Monday, June 29, 2009

Life with Baby – Are You Trying to Do It All?

Life with baby is wondrous, magical and fun, but your household will never be the same. With children life is more chaotic and complicated, but also livelier, happier and more fulfilling. It takes time to adjust to becoming a parent, as does incorporating your wonderful new baby into the rhythm of your life and household.

One of the biggest adjustments I had to make as a new mom was to stop trying to do it all. We want to feel like we can do it all, but really, do we really have to do it all?

The first step is to adjust your expectations.
Try to be reasonable, perhaps the beds don't have to be made every day. Your house really doesn't need to be spotless, just not dirty.


Once you let go of perfection, you need to decide what your priorities are.
What is most important and how often does it need to be done? For instance, do the dishes have to be done every day or is every other day okay.


Finally, you need to be prepared to share the workload – yes delegate!
You have to get your partner involved so there’s a fair division of tasks. He might need to step it up during those first few months! Spend some time together reviewing and dividing tasks fairly between you. Depending on the age of your other kids, they can help out too. Even a toddler can help put his toys away or push a “swiffer” around the house.


Don’t forget to take all the help that's offered. If it's your mother-in-law offering to watch the baby for the afternoon, take it! If your best friend brings dinner, take it! When your hubby offers to "clean" the house, take it! This might mean that things aren’t perfect or exactly the way you want them, but it'll save you time and simplify your life.


If you can’t manage the workload as a family, consider hiring professional help even if it’s just on a temporary basis. Your baby won’t stay little for long so enjoy it. Remember to breathe, leave everything as is once in awhile and go on a play date with your baby!


I’ll share some great organization tips and strategies in an upcoming blog on how you can simplify your household and free up more time to spend with your baby.

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