Being a parent is lovely and rewarding on so many levels. But also unbelievably tiring (especially if you have ones that want to party all night long like my two!) and on occasion stressful and/or chaotic... So here are 6 tips that will either make things quicker (always a bonus when you've hit that tiredness wall), easier (who doesn't love an easier option?!) or may just come in handy at some random moment...
Inco pad over and under sheet
We
all know the awful torture of sleep deprivation. Well this trick can
save valuable minutes in the middle of the night. Priceless. When making
the cot bed do the following: inco pad on mattress, sheet on top, then
another inco pad and lastly a final sheet. Now the next time your baby
has a big urine/vomit/any other bodily fluid spill you just whip off the
top sheet and inco pad and hey presto, the bed is already clean and dry
so you can just pop your baby straight back in bed :)
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| Can you spot the inco pad? |
Clothes pegs
An
essential thing to keep in your nappy bag. Always carry at least 4 and
then teamed with a muslin/blanket/jacket/jumper (delete as appropriate
depending how desperate/organised you are!) you have an instant buggy
blackout blind.
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| D's first bus trip aged 1 week. Nicely sleeping thanks to the pegs :) |
Socks as gloves
Have
you ever tried to keep gloves on your baby's hands? If you're not a
parent then you won't even be able to guess at the complexity of this
process! I actually learnt this trick by modifying how we secure
cannulas in babies at work. Next time you want to keep your baby's hands
warm just pop a pair of their socks over them. Guaranteed to stay on.
Perfect.
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| Reindeer socks at Christmas... |
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| Snug as a bug in a rug |
Iron for laminating pouches
Ever
really wanted to laminate something but not had access to a laminating
machine? Story of my life. Laminating stuff is great - you can make
playdoh mats, whiteboard pictures, sensory bags, sun catchers... The
possibilities are endless. And totally within your reach, even without a
laminator. Just use an iron (or hair straighteners) and run it gently
over the surface (cover with thin cloth first so no direct contact
between iron and plastic) until plastic sides are bonded. Amazing. And
Poundland sell packs of A4 laminating pouches so no excuses :)
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| Dry erase "trace-the-line" |
Muslins
Always
have at least one on you at all times. They can pretty much be used for
anything. The very obvious like wiping noses and catching vomit. The
pretty obvious like creating a sunscreen for the buggy or acting as a
breastfeeding cover. The slightly obscure like fashioning a new outfit
(or even nappy when desperate) when out and about with no spare
clothes... And the more obscure like straining your cheese with when
making sugar-free baby-safe frosting (just wash it first!!). Has
anything else in the history of the world had so many uses? I don't
think so!
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| Why have one when you can have a WHOLE PILE?! |
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| Hmmm the one occasion where a muslin let me down... she's supposed to be swaddled! |
Vapour rub on your boob
Sounds
weird? But a real life-changer if your breastfed baby has a cold. Get a
baby-safe vapour rub like "Snufflebabes" and rub some on the upper
outer quadrant of the breast you're about to feed from (ie near where
your baby's nose is about to sit). Then relax as your baby's nose gently
clears whilst he feeds himself into a nice deep dreamy sleep...
******
Have you got any parenting hacks? Anything that made your life (or your kid's) much easier? Please share!
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