I thought seeing as I have a todder and a baby, a lot of friends with young kids and friends about to have babies, that I would share, humbly, some of the things I've learned thus far in my parenting journey. I'm sorry I just used the phrase "parenting journey", but there you go. These are meant to be practical tips for day-to-day stuff and for preparing New Parents (specifically new Moms).
I stopped myself at 11; Number 12 could be "Don't forget to love your kids, yadda yadda yadda"... but I'm assuming you already do ; )
Please feel free to add on any of your own useful tips and tricks! In no particular order...
1. Good haircut - This is for you New Moms out there. I get my hair cut about three times a year. It should probably be more (my hair is extremely thick), but often I just don't have the time, and sometimes the money. Thankfully, I have an amazing hairstylist who manages to give me a cut that can grow out and still look somewhat like it was meant to look the way it does. Which segues into my next piece of advice...
2. Dry Shampoo - Like I said, I have a toddler and an baby. They have very different personal schedules which don't always (most often not) jibe with the overall schedule for the day, such as getting to that doctor appointment or Gymboree on time. Or just getting out the door for a walk before lunchtime. If I haven't had a sweaty work-out day, a little shake of dry shampoo gives me at least an extra day before needing to re-wash and dry my hair. Smells good, too!
3. Gripe Water - This was like a magic cure-all for my toddler when she was going through her more intense teething. Whether it was in the middle of the night teething, or indigestion after trying new foods, a shot of Gripe water calmed her down in 2 minutes flat. Be sure to get the non-alcohol version.
4. Bibs with sleeves - There are loads of cute bibs out there, some useful, some altogether useless. The best ones I've found are machine-washable/hang to dry, have a pocket at the bottom, and attach with velcro. You can roll up a child's shirt sleeves all you want, but without sleeves on the bib that pureed spinach/watermelon/birthday cake is going to get all over your kid's arms and shirt sleeves and down the sides of their shirt. Get the sleeves.
5. Good infant carrier - There are lots of these on the market, but make it sure it offers lower-back support! Some carriers allow you to carry baby on your front either facing in (a nice option if baby is sleepy) or out (a nice option when you're out for a walk), while others give you the option of wearing baby on your front or back. I have one of each; I've found the back-carrier particularly helpful when I need to do housework, and the front-carrier is great on walks. I often go out for walks with my baby in the carrier while pushing my toddler in the stroller.
6. Make your own baby food - It's super easy, way tastier, often much cheaper, and you know exactly what's in it. Bonus: home-made purees can be used in pasta sauces, soups, and smoothies if not eaten by your child. All you need is fresh produce, a good mini food processor and an ice cube tray.
7. Try to listen to your own music when at home and travelling in your car with the kids. Preferably something with a good beat and/or baseline and a good melody. A repeating chorus is a bonus. This will really help to broaden your child's musical horizons and won't drive you crazy, like listening to The Wiggles all day would. Classical music is great for calming kids down in the car and can help to hone their listening skills ("Is the music fast, or slow? Is it sad music, or happy music?")
8. Try to avoid introducing a new food or drink with the preface, "You might not like it...". Everyone has different tastes, and there's no reason your toddler can't decide for herself whether or not she loves eggplant, etc. Also, try to avoid any grimacing right before your child tries it; I try to eat/drink a little of whatever it is first and say, "YUMMY!" before I even offer it (they always want what you have, anyways!)
9. When changing a diaper, always put an open, new diaper under the child's bum BEFORE unfastening the dirty one. This makes clean-up MUCH easier, especially if your child has one of those days when they seem to have a never-ending amount of poop exiting their system; the new diaper will be in place to catch any over-flow. Trust me.
10. If you're nursing, get a good electric breast pump. You can get a single or double pump; I personally have a single that works great, but if you're strapped for time I've heard the double can be useful. Only freeze 2-4 ounces of milk in a bag (split up the product of your pumping, if necessary), so that less milk goes to waste. Let someone else try feeding the baby from a bottle once in a while; it's a great bonding experience for them, and it will give you a rest. Its also useful to have an "emergency stash" of frozen breastmilk at another caregiver's house if you visit them often, or if they babysit often (grandparents, for example).
11. If onesies get stained by your breast-fed baby, try laying them out (or hang them) in the sun for a day or two, indoors or outdoors. The sunlight neutralises the bilirubin in the stain (the yellow colour), and it should fade away!
Any more tips out there...?
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