A Guide for Moms on Getting Through the Day

When you're a mother, nothing's easy. While motherhood is without a doubt one of the most rewarding professions ever, it is also one of the hardest. Here are a few tips that will help iron out some of the wrinkles!

Tip #1: Stick to a schedule. This is especially important while your children are young. I haven't had a great deal of experience yet, as my daughter is only seven months old, but I do know this: a (moderately) structured child is a happy child. For the first three months, Samantha cried incessantly and woke multiple times a night. The first night after putting her on a schedule, she slept straight through, and the crying decreased dramatically. Just as adults have a recommended caloric intake and sleep recommendation, babies have certain amounts they need to eat and certain times they need to sleep. You, as a parent, need to determine when this happens. Baby will be happier, and you will have a lot more time on your hands.

Tip #2: Find little tricks to make it easier on yourself. A big one that I have discovered is putting baby to sleep with a fan. This allows you to vacuum, run the dishwasher, and whatever else you need to do without running the risk of waking up the baby. Having a constant sound going also guards against sudden startles from the family dog barking or cars honking outside baby's window.

Tip #3: Multitask. Any family with children also has laundry-lots of it! Keep the laundry running while you are doing other things, and fold it in the floor while baby is crawling around and exploring in the same room. If you have to mop, do it at the end of baby's nap so you can let the floor dry while you are feeding or changing a diaper. Also, look into purchasing a baby carrier that you can wear on your front or back. These are available at most major retailers, including www.target.com, and sell for as little as $20. Babies love to ride around in these while you do typical household chores such as dusting or sweeping.

Tip #4: Cook meals that are simple and not time consuming. Homestyle Bakes are an excellent way to do this! Located on the grocery aisle next to the Hamburger Helper, these meals-in-a-box are surprisingly delicious and unbelievably easy to make. They're affordable too, at only $3 a box, with each box feeding four adults with average appetites. These meals require an estimated five minutes of preparation and have a 40 minute cook time, which is usually just enough time to get everyone ready for dinner. Also, pick up a Fix It and Forget It cookbook, which is full of recipes for the crock-pot-another excellent time saver.

These four tips help me get through every day just a little bit easier, so that I can enjoy the time with my family instead of sweating the small stuff. Hopefully they will provide you with the same advantage!