(BPT) – Whether it’s your first child or you’ve been around the baby block a few times before, having an infant in your life is an unforgettable experience. While there are countless joys you’ll cherish forever, there are a few challenges you’ll likely face along the way, too.
Savvy parents are always looking for tricks to save time and money while helping them be better caregivers. These six simple hacks will make you feel like a superstar parent while giving your little one the best:
Fast and tidy diaper changes
Wiggling legs can make fast messes, especially when it comes time to change the diaper. To make diaper changing quick and easy, try placing a clean diaper on the changing table before laying your baby down on the table. Remove the diaper tabs, clean your baby up and pull away the dirty diaper and instantly you have a clean diaper ready to go. You’ll save time and consolidate messes in the process.
Clean stroller travel
Saving your back and making travel smooth and easy, a stroller can take you and your baby anywhere from the park to the mall and beyond. However, with those adventures comes all the nasty dirt, grime or worse that gets on the wheels. Before putting your stroller in your car for transport, place shower caps on the wheels of your stroller. Your car will stay nice and clean no matter how messy those wheels are.
Save money on essentials
Babies need many things and that cost adds up fast. Shopping sales and using coupons is a good start, but you can save even more money without sacrificing quality by looking for store brand items like diapers, wipes and infant formula. Store brand infant formula is the ultimate parenting hack because they offer the same complete nutrition as the big-name brands but can save families up to $900 a year.*
*Retail prices from October 2019 retail price survey of assorted stores. Actual prices and savings may vary.
Streamline bath time
A warm baby is a happy baby, and what parent doesn’t want to see their little one cozy and cooing? While you’re bathing baby, have someone place a towel in the dryer for five minutes. Remember to never leave your child alone in the bathtub, so you’ll need a partner or older sibling to do this. Once the dryer is done, have them bring you the towel so you can wrap baby in warmth right out of the water. You’ll never see tears from a post-bath chill again.
No more noisy toys
Kids are noisy. Kids’ toys that make noise can add to the commotion. Those loud bings, bells and songs can test even the most patient parent. When children are done using noisy toys, cover the toy’s speaker with tape to avoid any excess noise. This also works if a toy is particularly loud and could use a bit of muffling, even on the low setting. A small piece of tape lessens the noise so baby can still enjoy without Mom and Dad getting a headache.
Stay informed
Knowing what’s best for baby is a combination of using your instincts and staying informed. Having quick resources for getting useful information about important topics like health, nutrition and savings can give your parenting game an edge. For even more tips on all things feeding baby, check out the latest MommyMD Guide to Feeding Your Baby Right and bookmark storebrandformula.com as a resource to help make the wild ride of parenting a little bit easier.
