HOW TO GET THINGS DONe
Do you feel overwhelmed by the piles of laundry and unwashed dishes? Can’t remember the last time you showered? I’ve been there. But I’m here to tell you that it is possible to take care of yourself and your home while you have littles. Here are my best tips!
START WITH SLEEP
If your child is sleeping the optimal amount for their age (17+ hrs a day for newborns, and 14+ hrs a day for infants and toddlers) you can get plenty of things done while they’re sleeping. But it’s also important the master the art of getting things done while they’re awake! I like to do house chores and errands while they’re awake, and resting/working/adult time while they’re sleeping.
WAKE TIME ACTIVITIES
During Meal Time: Think of meal time as screen-free/work-free connection time, so that between mealtimes, you can get things done without guilt. If your child has started solids, try to eat with them when they eat, connecting over the meal. While feeding milk to an infant, enjoy all the cuddles, skin-to-skin, talking or singing to them, praying over them, gazing into their eyes.
Right After Mealtime: after mealtime, this is a great time to go for a stroller walk and get some exercise or pop baby in the carseat and get some errands done! It’s best to not do these things too close to naptime or baby is likely to fall asleep. If your outing goes up until naptime, it’s fine to do an occasional car or stroller nap, I just recommend at least half of baby’s naps are in a crib each day, preferably the ones earlier in the day.
Middle of Wake Window:
0-12 mos: Allow baby some awake time every day to just lie on the floor on a blanket or in a pack-n-play. Check in and talk to them every few minutes, but don’t feel the need to hold them, wear them, watch them, play with them, or talk to them every second. In fact, that can be overstimulating to them. Babies need personal time to simply relax, stretch, practice their milestones, explore and observe the world around them! It’s totally ok to put them in a pack-n-play or on a quilt (if you don’t have dogs or other children) in your main living area while you cook, clean, work, get ready, etc. Pro tip: put non-crawling baby on the bathmat while you shower, talking to them every couple of minutes! They’ll love watching and hearing the water.
12 mos+: toddlers as young as 12-18 months LOVE to “help” with chores! They can hand you laundry to fold, put away their plastic dishware into a low drawer, stir a bowl of water to “help” you cook, or “help” you wipe a table with their own cloth. It may not be much actual help to you at first, but it’s gradually teaching them these life skills, and keeping them occupied and connected with you while you still get things done.
End of Wake Window: If baby is getting sleepy and it’s not quite naptime yet, tummy time, music, change of scenery, are all good ideas! Cuddles, wearing them, stroller or carseat can make them fall asleep, so these activities would be better to do earlier in the wake window.