When you become a parent, sometimes even leaving the house can feel like the biggest task. It doesn’t matter if you have one child or five children, as the amount you need to organise feels the same!
Here are some helpful tips from our parenting expert Claire Thompson, The Newborn Nanny, to help you feel in control and even get to leave the house quicker!
Changing Bag Top Up
We fly through nappies, wipes, bibs and clothing on a day out! After a morning at the playground, it’s standard to pull out the pack of Choose Plastic Free Baby Wipes to wipe dirty hands and faces and pop them under the buggy rather than back in the bag.
The issue is, when we go to use the bag again- the change of clothes is not there anymore, wipes are gone and we are stuck! My top tip is to go through and prepare the changing bag at the end of each day. Add in nappies, wipes, extra clothing in a sealable bag (very useful for soiled clothes to go back in!) plus sterilized soothers, sheilds etc.
Even if we have the best intentions to pack the bag in the morning and leave on time, a small child can always be unpredictable- explosive nappies, needing a top up feed due to growth spurts, putting on their shoes “all by themselves”! Repacking in the evening takes the hassle out for the next day.
Car Organisation
The car is like your home from home.
In my car, I make sure to have a full change of clothes in a sealable bag, a spare pack of wipes (or two!), a changing mat, plus some non-perishable snacks (crackers/dried fruits) and hand sanitizer in a little bag/caddy. A blanket is a handy extra depending on the time of year.
A picnic blanket lives in my boot- if you live near a beach, it may be a bucket and spade, or a pair of wellies might be your go-to. It is always the spontaneous excursions out that we feel unprepared for, so keeping those items where we tend to need/use them most, it just makes sense!
On the go
- Buggy/Travel System: A changing bundle that lives under the buggy- one nappy, one pack of wipes, hand sanitizer wrapped up in a changing mat, can be a make shift changing bag.
- Entertainment: A Zip-loc pouch with plain paper and colouring pencils/markers can distract 12 months+ in all types of situations- waiting on food in a cafe, at the doctors, visiting a friends house etc.
- Snacks: Anyone with a toddler will understand the importance of this one! I find that even going to a café, they may not have food out immediately, which children do not seem to comprehend! Or there may not the baby-friendly option- so come prepared. Baby yoghurts, chopped fruits/veg, breadsticks are our go-to!
- Toilet Trips: These can be quite urgent when it comes to a potty training toddler- so do not leave yourself stuck! Portable potty’s are a must for littles who are afraid of the ‘big toilet’ (or for parents who can’t stand the thought of their little ones putting their hands under the rim of a public toilet!!) Otherwise, all I need is a pack of Choose Plastic Free Baby Wipes and hand sanitizer spray. Easy to grab, and I spray and wipe every surface before a little hand touches a toilet seat!
The more prepared you are in advance, the easier it is to get out and about. The anxieties that come with being a parent and becoming stuck away from the house, are greatly reduced with the more prep we do.
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