Sanity Saving Life Hacks for New and Working Parents

Ideally, we want to cater to everybody’s need to the maximum extent there is. If it’s even possible, we will seek balance to almost everything, from work to family down to ourselves. In reality, there is never such a thing as perfect balance to everything, not all the time. It’s okay. It’s perfectly normal. “Perfect balance is impossible. Sacrifice is inevitable” said Kristen Oganowski in her article Nope,Work Or Life Balance Should Not Be The Goal. Our main goal in parenting must focus more on our child’s welfare and how to put more value on the kind of CARE that we give.

Along with all the brilliant books and blogs you’ve read, also advises you’ve heard from other experienced parents; here are some tricks you can use to help you cut off some slacks and salvage your sanity at the end of the day. Let's begin, shall we?

Even parents need a cheat sheet. Let’s face it; we deal with a lot of things so having a cheat sheet can actually help us remember and refresh our basic knowledge when it comes to child care. An all purpose cheat sheet created by Anish Majundar is available in his article: How to stay productive while caring for a new baby.

This life hack is really cool (as in LITERALLY). Frozen fruits such as berries and sliced banana, also apple sauce or pureed fruit in an ice cube do wonders in cooling down hot morning porridge or oatmeal for breakfast. Yes, you don’t have to wait ETERNALLY! Plus they also make the food of your baby taste even better and healthier because of the added vitamins.

Wear Bathrobe on top of your work clothes when feeding your baby during breakfast. This way you can avoid getting spit- up with baby food or acquiring any unwanted stains just before you go to work. Also it’ll save you time and keep you from running late.

Combining similar tasks at once instead of doing a random approach will speed up the process of ticking off some chores on your list at the same time avoiding situations that could change without warning. One good example shared by Beau Coffron “While you’re cleaning up dinner, instead of just putting the remainders back into the fridge, portion it out to use as lunches the following day. Load it straight into containers or lunch boxes, and you get the clean up and lunch prep done all at the same time.”

Performing different tasks at the same time is tough and is not enough to survive parenthood; we also need to be creative and resourceful. This way we can save more time and money at the same time become more efficient at what we do.

• Save more space and make important things accessible by putting all baby essentials in a container under the crib or placing a detachable hook at the back of your baby’s high chair to store bibs.
• Convert your inflatable pool to a playpen to keep your active little one contained and bruise- free!
• When doing yard work, put bedcovers on top of your baby’s playpen to prevent other insects or mosquitoes from coming in.
• Prevent your little kids from getting into the cupboards by putting cookie cutters on the cabinet knobs.
• Make homemade stain removers using one part Dawn dishwashing detergent with two parts hydrogen peroxide/ baking soda with water.
• Use heating pads to warm up towels, to avoid after bath screams with your baby, and mattress to help shifting your sleeping baby from your arm to the bed.
• Cover the nursery door latch with tape or fabric to be able to open and close the door silently.
• Use a glove, fill it with beans and place it on the back of your sleeping baby at night to soothe him/her with that comforting thought of you holding him/her as he/she falls asleep.

Traveling can be a handful with a baby or with kids, yet it is one of the best ways to spend quality time with your loved ones. Avoid unwanted circumstances that can spoil your trip with these travel hacks:

• Use a shoe caddy in the car to keep your children’s things organized and accessible.
• Prepare fun road activities you and your kids can enjoy during the trip.
• Give kid friendly snacks to your little ones to avoid getting them too hungry when dining in a restaurant.
• Keep toys handy to distract your children and prevent them from misbehaving
• During hotel stays, use band- aids as temporary outlet covers (instant baby proof!)

Between work and the kids or the baby, it is unavoidable to end up being beyond worn- out. Stress doesn’t just make you look old; it is bad for your health too. Find ways to distress every once in a while with these tips which you can actually incorporate with your routine:

• Work or rest during your kid’s nap time. This way you can either speed up finishing tasks or simply relax with no interruptions.
• Take a stroll with your kid on the park, to the mall or just around the neighborhood so you can both enjoy sightseeing and at the same time you can unwind.
• Exercise! It helps getting rid of all the toxins inside your body. You can find a lot of at home exercise tips on the web that you can actually try.
• Let the kids spend overnight with grandmas. This way, they can bond with your parents while you get to bond with your hubby too.

“…the best parenting hack is to know this: You are doing a good job. You’ve got this!”- Lyz Lenz, 15 Lifehacks For New Parents