Share your tricks!

MrsCaddyshack · January 2012

So the post about "what new moms do all day" had me thinking... I've adopted "tricks" to manage getting things done with LO, and thought I could learn some more from the rest of the ladies.

For instance, I have a little nest on top of the dryer, and LO will generally tolerate me doing some laundry as long as she hears the hum of the dryer and feels the vibration. Also, I've started to learn how to bake proteins for dinner, since I can prep during her naptime and just throw it in the oven when my hubby leaves work.

I'd love to hear yours!

vanessa11411 · January 2012

When LO has a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep we put him in the car seat. Strap him in and cover it with a blanket. Then I place the car seat on the bed and I sit next to it and flex my feet. He gets the sensation of him being in the car. It works like a charm.

I'm currently doing this so I can bump a bit lol I'm going to have muscular calves.

Vieve831 · January 2012

My morning routine is completely dependent on LO enjoying his mobile for a solid 20 mins (which he does 90% of the time). During this time I cook breakfast for myself and eat it, make coffee, feed the dogs, and let the dogs outside.

Another trick is that I put LO in his swing and go through my filing cabinet and shred paper. Its a little humorous that with all the chores around the house that I am neglecting I am able to organize my filing cabinet, but at least I'm getting something productive done!

To take a shower I put him in his FP infant to toddler rocker on vibrate. Between that and the white noise of the shower I can get a good long shower in. When I am doing my post-shower stuff I just have the blow dryer on standby and turn it on if he gets fussy.

authorofdreamz · January 2012

Wow you guys are much more clever than I am. I just do everything while she naps. If she doesn't nap, nothing gets done. LOL.

tvdiva12 · January 2012

authorofdreamz:
Wow you guys are much more clever than I am. I just do everything while she naps. If she doesn't nap, nothing gets done. LOL.

Yup, same here. Wish I was crafty and had tricks to getting stuff done with her awake. If she is awake and I need to do stuff, I can entertain her in the swing for 5 minutes or so, but I hate showering with her awake, I can't shake the fear of anything happening to her when I'm away for 5 minutes. Yup, gotta get over that soon

staciemc · January 2012

I don't have any sweet tricks, but here are a few things that work for us these days.

As a substitute to sticking DS in front of the TV, I put Disney music on Pandora and that keeps him content for at least a few more minutes.

I run my errands on days that DS is having a hard time napping since he will at least fall asleep in the car seat while we are going all over town.

I make more complicated dinners (something that takes more prep time) on the nights DH comes home early. When he isn't home to help take care of LO, we have leftovers or fend for ourselves. Or I make DH take us out to dinner

TimeRacer · January 2012

Addy likes to be sitting up when she's awake. I've propped her in the corner of the couch next to me while folding laundry plenty of times.

knottie198f1ac43570b6c2 · January 2012

I finally got sick of not showering, so now I just drag the RnP into the bathroom with me. Even if she is awake, the noise of the exhaust fan and the shower will put her to sleep. I agree with PP about preparing food while she is sleeping so that I can just throw it in the oven when she is inevitably awake when I am ready to eat.

We also recently got a highchair, and it is totally adjustable so I have it set up so that she is leaning back, but she can still see everything. She loves it because it gives her a totally different view and it lets me get the living room cleaned up without worrying about her fussing or the dog messing with her.

Liz1485 · January 2012

I lay LO on the bed for tummy time when I'm folding laundry. He usually sleep for about an hour after he eats so right when he's asleep after eating I pop him in the swing and do dishes, start laundry, change bedding, etc. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle so I end up doing dishes like 4 times a day (we don't have a dishwasher.)

For dinner, if it's something where I cook meat, then mix it with something (pastas for example) I'll cook the meat whenever I get dishes and laundry done for the day and LO's asleep, then put it in the fridge. Then when DH gets home and settled I'll make the rest of dinner. It really cuts down on the time. It goes from being an hour long process at once to a 20 minute process and a 10 minute process. Now if DH is busy doing stuff after work and LO is being a pain we just have something like frozen pizza or lasagna or stuff like that but I cook almsot every day since it's my "I don't have a baby attached to me for 30 minutes if I do this!" time.

I'm still too afraid to take a shower without DH home so I wait until he's off work to shower.

MrsCaddyshack · January 2012

Liz1485:
I lay LO on the bed for tummy time when I'm folding laundry.

Does your LO like tummy time? I feel like my baby is getting worse at it instead of better. At two weeks she would hold herself up on her hands and get her neck into the air and move her head around. Now, she has feet and arms in the air like a turtle on its back and just screams!

desine77:
I finally got sick of not showering, so now I just drag the RnP into the bathroom with me.

