36 Ultimate Tips on How To Get Things Done With a Baby

Here are my 36 tips on how to get things done with a baby – how to do housework/ cook/ run errands/ exercise and more.

How to actually get stuff done with a baby is quite a challenge, especially if you’re a new mom. 

But don’t worry, you’re not alone in feeling that way. All parents, whether you may be a new or an experienced one, have questioned their ability on how to be productive when you have to take care of a clingy baby.

So I’ve researched and compiled tons of tips and hacks on how to get things done with a baby at home, to make you more productive and less frustrated. 

(I wished I knew some of these before when I was a new mom but, I digress.) 

I hope you’ll love the products we recommend! Just a quick note: if you click on a product link below and decide to buy it, we may earn a small commission.

How To Get Things Done With a Baby: General Tips

Manage expectations

I think this is the one thing that all new parents, especially new moms, have to learn – how to manage expectations when it comes to everything that concerns the baby. 

I wished I knew about this tip when I was a new mom myself but I digress.

I know the feeling of wanting to do it all and doing it thoroughly. Especially if you’re the A-type or you’re a little OC about cleaning. 

But the newborn stage is usually a survival phase for most moms and dads, especially new parents. So to survive this phase, you have to manage your expectations about, well almost everything. 

Your house doesn’t need to be clean 24/7. Sometimes you’ll forget to take a bath for a few days. There will be times where takeaways and deliveries will be your lifesaver. At times, you won’t be able to do anything at all except attend to your baby and that’s okay. 

Managing your expectations about these things will give you a healthier mindset about your new life as a mom, so you’ll feel less overwhelmed, less guilty, and whatnot.

So practice that mindset of managing your expectations and the rest of getting done with a baby would be much easier.

Create a routine 

A few days can go by without you even realizing that you haven’t gotten out of the house, much more taken a shower, when you have a newborn!

You can avoid that by having some structure to your day. Create a routine or a schedule for you and your little one. 

Not only will a routine help your baby feel safe and secure, you’ll also be able to manage your time, feel in control and improve your productivity. Check out how to implement the Eat Play Sleep Baby Routine here.

You’ll also be able to anticipate your baby’s actions, for eg., if you know they usually nap for an hour in the morning and afternoon, you can use those times to be productive.

It will also help you plan out the days ahead. For example, you can make Friday nights into laundry nights, you can do take-out instead of cooking on weekends, you can meal plan every Sunday, and so on.

You can check out some sample schedules from real moms by clicking here.

Wear your baby

Babywearing was a timesaver on how to get things done with a clingy baby.

I’ve personally used an Ergobaby and a Kinderpack baby carrier.

They’re sturdy, comfortable, and easy to use baby carriers.

But if you prefer other baby carriers or baby wraps for that matter, I’ve got a list of recommendations for your right here.

Put your baby in a safe place 

If you can’t babywear and you need just a few minutes, to probably pee or answer a phone call, then just put your baby where you know they’ll be safe. 

Safe means, no matter how much they move, roll or attempt to crawl, you know they won’t get hurt and they won’t fall out of that safe space.

That can be in their baby swing, baby gym, baby bouncer, baby loungers or podsters, crib, a pack n play, or any other safe crib alternatives.

If they are in another room, just remember to check up on them regularly.

Get a baby monitor

I’m not really comfortable leaving my newborn then in another room, even if I know she’s in a safe space and I’d only be gone for a minute. 

So having a baby monitor really helped make me feel less anxious about not seeing my baby while I do chores.

It’s also quite convenient to use when she’s napping or sleeping at night and I need to do some work or tasks outside her room. 

I don’t always have to rush in and check if she’s crying for a few seconds. I can always wait to see if she can settle herself first or if she stirred for a while and can go back to sleep on her own.

Create a to-do list

I already had a bad memory even before getting pregnant, and that became worse when I gave birth (3 years and counting!), with my one and only. 

The only thing that kept me from being a complete mess is having a to-do list and using an app for it.

I’ve used a few before – Any.do, Todoist, etc. But the thing that works best for me is either Trello for work and personal projects (like my blog), Notion app and my trusty, old notepad on my Android phone. (Check out my guide on must have apps for stay at home moms here)

Dump all your to-do’s whenever you have the time then prioritize.

Use voice memos

Sometimes our hands can be quite full (literally) so the best way to have a to-do list is to use voice memos. 

I’ve heard you can turn to Alexa or Google Home, quickly set it up so you’ll have a sort of personal assistant to remind you of what needs to be done for the day.

Or you can just use your phone, whatever suits you.

Prioritize 

You can finish a dozen tasks and still feel unfulfilled by the end of the day, wondering if you were really productive or did you just waste your time arranging the things inside your cabinet again?

I used to feel that way before. I felt like I did a lot of things, I was busy the whole day but then again, I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished anything. 

And that’s when I learned that I needed to prioritize.

Being able to tick off and finish the 3 topmost urgent, most important things on my to-do list instantly makes me so productive. 

