tricks

This is sorta a spin off of some of the other posts. One other person here said it hurts to read how hard of a time some are having. Couldn't have put it better myself. I thought it might be fun to swap some tricks we have learned to just survive. I hope this post is recieved with the love that it is intended for.

I second the shower thing. THere are times I put the kids in front of the TV (what a cheap babysetter that is) and go take a shower just for the peace. Ill admit to doing this sometime 2 or 3 times a day! I have also put screaming babies in their cribs and gone to take a shower just to block out the noise for a few minutes. Some times you just need to re-coop.

I also have the kids trained that if they see a coffee cup in my hand they can't touch me. At first it was just a safety thing, but then I coud see how nicely it worked. I use the words "mommy is entittled to a cup of coffee". THere are now times I will walk around with an empty cup just so no one touches me. I love my kids, the love and hugs, but sometimes I just don't want to be touched anymore!

I have also loaded everyone in the car and just drove around for awhile. It's nice to have everyone buckled in and happy. It gives me a much needed break sometimes.

So... what are some crafty things you do?

 

QUOTE(Sevnheads @ Jun 26 2009, 09:05 PM) [snapback]1370866[/snapback]
I have also loaded everyone in the car and just drove around for awhile. It's nice to have everyone buckled in and happy. It gives me a much needed break sometimes.


I have done this too. With the radio on so that I can just pretend to be alone, just for a few minutes. Sometimes, when it's the only alone time you get, it's worth it.

 

QUOTE(tinalb @ Jun 26 2009, 09:08 PM) [snapback]1370870[/snapback]
I have done this too. With the radio on so that I can just pretend to be alone, just for a few minutes. Sometimes, when it's the only alone time you get, it's worth it.



LOL, yes. It's even better if you can stop at fast food and get the kids dinner. No cooking, no clean-up, and they are silent with their mouths full of food!

 

QUOTE(Sevnheads @ Jun 26 2009, 09:11 PM) [snapback]1370872[/snapback]
LOL, yes. It's even better if you can stop at fast food and get the kids dinner. No cooking, no clean-up, and they are silent with their mouths full of food!


Ooooh, yes, that's true. Or maybe Starbucks for Mommy.....

 

QUOTE(tinalb @ Jun 26 2009, 09:19 PM) [snapback]1370884[/snapback]
Ooooh, yes, that's true. Or maybe Starbucks for Mommy.....



LOL. McDonalds has coffee! Just be careful nursing lol.

 

QUOTE(Sevnheads @ Jun 26 2009, 09:05 PM) [snapback]1370866[/snapback]
I have also loaded everyone in the car and just drove around for awhile. It's nice to have everyone buckled in and happy. It gives me a much needed break sometimes.


Oh, I wish! My boys scream when they get in the car! It has come to the point that we do not go anywhere. We go to church on Sunday and that is it. The boys screamed all the way to my parents home, which is an hour on a good traffic day!

Things that have made my life easier other than TS.....

No monitor in my house. If I cannot hear their every noise, I can relax, sleep....you name it!
Feed at the same time! Feed one, feed the other....one awake, the other is too!

I am sure I will come up with more, but that is all for now!

Jenn

 

I let the kids play in the bottom of my shower, while im actually showering they love to splash around.

I let them pull out every piece of tupperware I own while I do whatever it is I need to get done.

I strap them into the stroller so I can power walk off any frustrations I may have.

and the ultimate lifesaver is GRAHAM CRACKERS. my kids are hooked. First thing in the morning thye get a graham cracker & milk so I can pee, make my coffee, check my email etc.
anytime during the day, when they are in meltdown mode and Im doing anything related to food- graham cracker! Because even if I just fed them they act starving and will throw themselves on the floor, but for some reason they think that cracker is good as gold!

 

QUOTE(tinalb @ Jun 27 2009, 12:08 AM) [snapback]1370870[/snapback]
I have done this too. With the radio on so that I can just pretend to be alone, just for a few minutes. Sometimes, when it's the only alone time you get, it's worth it.


I am happy to see I am not the only person to do this...My twins are only 5 weeks but already I am going stir crazy being in the house ALL day. It feels great to go for a ride in the sunshine and listening to music!!!

Also in the evenings when my hubby comes home I let him do the baby duties while I do some stuff around the house or rest...it is a needed break from holding babies all day long!

 

I'm guilty of letting the vacuum run whenever I need an extra 10 or 15 minutes. Sometimes my husband walks in the vacuum is blaring, and what's sad is that it's sometimes so peaceful.

 

I'm another one for jumping in the shower when babies are safe and happy in there cots. When the girls were little i used to pack them up in the buggy and they would take a nap in the pram.

 

I have done the shower thing alot, mostly when DH is home though. Another trick is baby einstein for me. I'll be trying to feed them & they get in meltdown mode, crying, ect. All I have to do is turn it on and they instantly feel better, and eat the rest of their bottle/food very comfortably

 

Oooh ooooh, I thought of more and I can't get the edit button to work for some reason... or I should say I couldn't find it. haha.