I put the bouncer in the bathroom and baby girl hangs out with me. I can generally shower and get my hair blown dry just because the sounds amuse her enough. When she's old enough to get bored I'm not sure how I'll get ready!

jadebaby · January 2012

tvdiva12:

I hate showering with her awake, I can't shake the fear of anything happening to her when I'm away for 5 minutes. Yup, gotta get over that soon

I put her in her bouncy chair, strap her in and bring the whole thing into the bathroom with me and set her on the floor. That way she is in the same room with me and I can peak out at her. If she is fussy I normally talk to her or sing to her and that helps.

ETA: This is before I strapped her in one day. I snapped a picture to send to DH.

thsyearsgirl · January 2012

Vieve831:
My morning routine is completely dependent on LO enjoying his mobile for a solid 20 mins (which he does 90% of the time). During this time I cook breakfast for myself and eat it, make coffee, feed the dogs, and let the dogs outside.
Another trick is that I put LO in his swing and go through my filing cabinet and shred paper. Its a little humorous that with all the chores around the house that I am neglecting I am able to organize my filing cabinet, but at least I'm getting something productive done!
To take a shower I put him in his FP infant to toddler rocker on vibrate. Between that and the white noise of the shower I can get a good long shower in. When I am doing my post-shower stuff I just have the blow dryer on standby and turn it on if he gets fussy.

This! DD is completely mesmerized by her mobile. It's the Fisher Price Precious Planets projection mobile. She acts like every time she sees it is the first time. I can always let her watch it while I do what needs to be done. Of course sometimes it is hard to walk away because she is so cute cooing and kicking while she watches it.

Vieve831 · January 2012

thsyearsgirl:
Vieve831:
My morning routine is completely dependent on LO enjoying his mobile for a solid 20 mins (which he does 90% of the time). During this time I cook breakfast for myself and eat it, make coffee, feed the dogs, and let the dogs outside.
Another trick is that I put LO in his swing and go through my filing cabinet and shred paper. Its a little humorous that with all the chores around the house that I am neglecting I am able to organize my filing cabinet, but at least I'm getting something productive done!
To take a shower I put him in his FP infant to toddler rocker on vibrate. Between that and the white noise of the shower I can get a good long shower in. When I am doing my post-shower stuff I just have the blow dryer on standby and turn it on if he gets fussy.

This! DD is completely mesmerized by her mobile. It's the Fisher Price Precious Planets projection mobile. She acts like every time she sees it is the first time. I can always let her watch it while I do what needs to be done. Of course sometimes it is hard to walk away because she is so cute cooing and kicking while she watches it.

same mobile! I also sometimes just stand there watching him.

EngleK · January 2012

Ds likes his playmat. I put the mirror at the top and he likes to stare at it and make faces at himself-so cute! Appararently I need to get a mobile though....

Also he loves music. I use pandora and play piano music when he is fussy and doesnt want to go to sleep. It really calms him down. Emile Pandofli is the station I play. It is great and soothing.

vanessa11411 · January 2012

Vieve831:
thsyearsgirl:
Vieve831:

My morning routine is completely dependent on LO enjoying his mobile for a solid 20 mins (which he does 90% of the time). During this time I cook breakfast for myself and eat it, make coffee, feed the dogs, and let the dogs outside.

Another trick is that I put LO in his swing and go through my filing cabinet and shred paper. Its a little humorous that with all the chores around the house that I am neglecting I am able to organize my filing cabinet, but at least I'm getting something productive done!

To take a shower I put him in his FP infant to toddler rocker on vibrate. Between that and the white noise of the shower I can get a good long shower in. When I am doing my post-shower stuff I just have the blow dryer on standby and turn it on if he gets fussy.

This! DD is completely mesmerized by her mobile. It's the Fisher Price Precious Planets projection mobile. She acts like every time she sees it is the first time. I can always let her watch it while I do what needs to be done. Of course sometimes it is hard to walk away because she is so cute cooing and kicking while she watches it.

same mobile! I also sometimes just stand there watching him.

Same mobile here too. I turn it on when I have to get DD ready and fed for school.

CrimsonStar · January 2012

I've dragged the RnP into the shower several times too, luckily it fits b/c even our main bathroom isn't that big! I also have it in the bathroom when I'm doing hair/makeup and brushing teeth in the morning if she's not sleeping.

Vacuum while baby wearing - lets DD sleep and house gets clean, a challenging task these days... My morning routine is also centered around LO, I usually have my morning coffee while watching news on the couch and nursing.

gina2433 · January 2012

When we go out and he falls asleep I let him sleep in his car seat when we get home. It gives me some time to get things done. I know is having a good sleep because of the car ride:) not really a crafty trick but it works.

tbaisch · January 2012

Wow...these are all great...I am excited to try them...my LO doesn't sleep much during the day.

But to at least keep her happy since she is up all the time..I put her on her playmate where she can kick it so everything on there will move. I also play the piano or guitar because of the music.

To get dinner done I put her in a high chair and explain everything I am doing as if I'm on a cooking show and she just watches and loves it.

Also for pandora there is a station called toddler radio that is great. A lot of the songs I forgot when I was a child are on there.

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