All parents learn tricks to survive the years when their children are little… and it takes awhile to get to a place where you don’t feel like you’re in panic mode every second. Or is it that you just get used to panic mode? Regardless, tricks, and not the magic kind, do help. I had too many for one post, so I am breaking it up into part 1 and part 2. Please share your helpful tricks in the comments section so others benefit from your discoveries!

Here are some that have been helpful for me:

1. Dressing a baby. Putting a shirt on a child with an enormous head is about as easy as getting a large couch through your front door. But nature already has this all figured out. Just like a baby is supposed to come out of momma crown first, put the shirt head hole on the crown of your baby’s head first and pull down from there. If that’s the easiest way to push a huge baby out of a small hole, it’s gotta be the best way to get their shirt on. For the rest of the clothes, give them a toy for distraction and good luck.

2. Get a binder! For the health records and developmental records for each child you have. My sister has four children and the most amazing thing she did when I commenced parenthood was to give me a binder, labeled with my child’s name, and some page covers and category separators. I didn’t understand why she frantically ran to Target before our first doctor’s appointment saying “I have to get you a binder!” Now I do. Years later, that binder has everything I need to recount my children’s medical history. The vaccination records, growth charts, assessments, and all the prescription drug labels are all in there so I know where to look.

3. How to keep a child to still for a diaper change. Getting a child to stay still for a diaper change is frustrating and regularly ends with some human feces in the wrong places. When they are young enough, a silly song mixed in with a zerbert worked. Pretending to sneeze on them repeatedly always gets them to laugh. But when they get to be about 15 months, those tricks get old.  I googled “how to keep my child still for a diaper change” and the best advice I saw was to have stickers by the changing station and put one sticker on the back of each of my child’s hands. They spend the time it takes to change the diaper trying to peel the stickers off. This works like a charm.

4. How to keep track of breast milk. I would use a tiny piece of tape to label my breast milk bottles with the date I pumped, but finding and getting the tape and then writing on it was annoying.  Eventually, I realized I could just use one of my two-year-old’s washable crayons.  It stayed on, and easily wiped off for next time.  Eurika.

5. Giving the baby a bath in something other than a portable Jacuzzi. I used a special baby bathtub for my first, but it took up so much space and always made a mess. The second time around, I bought a piece of foam made for bathing (they are usually in the baby isle) and laid it in the bathtub and then just put in an inch or two of water.  Lay the baby on top and give her a bath like normal. Ring it out to dry and set it upright. It saves you from having a huge piece of plastic and from having to clean it out. Here is a link to one for $6 on Amazon.

6. Getting the baby out of the tub. Getting the slippery baby out of the tub by yourself and finagling with the towel is like handling a greased watermelon. I learned that it works well to put the hood of the towel between my teeth and the other two corners can be tucked into your armpits.  Then you can pick the baby up and wrap them with your two free hands.

7. If your baby cries all the time, or has colic (like mine did), try bouncing on a yoga ball. It’s literally the only thing that would stop the crying. And now we can say we lived on a yoga ball for three months. And a note from my husband: “If you or your partner are tall – make sure you get the larger one and your bouncing will be better!” The other best thing for colic is to get a really good quality baby carrier and wear that child everywhere.

8. If you mostly breastfeed, use “On the Go” formula packets rather than buying a whole formula container. The containers, though cheaper by ounce, go bad after just one month of being opened. I wrote a whole post about this here.

9. Get a high chair you love. The first one I bought just because it was on sale.  Then I realized it would not only be the focus of my homes’ decor, but I would be using it five times a day for years.  After much hesitation, I splurged on a chair I actually liked and functioned well. Best money I ever spent. I really like chairs that don’t have cloth covers, so I can just wipe them off (and not put it in the laundry), and that have an adjustable foot rest. The following are examples of what I’m describing. Yes, expensive, but you can resell them on Craigslist or Ebay for a good price.

Abiie Beyond Wooden High Chair with Tray (it’s just pretty)

JOOVY Wood Nook Highchair (if you need something that folds out of the way)

Keekaroo High Chair (best value for wood and adjustable footrest)

Stokke Tripp Trapp Highchair (this is my dream high chair, but with all the accessories, the price tag gets a tad scary)

10. To help your sore back. You’re going to have a sore back, a sore neck and probably sore boobs if you’re nursing. THE BEST way to help a sore back, neck, or boobs on the fly, is to put hot water on a disposable diaper and just plop that thing on your ache. The same goes for cold. Put a wet (with water please) diaper in the freezer and use it as an ice pack. Heat and ice on and off will help. Try wearing this to the grocery store just for fun.

*Some links are affiliates, some are not, but either way, it’s all my 100% honest opinion. I don’t make enough money blogging to buy a stick of gum, so I wouldn’t recommend it as a money-making venture :).

Please share your tips in the comments so the rest of us can benefit from your clever self and your hard earned experience!