Tips for the Busy, Working New Mommy (and Daddy)
1. Invest in a Roomba (robotic vacuum). I have not had to sweep the floors ever since we've moved to our new condo apartment. (Plus babies love Roomba!) The best-selling model on Amazon has "Dual HEPA filters that trap dust, allergens and tiny particulates, leaving behind fresh, clean air."
2. Prepare everything before you go to sleep. Clean bottles, the milk pumping supplies, your next day's outfit, etc... Have everything prepared so you don't have to go crazy with chores before you leave for work. Yes, you'll lose around an hour of snoozing, but you'll start your morning with less stress!
Phil and Mama's Favorite Life Hacks from around the Web:
3. Freeze a pacifier to sooth a teething baby's gums.
image from http://www.mother-2-mother.com/momsicles.htm
Put breast milk or formula into an ice tray and stick in a pacifier (like a Phillips Advent BPA-free soothie, see picture below). I don't recommend juices because most pasteurized juices are too sugary and devoid of real nutrition, and babies shouldn't drink unpasteurized juices. After the pacifier freezes, you can give it to your teething baby to soothe his/her gums through the teething phases.
4. Make taking medications less traumatic for the baby!
Snip a hole in the tip of a spare pacifier. Fill the dropper with the right amount of medicine before sticking it into the pacifier. This will be less traumatic for your baby. I actually prefer to mix the medication (if it's a liquid) in with the breast milk or formula. The yucky taste is diluted, it's relatively mess-free, and your baby wouldn't be able to tell a difference.
5. Store bibs behind the high chair using a Command hook.
image from definitelyjennifer.com
6. Reuse the crib when the baby grows out of it!
image from http://distractify.com
Parents, what are some hacks and parenting tips that you'd like to share with us?
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