Hey mama! Whether this is your first or fifth baby, we can all use a good mom hack! If you read through this list and think of something you do that I didn’t mention, please share it in the comments! Listed below are 5 new mom tips to make life with a newborn just a little bit easier. My son is 3 and I STILL do all 5 of these things, I can’t recommend them enough. You can find lists of new mom tips anywhere but theses are my favorite.
1: Keep a basket with toys/books in each room
This came out of 2 problems I had. First-my sons toys and books quickly started taking over our family room. Second-whenever I needed to put laundry away, make beds, etc, he was having to pick out a toy or 50 to take with us. THIS STORAGE BIN (which I love so much I bought a second) I use in his room. THIS ONE is for my room. I took a bunch of toys/books from the family room (problem 1 solved) and relocated them to the two new bins so that wherever we are, he has a bin to dig through and old toys to rediscover (problem 2 solved). Rotating the toys/books around every now and then to really keeps it interesting for him.
2: Keep a blanket in your vehicle for changes
I do not enjoy changing my sons diaper in a public restroom. They’re cold, dirty, I never know where to put my bag, and bonus…my son hates it. Of course, sometimes it has to happen. I highly recommend having these on hand so you don’t have to put a germ filled changing pad back in your bag.
BUT lets say we’re about to drive home and I want son to have a clean diaper for the ride home. In this scenario, I have a basket in the car with a blanket that I lay in the back of my SUV or on the back seat. Where I change him depends on the weather. It’s the most convenient to open up the back, lay him on the blanket and stand and the back of my SUV. However, I live in Michigan where sometimes it’s just too cold to keep the back open. If that’s the case, we squeeze onto the back seat instead. I realize that this one might seem a little silly but to each their own.
3: Keep worn out AND stained clothes
As long as they still fit, don’t toss worn out or stained clothes. Instead, save them for one of the following scenarios:
- when your little one is trying new foods. Lets face it, that tiny bib is not doing much. Food will end up on their clothes. At least have it be clothes you don’t care about.
- If they’re playing outside or with paint
- This tip is my favorite. Keep a set of clothes in your diaper bag for those times when you’re out and they spit up, their diaper explodes or they get food on themselves. You’ll have something to throw on them until you get home without having to keep “good” clothes tucked away in your bag.
4: Keep a ziplock bag in your diaper bag
That outfit I told you to keep in your diaper bag…put it inside a ziplock so that WHEN a mess happens you can put the dirty clothes in the bag and put the clean clothes on your precious babe. I also use the bags for when there’s a stinky diaper and we’re at someones home, a doctors office, or changing in the car. The stinky diaper goes in the bag and smells are locked away from other peoples trash or your car.
5: Sort clothes by item, not size
Number 5, the new mom tip I learned a few months too late. I was given a TON of clothes for my son as both gifts and as hand-me-downs (thanks sis). What I learned quickly is that depending on the brand, the sizing can be drastically different. I remember initially sorting everything by size. When my son was around 4 months old and growing out of his 3 month clothes, I started pulling out the 6 month sizes. I found that most of them were already too small for him. Now, I sort by item. When I start to notice that he’s growing out of a lot of his shirts, I pull out ALL the shirts. To give you an example of how drastic the sizing can vary, he currently wears shirts that range from 3t-5t.
Like I said, I started doing these things long ago and still do every single one. These are tried and true mom hacks. I hope some of them will resonate with you and make your life just a little bit easier. In case no ones told you recently, you’re doing awesome and I’m proud of you.
