baby care and being prouctive?

Melissa - posted on 03/25/2010

i was a stay at home wife before i became a mother. when i got pregnant my husband told me it was okay for me to quit my job and stay home. so i have. yes things we easier when i didnt have a baby, yes things can be challenging on a day to day bascis to get things done but i would not change it for the world. what i do is, i have a 4 month old daughter, i put her on her play mat, so i can do dishes, or put her in the bumbo on the counter while i do things. what i do to keep her happy while i do things is talk to her and try my best to interact with her while im busy. i wait to take a shower and all that when she takes a nap. i do alot of my cleaning when she is taking nap. yes you have to stop what you are doing to change them and feed them but its worth it. what i do so i can cook every night for my husband is use my crockpot. i put it together the night before and it the morning take it out of the fridge and it will cook all day and save me time. here is a great cookbook so you can use your crockpot: fix it and forget it big cookbook.

Kristin - posted on 03/25/2010

With a 6 month old, dont sweat it too much. Shoot for semi-clean.

I put together to do lists sometimes. But, it only has the really important stuff on them; pay bills, water plants, oil change/car care, books back to library. The other stuff(dishes, laundry, dusting, etc.) can wait for there to be two adults in the house. The timer is a great idea for the boxes. And if you haven't opened some of them after 6 months to a year you can always get rid of the contents. A swing or highchair will work as he gets bigger/older. Naptime is always good, if you don't need one yourself.

Be patient with yourself and find a level of mess you can live with for now. I will get better.

Stephanie - posted on 03/25/2010

it's hard at first but try to get into a routine. do housework when the baby naps or put the baby in a packnplay, high chair or bumbo seat. i used to put on a baby movie or just music and give them toys to play with when i knew they didn't need to be watch every second so i could get things done. space out your housework throughout the week. good luck!

Gina - posted on 03/25/2010

Right now, caring for your baby is your first job. When you are an old woman, you'll never think of your messy house, you will recall your moments with your kids.

Housework can wait. If you feel you need to, then do some work in short increments. Set a timer for fifteen minutes and work on a box during that time. Do that three times a day and you'll probably have two or three boxes done by the end of the day.

And remember, that baby will become more independent, so just relax.

Gina

Melissa(missy) - posted on 03/24/2010

i agree with the high chair it always works even if for only 5-10 min to switch a load of laundry,or put ur face on they love to watch mommy do hair/maycup..or wile cooking they are content just watching u zoom around the kitchin w/pots and pans,or sing to them wile ur doing that

Melissa(missy) - posted on 03/24/2010

take advantage to get things done during nap time thats about the only way!!

Ariel - posted on 03/24/2010

what are your favorite crockpot recipe websites? im kind of a 1 recipe wonder right now with my crockpot(okay 2 recipe wonder, but you get the idea;) ).

Grace - posted on 03/23/2010

Yeah, i mainly use my sling when we're out at the grocery store or doing errands. Great for going on walks too. I used it during or flight from VA to CA when my baby was 3 weeks old.

Heather - posted on 03/23/2010

I take care of a 7 month old and am also the sole person responsible for cleaning, once in awhile my hubby helps out with dinner, like if I buy a taco kit, and on fri and sat nights he will often cook. He is waiting for back surgery, so their isn't too much he can do to help.
I don't find the baby slings much help in housework, but for getting around quickly for errands that don't involve much carrying they are great. (I don't drive, but live in a downtown core with awesome public transit)
I really like what that one mum said about writing down what you do, so you can see at the end of the day, how much you really did. I'm going to do that tomorrow.
I sit my little one her high chair with a bunch of toys or lay her on a play mat while I clean and unpack (we moved when I was 6/7 months pregnant). The high chair is great, cause I can pull it right close to me and sing and talk to her, sometimes even just nonsense sounds, or made up songs about what i'm doing. Just like the one our mum's sang to us, "this is the way we wash the floor, wash the floor, early in the morning....."
oh, and my crock-pot is a life-saver.

Grace - posted on 03/23/2010

You need to be careful with those baby slings and carriers though, you can't ever bend over while your baby is in them or else the baby might fall out. Just be careful.



I have a sling that i'll use with my baby sometimes and it's awesome. A great help!

Chessa - posted on 03/23/2010

You should look into babywearing! They have lots of great carriers (mei tais, moby wraps, etc) that allow you to 'hold' the baby and still have both hands free. Xiao just wanted to be held all the time until he was like a year, so my mei tai saved my life lol. Jumperoos are good too, s/he's probably big enough for one at that age. I could put him in there and as long as he could see me, that gave me at least 15 minutes to do something :)

Rebecca - posted on 03/23/2010

It's a big adjustment becoming a mum for the first time. I moved states when my baby was 3 months old and then found it really hard to be productive (I got into a rut). What worked a treat for my was my little black book as I loved to call it. Just a small book I picked up from the newsagency which I wrote what I needed to get done that day (with little boxes so I could tick them off), I also used it to write shopping lists, messages, reminders for myself. Everything to keep me organised. I even had an area for things that didn't need doing right away, but there on paper to do if I get everything done early. It was a great way for me to firstly know what I needed to do that day, secondly be able to tick off what I did do so I could see the progress and thirdly so I would be more organsied. Being a stay at home mum is a job and should be treated like one, so having prescibed lists of things you must do in the day gives you a sense of achievement and contribution to the family. That's what I loved about it the most. It gave me the motivation I needed. Good Luck!

