There are five things that have made my life so much easier welcoming our latest bundle into the home. Juggling a newborn with three feisty preschoolers can be a bit daunting, maybe these ideas will help you adjust to life with a newborn (and older kids).
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New Toys: Keep your preschoolers entertained in those early baby days.
I’d like to say I thought of this one myself, but I didn’t. The kind souls at B.You Toys were super generous and sent us a big box of Stackadoos bristle blocks (affiliate link). To say that I can not thank them enough is an understatement. Really, my preschoolers are bored with the toys they already have and receiving something new and wondrous to play with means that I can sit and breastfeed in peace! I love these blocks (and the kids do too!) Once life calms down a bit more I’m sure we’ll incorporate them into learning activities.
Moby Wrap (or any hands-free carrier).
I prefer the moby baby styled carrier (affiliate link) as it feels so snug, almost like I am giving my baby a big hug! And they are super easy to make! I have about a dozen of them (post coming with instructions on how to make one yourself sometime next week). If you have a preschooler you are trying to chase and take care of, having a hands-free carrier is a must so you can still get “baby-cuddles”. I use mine while cooking dinner, playing with blocks on the floor, and/or watching the kids and mediating play outside.
Feed your Freezer!
We can only eat macaroni and cheese and frozen pizzas so many times in a row. I am so thankful that I spent a few weekends before Baby K arrived making meals so all I have to do is pull it out of the freezer in the morning and stick it into the microwave in the evening. We do have several friends who have brought us meals, and I am grateful for them, but I am also thankful that I planned ahead of time with kid-friendly foods. The last thing I want to do is fight with my preschooler about eating his dinner while trying juggle my fork and infant.
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Snack Bags: Feed the kids and entertain them in the process.
I love giving the kids a chance to be independent. We use snack bags for road-trips, but they are also really great if you want to lengthen a snack time, to make it into more of an event. I made the bags in advance, then put them in reach of the kids. When baby K is getting a mommy snack, the older kiddos can go grab their snack bags. They enjoy the variety and digging out their favorites first. The snacks that go into the bags vary each time we make them.
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Cayenne Pepper (TMI warning!)
Pepper?!? I know you are probably wondering why this is a must have, but for a recuperating momma with preschoolers it is requirement! Lifting older siblings is unavoidable. It seems that I have to rescue someone who climbed onto the top of the dollhouse, or who can’t get out of the crib, or separate two tasseling kiddos, you get the idea. All of these are big no-nos for recuperating postpartum moms! And yet, we can not not intervene! Cayenne Pepper has been used in WWI and WWII as a clotting agent on battlefields. It really helps speed up the recovery process. I have used it with two of my four pregnancies and have had a much quicker recovery the two times I took Cayenne pepper (in spite of lifting heavy objects/children after delivery). Take it in pill form daily and you will heal in record time.
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Have you brought an infant home to a household of preschoolers? Feel free to share your recovery and survival tips in the comments and I’ll be sure to link up to you!
