7 parenting hacks I wish I'd known before becoming a mum

With these tricks up my sleeve, those sick days, witching hours and long sleepless nights would’ve been a breeze. Don’t be me. 

I remember my tired self walking the streets as a first-time mum, completely exhausted, pushing my sickly and sooky son who refused to sleep even though he and I knew he absolutely needed it. I must’ve looked pretty disheveled because as I passed my dear neighbour, who became a grandma around the same time, she gave me a sympathetic look and stopped me to give me a tip.

“Here we go again...” I thought. Another piece of advice I didn’t ask for.

“Face the pram towards the sun so the glare forces the baby to close his eyes,” she suggested. "He'll sleep after that."

Pretty desperate, I tried newbie grandma’s hack … and it totally worked.

It’s a tip I wish I had known sooner, so if you’re a new mum looking for a tip that’s not forced on you at the supermarket or during a sleep-deprived walk like mine, take a read of my 7 other hacks I wish I had known.

My kids are 10 and 9 now so too late for me, but save yourself while you still can!

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Need to make parenting easier? We got you! Image: iStock

1. A picnic rug: The car must-have

One thing you’ll learn very quickly after having a baby is that the plans you had will go out the window very quickly. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to be prepared for a casual outing. A friend of mine would always happen to be ready for a picnic or sit in the park because she had rug that lived in her car for moments she needed it. A little stop at a park or beach is guaranteed to get rid of those whiney moments.

2. Soak face washers with breast milk

Breast milk has some serious superpowers. If you’re breastfeeding your baby and have a decent supply, try soaking some face washers in some milk and store in the freezer. Many parents claim that throwing a washer in the bath can work wonders when your baby is having a skin flare-up or an eczema outbreak or to simply care for your newborn’s delicate skin.

RELATED: How to care for your newborn baby’s skin

Try soaking the bub in the bathtub with some breastmilk on a face washer. Image: iStock

3. Shoe hanger on the door for easy access

When nature calls, it can be such a chore making your way to wherever the change table is. Especially if it’s in bub’s room and you have to navigate stairs in your sleep-deprived state. My sister-in-law had twins and made her life easier by hanging an over-the-door shoe organiser from the $2 store in the lounge room. It was stocked with spare onesies, wipes, nappy cream, nappies and anything else she might need in a hurry. It saved her many trips upstairs and made change times and emergency poonamis that little bit easier to tackle.

Shoe organisers a great way to get things sorted. Image: Supplied

4. Seal up the bath toys

You’ve seen those nasty mould videos online right? The ones of Sophie The Giraffe filled with mould or other bath toys looking festy - not to mention causing potential health problems for your precious little one. I threw out so many bath toys ‘just in case’ when my children were babies and turns out I didn’t really have to. People online suggest sealing the holes of bath toys with craft glue to stop water from getting inside. No water, no mould! Clever.

5. The ultimate baby wipes hack

I don’t even want to count the amount of times I went to pull out a wipe during a nappy change only for 10,000 wipes to come out - all clumped together like best friends. I rate it one of the most frustrating things about being a baby mama. But there’s a way to stop this if you simply cut a slit on either side of the sealed opening of your packet of wipes - my preferred wipes were always Huggies' fragrance-free. The cut works as a grip for the wipes you pull out and catches each one as you pull, meaning you won’t get more than you asked for. I’ve tried it. It works. 

RELATED: 9 ways to prepare for your baby's arrival 

Cut a slit in the eadge of the wipe packet opening for easier access. Image: Supplied

6. Use a makeup brush during nappy changes

Get rid of those sticky nappy cream fingers by using a makeup brush to apply barrier cream around your baby’s toosh. It will make change time less messy and you’ll save on wipes too because you won’t need extra to clean your hands as well as baby’s bum! A makeup brush works well for sunscreen too. 

7. Wash the high chair in the dishwasher

When I saw TikTok videos go viral recently showing how people were placing their IKEA high chairs in the dishwasher, I instantly wished I knew this when my children were introduced to finger food. Crumbs, sauce, and random bits of fruit and vegetables… everywhere! Online videos demonstrated how you can disassemble the high chair and place bits in the washer, saving you the clean-up. It apparently works for other high chairs too, so try it out and see if yours can fit. You'll still have to clean up that floor though!

Originally published as 7 parenting hacks I wish I'd known before becoming a mum