This article will not tell you how to do everything in time because we obviously know it’s impossible for young mothers. But instead, you will learn how to prioritize and make time for yourself if you are already a new mother or plan to become one.
Flexible Planning
Everything gets upside down with the birth of a baby, and in the flood of endless things to do, everything seems completely impossible. We can only see children following schedules and babies sleeping soundly through the night in some books and Instagram blogs.
Planning your day is acceptable but without a rigid time frame. Plan out three things you want to do during the day. If you manage to get through everything quickly and still have time, think about what you want to do most: spare tomorrow or give yourself a break today. And by no means blame yourself if you don’t get even these three tasks done in time.
Always have a plan B in mind. If your child doesn’t fall asleep at the appointed time, switch to some other task. For example, you planned to write an article while your child is asleep, but he didn’t, better clean up the apartment, water the flowers – do any other active thing together with your child, and don’t get upset that it didn’t go as planned. Kids grow up so fast that parents often don’t have time to readjust.
The smaller the little ones, the more attention they require. If you feel like you haven’t had time to do anything all day, sit down for a minute and write in a column how many times you fed the baby, changed clothes, gave massages, rolled a ball, played, put him to bed – the list will be impressive, and you’ll realize what you spent time on today.
Shopping
Shopping can be quite a tedious activity, especially when you’re out of groceries and have absolutely nothing to cook.
Make a sample menu for the week and go to the store only with a list of products, sorted by section of the store. Build your shopping list gradually; if you run out of a product, put it on the list. You can also use various apps to make this task easier.
The best option is to ask your husband to go shopping, especially if you live in a house without an elevator.
Cooking
- The smaller the child, the more fractional the visits to the kitchen will be: you can peel vegetables in the morning, chop everything in the afternoon, boil or roast in the evening.
- On quiet days, make meal preparations: peel and chop vegetables and fruit to freeze. You can also make preparations, such as stuffing and lasagna dough, so you can quickly get the ingredients out of the refrigerator, combine them, and bake delicious lasagna.
- While cooking any dish, there are moments when you don’t have to do anything – just stir and watch. These quiet moments can be combined with cooking something else.
- Give yourself a break and cook simple dishes that do not require long-standing at the stove and many ingredients.
- Try cooking in a multicooker – it will surely speed up the process of cooking porridge and steamed dishes.
Washing and Ironing
Iron only what is critically needed unless you enjoy the process itself. Make sure your husband and older children have a sufficient number of T-shirts and other clothes that do not require ironing, and hide the crumpled shirts deep in the closet; they will not find them anyway:)
The good news is that when the child turns a year old, there is no need to wash their clothes separately.
Cleaning
Take 20 minutes a day to something that annoys you – some people don’t like to make their bed, others get irritated when they have piles of dishes to wash. Take away the annoying element, and the house will immediately look nicer.
Do not set aside a special day for general cleaning and tidy up on the go. Instead, take a watering can from the kitchen to water the flowers and collect cups piled up by the computer on the way back and so on.
Delegation
Involve your family and friends as much as they are willing to help. When a baby is first born, young parents often hear, “Call us when you need help!” – And it’s not just a promise. Your loved ones really do want to help you; they just don’t know what to do to be helpful. So it’s your job to put their energy in the right direction.
As soon as you return from the maternity home, explain to your husband how to take care of the baby and involve him in different activities. This way, you accomplish two things at once: your husband learns together with you how to take care of the baby from the first days, and he will form a bond with his child. Give your husband clear instructions, and feel free to leave him alone with the kid.
Fully trust the person you left your baby with, and it doesn’t matter if daddy feeds the baby the wrong food, too hot or too cold, or if your baby walks around all day in torn socks and some weird hat. The main thing is to give yourself time to rest and not to worry.
