Tips For a New Mom of Two
I was doing some reading the other day and came across a wonderful tip for new moms of two kids, particularly a toddler and a newborn. Since that will be me in the not-too-distant future, I decided to save it and share with all of you. It’s brilliant!
The main objective is to make things easy as possible for yourself. Do things to minimize your hassles and deterrents to get out of the house and get things done.
Get a big plastic storage bin for your car and keep it in the trunk at all times. Inside, include the following (if they apply):
- 2-4 extra pairs of clothes for each child
- an extra pair of shoes for your toddler
- 10 diapers for your toddler and 20 diapers for your baby
- a bunch of plastic grocery bags to reuse when you need somewhere to put a dirty diaper or a spit up shirt
- a couple big containers of baby wipes
- jackets for both kids in case of bad weather (and of course depending on the time of year)
- an extra baby blanket or two
- an extra sling or baby carrier if possible
In the front of the car, have a smaller container with a selection of healthy, non-perishable snacks.
Don’t make yourself restock a diaper bag every time you want to go out. Instead, restock this bin as needed once a week. Then, when you go out, bring along your bag and before going in somewhere, just grab those most essential items.
I love this tip!
So please, you moms that are already taking care of 2 (or more), please share with us some of your best tips on making life easier when you welcome a new kiddo to the family!
I also try to have dinner menu's made up a week at a time, it helps when going grocery shopping too! I'm going to start making double on some of our favs. that I can freeze that can be thawed/reheated. My crockpot is my fav. in our kitchen! I make alot more dinners in it than I used to.
I do laundry at night when the kids are in bed. Ask DH and family for help! DH normally makes dinner and does the dishes while I am with the kids.
We double team on the housework when we can, normally on the weekends is when I try to clean the house.
For mornings when we have/want to get out of the house early, I prep as much as I can the night before. Diaper bag on the counter and pre-packed as much as possible. Outerwear on the chair closest to the door. A's cereal pre-measured in his bowl, table set for all 3 of us. Water bottle for N in fridge. Clean diaper set up and ready to put on. I think that's about it. It helps me get out of the house faster.
When Ella was an infant, I would run the dishwasher right after dinner and then unload it before bed, so that I could load in the morning. I prep my coffee the night before (my coffee maker has a timer), I put out towels for dh and I (for showering) the night before... anything to make the morning easier.
I put a load of laundry in the washer EVERY day, no matter how small the piles... that way I won't get too overloaded.
mealplan/freeze food. Defrost meat the night before.
If we are going out, I always throw the stroller (or way back when, the bjorn) in the car the night before... so I wasn't searching.
put car keys/sunglasses in one spot ALWAYS (we have a drawer dedicated to keys/sunglasses and cellphone chargers). Charge your cell every night.
I think basically, you have to do whatever you can to keep yourself one step ahead.
Those are great tips C. I will def. get a storage bin *a small one for my sardine can of a car* to put some things in.
I have no tips
unless you want some great ones on how to lose your keys, forget bottles, and lose pacifires
I keep four pacifiers in a tupperware bowl in the glove box. Also for those of us who tend to lose keys make spares and keep them in the diaper bag you carry all the time, so you never lock yourself out of the house.
Also if you have a toddler that don't like to stay in the cart at the store, take snacks or meals in with you. I normally cut an apple, orange, or some grapes (K's personal favorite). Or I take a PB&J cut in small squares, with crackers. It keeps her quiet and I don't have to put her leash on her and try to keep her still long enough for me to pick out the things I need.
Good point on the stroller, D! Ours is in my car trunk all the time. We don't have carseats in any other car(s), so my car always has the kids. It's still chilly enough that we haven't been taking walks, and besides we have a double stroller I use for that in case N decides to ride.