Monday, July 20, 2009
Life with Baby – When and How To Leave the House
I’ve been writing a series of posts on simplifying your life with baby – so you can enjoy this special time in your life. I shared some ideas on simplifying your workload and household routine. These tips make a big difference at home, but what about when you need to leave the house with baby?Don’t overdo it and work around baby’s schedule
Be realistic about the number of appointments, events and activities you commit to, especially the first few months when you’re running on little or no sleep. You’ll need and want the flexibility to be able to just scrap all the activities for those days that follow an especially sleepless night.
Trying to do everything on an “artificial” or forced schedule can be stressful for you and your baby. Instead, try to work within your baby's natural schedule as much as possible. You'll want to get the most benefit from those precious naptime hours, so be a little strategic.
Be prepared for outings
Preparation is the key. I like to keep the diaper bag packed and ready to go in the entryway. I take time to restock when I come back from an outing, which saves me time when I’m trying to get out of the house in a hurry. If I know I need to head out first thing in the morning, I do some extra preparation the night before to avoid morning madness. I'll get the baby’s stuff together (diaper bag, formula, breast milk, etc.), as well as my own things (lunch, clothes, etc.) ready too.
So what do you need to take with you on the road? If your baby is old enough to eat food, or is a toddler, always have snacks, drinks and extra wipes for sticky hands along. Also, the only thing worse than not packing enough items in the diaper bag, is packing so much that you can’t find what you really need. Spend a little time considering the duration of the trip and what your baby will need during that window of time.
I also keep an “emergency” diaper wallet with baby wipes, diapers and a change of clothes in the car. This is a great thing to have because sometimes you need to make a quick trip somewhere and you don’t want to drag around a huge diaper bag. Diaper wallets are much smaller and are a perfect fit for the inside of a medium size purse. It also helps when I run out of diapers in the diaper bag! (I personally have the predessor to this JJ Cole Tactic Changing Purse)
Please share any tips that have helped you simplify and enjoy your life with baby!
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