*I remember on many occasions letting the dishwasher put the babies to sleep. I'd swaddle them, put them in their bouncers and turn on the dishwasher. They were out like lights within minutes. (This worked well in the first 3 months).
*We have a pack n play that vibrates/plays music (& even has a remote for it!). During the first month, all we had to do it turn on the music and let it vibrate and they would go back to sleep.

 

QUOTE(E&Msmom @ Jun 26 2009, 10:36 PM) [snapback]1370951[/snapback]
I let the kids play in the bottom of my shower, while im actually showering they love to splash around.


Oh, I used to do this all the time. They LOVED it!

 

when we decided it was time to do CIO i had a hard time listening to the crying without feeling really anxious and upset. i have an electric toothbrush, battery powered and pretty loud. so i would go and brush my teeth to block out the noise.

 

I have "stations" around my house to keep the boys occupied. I don't worry so much about them if they are locked into stations like the exersaucers. We have a play area caged off that we go through every night making sure there are no choking hazards and then I know that area is also a good area to put them for awhile while I escape to make bottles or get myself a drink or sandwich or pump.

Before and after bathtime we put the boys in doorway jumpers facing each other. We have two rooms directly across the hall from each other so it works well and they can jump and see each other jumping. They go crazy in those things until they are completely tuckered out. After that, it's really easy to give them their last bottles of the day, read to them a little, sing to them a little, cuddle, then put them in their cribs for the night. I also use the doorway jumpers to help me get the boys safely in the bath and out of the bath for bathing together - I put the first one in the empty tub with some toys while I get the other one ready, then run the bath with the shower-head when they are both in there, wash them, then empty the bath and take one out of the tub while the other plays in the empty tub, dress him and put him in the jumper while I dress the other one.

Feeding at the same time has always been the way in our house.

When they were a couple of months old I started giving them the first bottle of the day in a bottle-holder (a stuffed triangle thingy you put the bottle in then prop it so it will keep the bottle propped for the babies while they suck). While they "auto-feeded" I made myself a quick breakfast and cup of tea, which was often the only meal I got until dh got home from work and made sure we got some dinner.

I found that my SBS stroller is excellent for tandem-feeding. It props them at the right angle and I can sit in front of them on the couch instead of bending over them from the floor.

When they were 3-4 months old I was able to sit on the couch with one on each side of me, prop their heads on my thighs, and hold bottles in their mouths for a tandem feeding. This worked well until they really got mobile.

Now that they eat finger-foods, I put them in their highchairs and sprinkle a few nibblies on their trays to keep them occupied until I get the rest of their meal ready for them.

To heat bottles, I microwave a jug of water for 2 minutes then put the bottle of milk in it for about 1 minute. I can reuse the microwaved water for the next heating and it warms the milk much faster than using hot tap water.

I discovered that a little breastmilk mixed in with the Kirkland formula makes it much easier to mix and takes away all the foam!

Ikea has excellent bibs that cover the babies from neck to wrist and has a pocket down at the bottom - two for $3 (maybe $4)!!! I just rinse them when I wash the bottles and they dry in about 2 hours.

For hands-free pumping, I bought some cheap nursing bras from Mervyn's and Burlington Coat Factory. I pull the flap down, put the breast shield on, then pull the flap up around it and fasten it. Voila - hands-free pumping!!

 

QUOTE(E&Msmom @ Jun 27 2009, 01:36 AM) [snapback]1370951[/snapback]
I let the kids play in the bottom of my shower, while im actually showering they love to splash around.

I let them pull out every piece of tupperware I own while I do whatever it is I need to get done.

I strap them into the stroller so I can power walk off any frustrations I may have.

and the ultimate lifesaver is GRAHAM CRACKERS. my kids are hooked. First thing in the morning thye get a graham cracker & milk so I can pee, make my coffee, check my email etc.
anytime during the day, when they are in meltdown mode and Im doing anything related to food- graham cracker! Because even if I just fed them they act starving and will throw themselves on the floor, but for some reason they think that cracker is good as gold!


Too funny. I am the same way with Puffs. We call it "baby crack". They love their snack traps, so I will fill them with puffs and whatever else I can find. The use to like Cheerios in them, but not anymore. They will pick out all the good stuff and leave the Cheerios all over the floor. If they finish them before I'm done doing whatever I need to, I just throw the Puffs on the floor and let them go to town, like a couple of animals. Whatever works. Luckily, we have a dog to get any they miss.

I usually take my shower when they are down for their naps, but I don't care if they go to sleep or not. I get in the shower and leave the monitor in the other room, so I can enjoy my peace and quiet. As long as they are safe in their cribs, I don't care if they are crying or not. Mommy needs some time to herself too.

 

I think the best thing we decided to do was pre-make formula. Some formula brands explain how to make a lot at once and others don't but it is 23oz of water to one (unpacked) measuring cup. We double this in a pitcher from Pampered Chef (although you can buy some that are just like them at Target right now) that has a handle in the lid attached to this round thing so that when you raise the handle, it mixes what is inside the pitcher. This has worked especially good now that we have to give my son Enfamil AR. For those of you who use it, you know it gets pretty clumpy. If you premake it, the clumps have a chance to dissolve and no more clogged bottle nipples!