Managing Time with Baby on Board :)

Managing your time with a new baby can be challenging, especially in the case of babies who are being fed on demand & are not set into a “schedule”. There are many things to remember & we often find ourselves feeling guilty for forgetting or for not having the time. Here are some ways to keep organized to help managing your time somewhat smoother:

Keep a reminder list posted of things that need to be done daily, for example:

• Dosage of Vitamin D (for breastfed babies)
• Moisturize
• Tummy time
• Any daily medications

Get in the habit of marking appointment or time-sensitive things-to-do on a wall calendar that is easily accessible at-a-glance. An agenda is great for planning but a busy mom’s entire morning can often pass without a fleeting moment to look for that Agenda or smartphone (& where is my purse anyway?). Getting in the habit of checking a calendar in an easily accessible area e.g. Kitchen wall, will help a lot. Looking for a calendar that fits? For example:

• 15-day urine test
• Fridge repairman between 8-12
• Call daycare to follow up on availability

Keep a list (some agendas have sections for this already) of things to do that may not necessarily have a due date but need to get done. That way when you have a few minutes to call or email, you have a go-to list & can accomplish a few to-do’s quite quickly. For example:

• Schedule appointment with dermatologist
• Look into mom & tot classes
• Call about soccer for the older ones
• email feedback about defective baby diapers

Menu Planning! This will help keep you organized in so many ways! It will:

• get you out of that “what’s for dinner tonight?” rut that usually hits between 4-5 pm.
• eliminate the last-minute takeout which, nutritionally speaking, is not always ideal.
• save you money- by lessening dependence on take-out & also, when you know in advance what you plan to buy for the week, you will shop accordingly. montrealmom.com also offers a shopping list that is linked to our menu plan so- if you follow the menu plan you just print out your shopping list for the week & you’re done!

Set time aside for those “it just takes a few minutes” things. When we know something just takes a few minutes, we often say “I’ll get to it later” & these are the things that slip through the cracks & before you know it, the visa payment is late, you’ve missed the deadline to apply for soccer. Examples of things to set time aside for:

• Phone calls
• Emails
• Paying bills
• Going through the mail

If you find that you’re in a place where the things to do in a day make the day pass by so quickly that you’ve hardly had time to actually spend with your baby (reading, playing, going for a stroll)- then set time aside for this as well- It sounds sad, but sometimes we have to actually remind ourselves that this is a priority & set time aside to do it- otherwise the days (& seasons!) pass & can result in feelings of guilt & regret about missed opportunities enjoying the munchkin (& yes, I speak from experience!)

If it is an option- enlist some help & NO – this doesn’t necessarily mean getting a nanny – although- if this is an option –it may be the right option for you. Click here for some pros & cons of hiring help in the home as well as some pointers if you do. Some examples of ways to get help that don’t have to cost you a lot of money are:

• Get a milkman
• Have your groceries delivered
• Have your dry cleaning picked up
• Have prescription medication delivered from the drugstore instead of waiting- it’s FREE!