I knew my life would change in SO many ways when I had my son. As a new mom, I knew I’d experience sleep deprivation, fluctuating hormones, and changes in my priorities. I knew it would be a lot of hard work, but I had no idea how overwhelming keeping up with my regular day-to-day responsibilities would feel. While most days felt never-ending, I also felt like I never had enough time to get things done. Dishes piled up, laundry baskets overflowed, and dust and dog hair collected in every corner and crevice in the house. I found myself thinking, how does anyone manage to keep the house clean and have kids?
If this sounds familiar, know that you’re not alone. My son was born about three years ago, and I still have trouble getting all the housework done. That said, I have found a few tips and tricks along the way that have made my day-to-day life a little easier, and I hope they’ll be able to help you, too!
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Invest in Cleaning & Organization
Anyone who has spent even a few hours around a fresh baby knows—newborns are messy! Before I had my son, we bought a new couch covered in soft upholstery. I thought, “Wow, this will be so cozy for us!” And while it is very cozy, I seriously underestimated how much time I would spend spot cleaning. Enter the Bissel Little Green Machine! This portable carpet and upholstery cleaner is a complete lifesaver. It has multiple attachments to help you get into hard-to-reach areas. From small spills to much bigger messes, it deep cleans without leaving stains, odor, or residue. Plus, its formulated detergent is pet and family-friendly, making it a win-win for everyone.
I remember walking around my house with my son strapped to me and eyeing the dust bunnies collecting in the corners of our hallways, dreading the work it would take to haul our bulky vacuum cleaner around the house to clean them up. My sister-in-law would always speak highly of her high-end cordless vacuum, but we’d had one in the past and didn’t feel like its efficiency measured up to the cost of the investment. We finally decided to try our luck with a budget-friendly brand from Amazon instead, and I can’t believe we didn’t do so sooner! The Belife Cordless Vacuum works as well, if not better, than the high-end model we had in the past. It has three levels of suction to work with different types of spills and flooring. It’s super user-friendly and comes with all of the attachments you need. The battery does need to charge often, so the company recommends buying an extra; that way, you always have one fully-charged battery on hand.
To simplify your life and reduce dirt and grime, invest in the Shark ION Robot Vacuum. You can use Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or the Sharkclean app to command it to clean at your request. It has a two-hour runtime and is equipped with sensors to prevent it from bumping into furniture or walls or falling down stairs.
After installing hardwood floors, we initially bought this mop for our son’s room but have since started using it all around the house for daily cleanup. From sticky messes to dirty paw prints, this lightweight mop helps keep our floors clean without occupying much space or time. As our son has gotten older, he actually loves doing this chore himself!
The Container Store
Having a place for everything helps reduce clutter and mess. The Container Store is your one-stop shop for organization, cleaning, and simplifying your life. From closets and bathrooms to home offices and garages, The Container Store offers storage solutions to fit your specific needs. They even provide an abundance of gadgets and tools for cooking and cleaning to help make your life easier.
Use Baby Gear to Your Advantage
When I really needed to get chores done around the house, I had to think of different ways to accommodate both me and my son.
For me, the easiest way to do the dishes or vacuum the house was to baby wear. The Moby Baby wrap is the number one registered for wrap, trusted by moms everywhere. It can be used from birth to up to 33 lbs and parents rave about its ease of use, breathe-ability and comfort for both them and the baby.
My son was really picky about where he’d let me put him down, but he thankfully was so content in his bouncer seat. I’d put him in it to relax and could actually get a full load of dishes washed! This one from Ingenuity is awesome. It’s a 3-in-1 seat that will last from birth through toddlerhood. It starts off as a bouncer, changes to a rocker and then eventually a stationary seat.
Some babies prefer a swing instead of a bouncer seat and I’ve heard moms talk about their little one contentedly swinging for over an hour at a time! Imagine all of the things you could accomplish-hands free! The 4moms mamaRoo is a top choice among baby swing options. It has 5 motion settings, 5 speeds and 4 different sounds. It’s even Bluetooth compatible so you and baby can hang out and listen to your favorite tunes together while you clean around the house.
Another favorite option for entertaining baby is the Fisher Price Kick & Play Piano Gym. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever encountered a baby registry that didn’t have this item listed. And for good reason! My son was hard to please in his first months of life, but this was such a hit. He would happily lay there, looking at the cute toys and kicking his feet to make music. With over 65 sounds and phrases, plus lights and music, you really can’t go wrong with this play gym.
Ask for Help
In the early days of our son’s life, we wouldn’t have been able to survive without the help of our friends and family, in addition to utilizing dedicated hired services.
A meal delivery service can be such a blessing when you have a newborn. Home Chef makes it easy to get nutritious and delicious meals delivered straight to your door. Every week, choose from over 35 meals and 18 extras. If you don’t need a box one week, just skip it! You may want to consider adding a Home Chef gift card to your baby registry!
Did you know that Walmart offers home cleaning services via Angi? You can select the number of bedrooms that need to be cleaned, as well as book and manage appointments easily through the Angi App. They even offer appointment times from 7 am to 11 pm, so you can easily find a window that fits your schedule. Since this service is a digital purchase via Walmart.com, you can easily add the cleaning service to your baby registry and plan ahead for your future needs!
Worry Less About Cleaning
You deserve to spend less time worrying about cleaning and dirty dishes and more time relishing the newborn snuggles. Remember to add any of these gadgets and services to your baby registry so friends and family can help lighten your household load. And, of course, remind everyone to hop on over to RegistryFinder.com to locate your baby registry!