5 MORE Parenting Tips To Make Life Easier!

We can all use some practical tips.

Photo by Liana Mikah on Unsplash

Being a first-gen SAHM is such a wild ride. There are some days — dare I say weeks? — where I feel really overwhelmed and unsure of our routines. And then there are periods where it feels like things are running smoothly and the trains are all on schedule. Right now, we are in a great groove even though only a few weeks ago things felt totally out of control. And as a first-gen SAHM, I don’t have a ton of resources for how to get things back on track. Who do I ask? Who can I call for advice? Who else would understand having a three-year-old and a 1.5-year-old at home all day and could help give me a structured routine?

But as things have fallen back into place, I thought I’d share another short list of “life hacks” that have been helping us these days. I know that I’ve really enjoyed my time with my kiddos lately and there are a few reasons why. So let’s get into it!

1. Kids’ podcasts. We recently got a book about Thomas the Tank Engine from the library and my son just loved the stories. I was inspired to check and see if there was a children’s podcast for Thomas the Tank Engine, and there is! We had a 30-minute drive on Sunday, so I threw on a story-time with Thomas and my children loved it. Kids’ podcasts and stories are a great way to engage my children without any screentime since we don’t watch any movies or TV unless it’s as a family. During the time my younger son naps, I find it really useful to give my son his Yoto player to listen to while he plays with his toys. Sometimes, he just enjoys listening to the stories. Other times, he listens while he tinkers around. But it gives us all a little bit of time to gather ourselves in the middle of the day. Before designating the Yoto as a quiet-time activity, my older son wanted my involvement all day. Now that we have the Yoto player, he can be a little more independent and I have a few minutes to myself each day.

2. Inside/Outside. A typical routine for our family is going out each morning, coming back for naptime/quiet time, and then either playing at home or setting up a playdate. When my younger son’s nap schedule settled into a two-nap structure, our routine was interrupted and I could see the effect it had on all of us. My baby wanted to get out between his naps, but my older son thrived when we would leave in the morning. So we either spent all day out and about — my husband could stay home with our younger son while he napped in case of emergency — or we stayed home most of the day. We were all out of wack. But luckily, my younger son is now down to one nap and we are back on track! We have been going to the library or park in the mornings, coming home for naptime/quiet time in the afternoon, and then taking it easy the rest of the day. This schedule works really well for children because it gets them out for the first part of the day so they can get out their energy, then gives everyone a chance to relax before reconvening as a family to spend time together and prepare for dinner and bedtime.

3. Packaged healthy foods. Since we go out every morning, I try to pack a balanced lunch of snacks and healthy(ish) items to fill my children’s bellies in case they fall asleep on the way home. I know that a lot of people these days are anti anything packaged, but it has been a lifesaver for getting us out of the house each morning and I personally feel good about giving these foods to my children. Trying to make every single thing from scratch was prioritizing the food over my presence, and so I prefer to keep things quick and simple. Perhaps one day I’ll have extra time, but for now, I offer:

   1. Siggi’s Yogurt Pouches OR Stonyfield No Sugar Added Yogurt Pouches

   2. Clementines (the easiest fruit to travel with in my opinion!)

   3. String Cheese

   4. “That’s It” Fruit Bars

   5. Magic Spoon Protein Bars

   6. Eggo Waffles (okay, I know this definitely doesn’t fit the bill with healthy, but it’s a great travel option for a quick and filling lunch alongside all these healthy options!)

4. Waking up a little early. We’ve all seen the women on social media who wake up at 5 AM to have their “alone time” before the rest of their families wake up for the day. For now, I’m not going to be one of those moms. I have little children at home, I tidy the house and spend time with my husband in the evenings, and I don’t need that much alone time. But I think waking up about 15 minutes before your kiddos can give you a little time to prepare for the day ahead. Waking up early doesn’t have to be overambitious; but waking up early enough to have a few minutes to wash your face, get a cup of coffee going, and perhaps sitting down to draw up a to-do list can just give you that little bit of time to gather yourself I think we all need. I started doing this recently and it made the sounds of my children waking up in the morning a happy part of my morning rather than a jarring alarm clock.

5. Ten-minute tidies throughout the day. I used to leave all the mess for the end of the day and then clean for HOURS. I recently started cleaning throughout the day and including my children in the process and it has made such a difference. I still have to clean in the evening, usually due to the dinner mess, but there is so much less to do at night when I keep up with things during the day. I think I used to feel guilty about using my extra time to clean when I could be sitting with my kiddos or playing with them or doing something for myself. But cleaning my home is for all of our benefit and we all are much happier operating in a clean and tidy home.

Being a first-gen SAHM means constantly learning on the job because we don’t have the benefit of passed-down wisdom. So I hope that sharing my lessons with you helps! Do you have any good tips? Share down below!