Schedule your “me-time”

It’s easy to forget ourselves when we’re taking care of our baby. We don’t usually put that in our to-do list nor do we prioritize self-care

But it’s a must, especially because it’s really physically and sometimes emotionally draining, to take care of a newborn. 

Mom burnout is real so put off some of your to-do lists and choose a time when your baby is napping and sleep with them.

Or instead of doing some chores/ work, do something fun and relaxing, like watching Netflix, chatting with friends, etc. Or start a new hobby!

Take advantage of sleeping times

If you have already prioritized what needs to be done for the day, then do the most urgent, most important, most time-consuming thing once your little one is taking a nap or is sleeping at night.

Check out some tips here on how to get your baby to sleep longer, so you can do more chores or work at night.

Don’t try to do it all

You don’t need to finish all your to-do lists, especially when you have a newborn or a baby for that matter. 

Cut yourself some slack and just try to do what you can in a given free time. 

Remember that you’re in survival mode and the most important thing when you’re in the newborn phase is to take care of both your and your baby’s needs first. 

Ask for help

If it’s possible, ask your spouse or a family member to look after your baby while you do your chores or errands. Now is not the time to be embarrassed about asking for help.

Just be clear and straightforward about what kind of help you need. 

Related: What To Do When Your Husband Doesn’t Help Around The House

How To Actually Get Things Done With a baby

How To Get Housework Done With A Newborn

Here are a few more tips on how how to get stuff done with a baby.

Put your baby where they can see you

I remember how clingy mine was before, to the point that she will be wailing until she’s red in the face if I just go and pee for like a minute.

So what I did was, I placed her either in her baby bouncer or in the stroller (whichever she’s in the mood for), open the door, and let her see me doing my business.

If your baby is already crawling, you can try a baby activity center or baby playpen (if your room size permits!) and place it where they can easily see you.

Set up activities to keep them occupied

You can find a lot of simple and easy to prep activities for older babies online but always remember to monitor them or check up on them often.

Especially if the activities involve some toys or things that can potentially choke or hurt them.

Do easy chores while they’re awake

Start with tasks that are easy to do and which you can immediately stop if your newborn needs you. 

Those “5 minute or less” chores like wiping the table, clearing the dishes, feeding the cats (if you have pets, I wrote a parenting guide on how to choose and teach your kid how to take care of pets), etc. 

Get some time-saving cleaning tools

Instead of using a vacuum, get a Roomba

Instead of scrubbing the bathroom tiles, get a bathroom cleaning spray that you can easily use on the tiles and just wash off a few minutes later. Get also a toilet bowl cleaner, to make cleaning the bathroom more convenient.

Instead of wearing or buying clothes that get visibly wrinkled, get something that you don’t need to iron.

Research some household chores time-saving hacks and get some genius cleaning tools and products that will make your life easier. 

How To Cook With a Clingy Baby

Managing to cook meals with an infant can be stressful so try out the few tips and tricks below to get stuff done.

Wear them on your back

If you want to babywear them while cooking, choose a baby carrier with a back position and place your baby there when doing stuff in the kitchen.

I think back carrying your baby is safer than wearing them in front, but as long as you know your little one is safe and snug and you’re comfortable and confident in baby-wearing them while cooking, that should be perfectly okay. 

Like what this bad-ass mom does.

Place them near you, at a safe distance

You wouldn’t want oil splattering on them while frying so if they can already sit upright, place them in their baby chair with some safe toys, at a safe distance.

You can also get a playpen and place it near the kitchen. 

As long as your baby can see you and you can take quick, easy glances at them, it should be fine to leave them in their activity and entertainment area.

Watch them from afar

If you don’t feel comfortable having your baby around while moving and cooking around in the kitchen, just place them in their crib and use a baby monitor to check up on them.

Cook at night

If you’ve already managed making your baby sleep longer at night, then you’ll have more time to cook a meal at night.

Cook easy meals

Now is not the time to be a domestic goddess. The newborn phase is the survival mode phase so don’t cook anything fancy that will take hours to do. Anything that can be cooked in less than 30 minutes should be fine.

You can download my one month meal plan here for some easy yet healthy meal ideas.

If you’re not really in the mood to prepare anything, there are always pre-packaged meals that you keep in the fridge and easily heat up in the microwave. Just take note of their expiration dates. 

If you’re doing baby led weaning, you can also use store-bought baby foods for your little ones. Just remember to do your due diligence, research about their ingredients, and how to properly prepare them.

Use other cooking equipment

Opt for a slow cooker or crockpot meal. Just chop stuff, put it in and turn it on

Air fryers are also a time-saver for cooking meals plus it’s a healthier option too! I love air-fryers, makes cooking so quick and easy!

Do bulk/ batch cooking when someone can take of your baby

When you have this opportunity, take advantage of it. 

Cook large batches of food that you can keep in the freezer and just reheat when needed.

Order food

You don’t always have to cook. You can just take it easy and order online. 

