Parenting Tools Worth Using
Tags: Baby, Toddlers, Motherhood, Parenting

Through my parenting journey, I’ve compiled a list of tools I could not parent without. I hope you find this list as useful as I have!

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Books:

As a mother of two young children, I am fully aware of the lack of time mothers have. One of the hacks I learned after my second child is to listen to audiobooks. I started with Audible but quickly switched to Libby, a free app that streams library books.

Whole Child

What to Expect When You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel

What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel

The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, M.D.

Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Glowacki

Self Care

Stretched Too Thin by Jessica N. Turner

Ambitious Decisions: What Women Know About Work, Family, and the Path to Building a Life by Hana Schank

Marriage

How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids by Jancee Dunn

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John M. Gotten, PH.D

Photo by Benjaminrobyn Jespersen on Unsplash

Apps:

LACH- This app is perfect for people who want to make or save money by buying and selling preloved maternity and children’s items online.

Wonder Weeks- This app is for those of you who are curious about what your baby is going through developmentally.

Baby Feed Timer-This is a great app, especially for breastfeeding mothers. You can keep track of which breast you last fed from, how often you are feeding, and for how long.

WaterMinder- Perfect for mothers who want to drink more water. As a new mother, it can be hard to find time to make sure that you are taking care of yourself and this includes nutrition. This app will send reminders to drink water throughout the day and allow you to track how many ounces you drink daily.

MyFitnessPal- Continuing with the self care theme, this app is perfect for tracking nutrition. Food can be healing or ailing depending on what you eat. MyFitnessPal allows users to log their daily meals and take control of their nutrition. There is a section where you can see the amount of nutrients you have eaten in a given day. For example, you can see if you are getting enough protein, calcium, and many other nutrients.

Pinterest- This app is a mother’s dream. You can find anything from new recipes to creative activities you can do with your child.

PBS- This is my “in case of emergency” app. It has all of the PBS shows currently in rotation. I use it when I need my child to be calm and have burned through all of my other resources (snacks, books, snacks, games, and snacks). I love this app because there are learning aspects to each show so it’s more than just “mindless tv”.

Photo by Barbara Alçada on Unsplash

Others:

White noise machine- White noise is great for a newborn but even better for a toddler suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out). My toddler would never go to sleep if I didn’t have white noise. She is in a toddler bed and whenever she hears a footstep outside of her door, she needs to know what’s going on. The white noise alleviates all symptoms of FOMO.

Sleep sacks- These are great from newborns because they are much safer than a blanket. They are even better for a diaper Houdini. There will come a day when your toddler will learn to take their diaper off. Not only will you walk in to see your child’s bare butt cheeks, you will also more than likely find a newly decorated room. Your little artist is bound to redecorate with pee or poop. When that day comes, it’s time to bring back the sleep sack. “Back is Best” takes on a new meaning at this point. Once you have an interior decorating toddler you need to put that sleep sack on backwards.

Snacks- Because snacks are life.

What tools do you feel you can’t live without?