Ariel - posted on 03/23/2010

Thanks ladies for your support and ideas. Today was pretty productive! I like the list as i complete things too as a way of seeing I am actually doing things. I''l keep checking back for more inspiration from you all.

Keisha - posted on 03/23/2010

well girl, i have a 13yr daughter..and just had a boy in december..i know big age diff....but i find it easier to carry my son around in his carseat or bouncy seat in to each room i have to do something..that way he is gettin interactiion, cause as im washin dishes or doin laundry i chat to him, plus he gets a diff perspective of wat each room is..and i get things done..i know alot of women do it when their kids r sleepin..but i perfer and it works for me to do it this way..try it..and if u ever feel overwhelmed step bk n take a deep breath look at ur child n smile..everything is worth it when u look into ur childs eyes n see smiles...good luck

Grace - posted on 03/23/2010

What I have taken to doing recently is as I go about doing things I'll write them down. Things like 'fed the dog' 'did the dishes' 'put laundry in' etc... And then at the end of the day I realise how much I really did around the house even with the baby to look after.



The easiest way I have found to keep the baby entertained while I do housework is to have her in her highchair or bouncy seat or this little activity chair I got for her. I put the chair in whatever room I'll be cleaning and give her some toys or a little bit of finger food to keep her entertained. I also sing to her a lot. Just random songs that she likes to listen to me sing. Sometimes I'll put on some 'real' music and as I'm cleaning I'll dance around a little bit, she ges a kick out of that. As long as I pay attention to her every few minutes I can get things done.



The best time to get things done really is when the baby is down for a nap... Though I tend to use this time more as 'me' time and relax for a while.



It got easier when my daughter learned how to sit up on her own all the way. I no longer need to use any of the chairs, I can just sit her on the floor in any room and give her a few toys to play with. My dog helps a ton to keep her entertained. The dog will come and lay close to her, she will get very excited and try to touch the dog.

Sharise - posted on 03/23/2010

I completely understand. Im a mom of two (a 2.5 and a 1yr old) and I am just now getting into the swing of things. I learned that the best way to ease the overwhelmed feeling is to make yourself a schedule. Plan ahead what u need to do for that day. I was never very domestic either and I never thought i would b a SAHM. But I always schedule 'me time' at least 30 min...even if i have to get up early to fit it in. And dont try to do everything n one day. Spread things out to give urself more time.plan to unpack one box n a day...instead of 3 or 4. pick one or two days for laundry, instead of trying to do it everyday. Crock pot meals give u more time as well, b/c u dont hve to hover over the stove for hours cooking a meal for u n ur hubby. PPl used to tell me to work while my children slept, but i was so tired, i slept too. So just remember to do what works for u. i was a morning person so i'd get up early n clean. or u could do it at night. or while the baby naps. it may take a while but u'll find what works best for u. Just remember to make time for urself. i started going to a gym with a daycare so my son could play and i could get out of the house and do something good for myself. It even gives me a boost of energy to get thru the rest of the day

Ashley - posted on 03/23/2010

I agree, nap time is the best time to get anything done! My little guy is 15 months so trying to accomplish anything while he's awake is near impossible. Once he became "mobile" if there was something I had to do I would bounce back and forth. Throw in a load of laundry then spend a few minutes playing. He's gotten to the point where that doesn't really work anymore so now I invlove him in whatever I'm doing. The high chair idea is another great one too, wish I'd thought of that! Throw some cheerios on the tray and let them have a blast, lol! Just don't overwhelm yourself and try to multi-task. You'll never be able to get anything finished that way! Good luck =0)

Jennifer - posted on 03/23/2010

I'm a first time mum too with a son who's going to be 4 months old on Saturday. When i need to do the housework I usually sit him in his bouncy chair or lie him on his playmat so he can play. As your little one is older and may be too heavy/big for a bouncy chair you could sit him/her in a highchair whilst you do some cleaning or lie her on the floor so she can play with toys.



Babies do need interaction but you don't need to be there all the time playing with him/her, babies enjoy playing alone too. Try doing chores whilst your little one is asleep that helps me a great deal =]

Julie - posted on 03/23/2010

Do you have a high chair for lil one? You can always put them in it while you clean the kitchen so they can see and feel involved. The best advice I guess I can give is to just pick on thing to get done at a time. If you get it done and baby is still happy start another. If your baby takes a few naps during the day, maybe pick one to clean up a bit before you go lay down too, if you also nap at nap time:) If that doesn't work for you, when your husband is home ask him to take care of baby for half and hour so you can get a couple things done. HOpe this helps, and just know that lots of us have gone through this.

Ellen - posted on 03/23/2010

Hun, you are not going to get everything done at once. do what you can and save the rest for latter. When your lil one is napping do some more. Just take your time and don't stress yourself out about it.