5 tips for managing life with a newborn

Life with a newborn can be hectic can’t it?! Especially when you already have two older kids who won’t let you just sit on the couch all day and feed / nap / gaze at this little creature who does nothing yet demands alllll of your attention.

So far I can’t really complain though. Luca is a pretty chilled baby, although like all of my babies  – boy LOVES to eat.  So I’ve had to be pretty organised so that in those few moments where he does actually let me put him down to make sure the essentials get done. Ie. madly throw a load of washing on, throw some food together or hang out one of the eleventy billion loads of washing that I do each day.

Today I just wanted to share my top 5 tips for surviving life with a newborn.  This applies whether you’ve got just one at home or you’ve got older kids running around as well.  Watch the vid below or scroll on to read.

My tips for managing life with a newborn

1. Slow cooker meals

Babies tend to be less needy in the mornings and basically by 4 or 5 o’clock you can forget about putting them down for even five seconds to feed the others.  This is where slow cooker meals (and those freezer stashes) come in. I try to be organised and throw an assortment of things in the slow cooker each morning so all I have to do is serve it come dinner time (which I’ve mastered at doing one handed).

2. Attempt one thing per day  – no more!

How many times have you written a to do list with 10000000 things and found that you haven’t even gone anywhere near it because the whole thing just ends up feeling overwhelming? Yep me too. I’m definitely a recovering over-estimator when it comes to what I think I’ll get done in a day.

When it comes to life with a newborn I’ve found it essential to keep my to do list super simple for a couple of reasons. When I only plan to do one thing each day it gives me a really clear focus and I almost always actually get it done – even if it takes me all day to do it! One thing is achievable and makes me feel like I’m getting somewhere, rather than feeling like I’m failing at life – which I’m clearly not because all the children are still alive = winning!

3. Embrace the mess

You can spend all of your day trying to clean up. OR you can just embrace the fact that your home is not going to be pristine for a verrrry long time.  Embrace the mess and spend the extra time doing things you enjoy instead, like snuggling that adorable baby.

4. Create routines around the stuff that MUST get done

While I’m a big advocate for ‘good enough is good enough’ in most areas of house cleaning. I.E no one has ever died from sheets that aren’t washed as regularly as they probably should. BUT there are inevitably some jobs that must be done every day. Create a routine around the things that just have to get done so that you can get in and get it done without even thinking about it. I used to (mentally) fight a lot of the jobs that I have to do daily, so instead of them just taking the time it took to complete them, it also took me all the time I spent thinking about them as well.

Make a routine. Stick to it and before you know it you’ll do all those jobs that just have to get done on autopilot.

5. Feeling super tired and grumpy? Seek sunshine and/or water.

You know those days where you wake up grumpy.  Often (because they also play off our energy) kids will be extra needy on these days too. I’ve found the best solution to the grumps is some sunshine and / or water. Sit out on the grass. Go to the park. Anything to get you out of the four walls of your home that you’re all bouncing off. Water therapy also works – whether that be a bath, a long hot shower or a dip in the ocean.

So that’s my 5 tips for life with a newborn.  I’d love to know what you found essential for surviving this very intense period of time with babies.