How To Be A Hands-Free Parent: Getting Things Done With A Baby

As a new mom, looking after your newborn is a wonderful experience. However, it sure does come with its own challenges. Your little one needs your constant attention and care, especially during the first few years. This might make it hard for you to actually get anything done in the house. The trick is to understand your baby’s interest at each stage and try and figure out how you can leverage it to your advantage. However, it is important to keep in mind that each kid is different, and their routine and interests would therefore be different as well. So, as a mom, you will have to ultimately figure out what schedule works best for you and your child.

Below we have listed a few tips and tricks that you could use to get things done in your house while taking care of your baby.

In This Article

Housework/Work

Housework

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Maintaining a house with all the cooking, cleaning, and laundry is work! Now imagine doing all that when you have a baby in the house. You are sure to get worn out in hours. This could also hold true if you are working from home. Managing your work while taking care of your baby can seem quite challenging.

  • Get A Rocker Or A Swing For Your Baby

While it may not be a great idea to have them spend too much time in it, you could definitely get some work done around the house while they sleep. Although they might hardly catch some 2-3 hours of sleep in it, you could definitely take advantage of that free time.

  • Get An Activity Gym Or Lots Of Toys
Get An Activity Gym Or Lots Of Toys

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Children are curious beings. So they naturally get distracted when they see something that catches their attention. You could get your baby an activity gym or a variety of toys that they could play with. This will keep them occupied for a long time. You might also check your luck with random objects lying around the house, such as plastic bowls, cups, and saucers, because, believe it or not, some kids prefer those over fancy toys!

  • Keep Them Close To You

Babies are almost always comfortable when they are near their parents. You must have noticed how your little one finds it hard to play with their toys when they don’t see you around. It is also easier for you to do your chores or office work when you know that your kid is in your vicinity, where you can see them. You could start by keeping their rocker or playard near you when you are busy with housework. That way, you can get work done while keeping an eye on your little one. You could also talk to them while doing your thing to make them feel calm and safe.

  • Get A Carrier
Get A Carrier

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A career is the best option if you want to have your kid with you while getting things done. This allows you to move around and use your hands while carrying your baby with you.

  • Don’t Procrastinate

With a baby in the house, it is best to do stuff as you go. This means you will have to clean up after yourself as much as you can. Wash the dishes as soon as you are done eating and fold your clothes as and when they are out of the laundry, because as much as you plan to do it later, that time may never come.

  • Check Your Baby’s Sleep Schedule
Check Your Baby’s Sleep Schedule

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A sleepy baby is a cranky baby. So make sure they get enough sleep. Babies tend to sleep during the day usually for a few hours at a time. Once you figure out this schedule, you could start planning your day accordingly and get things done when they are asleep. Everything starts becoming much easier once you figure out your baby’s sleeping habit.

Exercise

Exercise

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Engaging in some kind of daily physical activity is essential especially after labor. Having a kid should not be the reason you don’t work out.

  • In fact, you could find a number of ‘mommy and me’ workouts that you could try out with your baby. This will keep them engaged while you burn some calories.
  • You could also go for daily stroller walks with your baby. You could speed up the pace a bit as long as your baby is comfortable with it. This way, you can make sure that you are getting some exercise while your baby gets some fresh air.
  • You could also take a trip to the nearest grocery store or shopping mall with your baby. Aside from getting you out of the boredom of staying home all day, a shopping trip with your little one will help you get some fresh air. However, make sure you feed your baby and change their diaper beforehand to enjoy a carefree trip.
carefree trip

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As a mom, it is important for you to remember that raising a newborn is going to change your life completely. You will have to make some adjustments to your needs and schedule in order to take care of your little one. However, remember that you need to be strategic in order to nail it with a lot of trial and error. Let us know in the comments section how you raised your kid while taking care of the house and yourself.

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Mitha Shameer
Mitha ShameerB.Tech
Mitha is passionate about writing on topics related to women and children. She loves to present the brighter side of life to her readers in the form of her articles. With more than two years of experience, she writes on games, stories, arts & craft, celebrations and more for MomJunction