New babies require a lot of time and attention. Unfortunately, the rest of the world does not stop while you attend to your newborn. Dishes still need to be cleaned, meals still need to be made, and someone has still got to go to work in order to provide for the essential means for the family. When it comes to managing your time, you may feel like working on a schedule is just one more thing that you will never have time for. Instead of trying to get back to your old routines right away, ease yourself and the baby into a schedule with a plan that everyone can be happy with. As you fight for that extra five minutes of sleep, consider trying some of the following tips; they may be exactly what you need to regain control of your schedule and to better manage your time.
• Ask for help. New babies oftentimes require an individual’s full and undivided attention. That means that chores around the house may not get done unless you call for reinforcements. Relatives, neighbors and friends can be called upon to come and help you with things around the house. If you have the money, you may consider hiring extra help for a little while. You are not a bad person or parent if you cannot do everything yourself.
• Sometimes the best thing that you can do to manage your time is to take some time off. Take turns with your mate when watching the baby. If you need to leave the house to take a break and regain your thoughts, go for it. You are not a parental machine; you are a human being with needs and imperfections too. You will be a better parent if you are allowed some time to yourself.
• Cook large meals so that you can simply re-heat leftovers later in the day or for meals later in the week. Also, you can cut down on the time it takes you to wash dishes if you only have to do it once.
• Taking a baby with you to perform your regular chores will add more time to your travels. Have a baby bag packed and ready at all times. This way you are not late for appointments, and you are not scrambling at the last minute to try to pack everything that your baby may need while you are away.
• Find ways to multi-task. Try to make meals that you can eat while you feed the baby. Fold your laundry while watching TV or wash the dishes to the sound of the radio to give yourself a break and do work around the house at the same time.
• If you are nursing your baby, invest in a breast pump. Pumping milk ahead of time, refrigerating it, and bringing it with you, makes feeding times away from home a lot more convenient. Also, if you have a milk supply in the fridge, anyone else may feed your baby while you work on something else.
• Do your best ahead of time to make sure that your house is ready for the baby. Clean and organize things ahead of time so that when the baby is born most of the large projects and loose ends have already been finished. You can make and freeze meals ahead of time for easy preparation when the baby comes.
• Encourage your baby to have a schedule. Children love schedules. They find comfort in knowing what to expect on a daily basis. Be observant of how often your baby needs to eat and sleep and begin to plan around these times. Try to make nap times and feeding times around the same hours of the day. Keep baby awake and alert during the day with play, bath time and activity so that the baby is more ready for bed when mom and dad are. Often, you can manipulate your child’s schedule to fit your time needs.
Parenting viewpoints from parents in the trenches, because parenting doesn’t come with a manual. In addition to
My sister had a baby about a year ago and I know she really struggled to juggle all the things she needed to do whilst still having time for herself at first. My mum encouraged her to get the baby into a routine and ever since she finds things so much easier beacsue she knows the times when she can get things done while the baby is sleeping.
It s not easy to set a routine or schedule to your baby, at times it works and other times it s just plain tiring! My baby is 3months old and I don’t have any order in my life feel so lost, wonder how I am going to have other kids?????