Use popular food delivery apps such as DoorDash, GrubHub, UberEats, Instacart, etc.

How To Shower With a Clingy Infant

It seems laughable how to be a hands-free parent and shower at the same time, is a sport you have to master. So try out some strategies below.

Do it quickly

If you have a clingy baby with an unpredictable sleeping schedule, showering for 20 minutes or so would get more stressful than relaxing so just shower as properly and as quickly as possible.

Make it 10 minutes tops, if you can.

Shower while they’re sleeping

This can be tricky if you haven’t quite established a routine yet but if you know they are in a safe place and you have a baby monitor with you, then it’s doable.

And don’t worry about hearing your baby crying. New moms always go through this phase of hearing phantom baby cries. Check the baby monitor to see if they’re really crying.

Take them with you to the bathroom

Some moms have used baby loungers with a towel on the floor to place their babies on, while some have used baby rockers or swings.

I’ve personally used a baby rocker or if she doesn’t like it, I use the stroller, then shower with the door open. 

So I can see my baby right outside the bathroom, safe and snug in her stroller and she can also see me, all in my wet, naked glory.

Shower when someone’s around

For clingy yet older, more mobile babies, it’s best to just wait until your spouse or another person to look after them is around, so you can shower in peace.

Leave them in a safe space

It should be okay to leave your baby in a safe place like a crib or other crib alternatives as long as you don’t take too much time showering.

How Can You Eat When Taking Care Of Your Baby

Ah eating. You’d think you’ll have some time for it but nope, you just down to grab a bite then your baby starts wailing almost immediately. It’s as if they won’t want you to eat! Don’t worry, here are some suggestions to help you take your meals.

Eat easy to prepare yet healthy meals

Fruits, yogurt, eggs, oatmeal, sandwiches, etc., think of meals that you can easily prepare in minutes. You can also try cooking at night, when the baby is having a longer sleep (hopefully) to prepare your meals for the next day.

Eat at the most opportune time

Once your baby naps or sleep, go and eat. Don’t do any chores yet and prioritize eating. 

Or, you can also eat while your baby is awake and playing peacefully.

Babies can already start doing some tummy time. You can also give some age-appropriate toys and activities to keep them busy. 

Sneak in some quick bites while your little ones are doing their thing.

Eat when your partner is around

You can have a big breakfast while your spouse is playing with the baby before going out for work. Have some snacks in between the day. Then have a quick dinner when they’re back at home, looking after the baby.

How To Exercise With Your Newborn

Find the time to work out even with a clingy baby with these helpful hacks.

Plan your workout

The best time to do it is when your baby is sleeping. 

If you more or less have a routine in place, you’ll be able to schedule a little workout every day.

Do an easy yet effective workout

Do a 10-minute workout. It can be cardio, HIIT, etc., as long as you’re moving and sweating, then it should suffice.

Do it early in the morning

Newborns need some sunlight, especially if they have a little bit of jaundice. You can expose them to a little sunlight early in the day while exercising outside.

But remember to keep them away from direct sunlight so don’t stay out too late.

Get a jogging stroller

I’ve been hearing this from other moms and it seems like a god-given gift for parents who love jogging. 

You can have a quick run or fast walk while your baby is napping.

Exercise with your baby

Let your baby do some tummy time or other age-appropriate newborn activities, while you also do some yoga on your mat. 

Check out more fun ways to exercise with your baby right here.

How to Do Grocery Shopping With Your Baby

How to run errands with your baby can get tricky but prepping with the right mindset and scheduling can make it easy. Here are some more tricks on how to grocery shop with a newborn or an older baby.

Check out my ultimate guide on grocery shopping with a baby during a pandemic here.

How To Get Things Done with a Baby: FAQ

Can you leave the house with a newborn?

Can I take my newborn to the grocery store?

Before the pandemic, I would say YES to this instantly.  But now it’s much safer to just stay inside and only go out when it’s really necessary, like having a check-up and going to the hospital.

If you absolutely must go out with your baby, you can check out some very thorough and detailed “post pandemic grocery shopping with your newborn” tips here.

What if I can’t babywear my newborn while grocery shopping at the same time?

Do contactless pickup. Call your local grocery store and ask if they do one. Ask for details on how the pickup process works. 

Or just order your groceries online, like from Amazon Fresh.

How To Get Things Done with a Baby: Takeaway

Some days, you’ll be able to finish a shitload of chores and tasks. 

Most of the time, just getting a shower is already a win. 

All parents struggle on how to get things done with a high needs baby. You’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed and panicky when trying to get things done with a newborn – and failing at it, most of the time or sometimes.

It’s like every phase in parenting – you go through it, make mistakes, test out stuff, learn a lot then you’ll eventually get used to it.

So go easy on yourself. 

The most important thing at this stage is your baby and your mental and physical health.

So do what you can, keep challenging yourself with getting more done, and before you know it, you’ll see that you can actually get things done with your baby.

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Julie