I have recently come back from nine months of maternity leave and I found it a great time to organise my home- here’s why.
What can you achieve while you're off with your baby?
It’s an indoor activity
Sometimes you just don’t want to leave the house after having a baby. There are days when all you want to do is stay in your pjs in the warm and cosiness of your home and hope the postman doesn’t come knocking with a package! For such times you can take the opportunity to evaluate your things and decide what to keep and what to give away.
You can still look after your baby while doing it
If your baby is taking a nap in their travel cot in your living room- this could be a good place to start. Or if they are sleeping in their cot in their bedroom- it gives you a chance to look through their things, like clothes they have grown out of while you can still hear and see them if they need anything.
It can be as small or big a task as you like
If your baby only naps for 10 minutes at a time or they have a short attention span with their toys- this still gives you time to do a drawer or small cupboard. It doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking- just let it fit in with your baby’s needs while feeling like you have achieved something with the day.
It gives you an opportunity to go out if you want to
If you want an hour away from the house- it gives you chance to pop your baby in the car and take your discarded items to the charity shop, walk them to a local baby centre if it’s not too far or hand it back to the person you borrowed it from in the first place.
You can talk and sing to your baby while doing it
If they are a little grizzly- you can sort and entertain your baby at the same time by showing them the things you are keeping and getting rid of or making up a silly song to sum up what's happening. This will help them associate good things with organizing and you never know they might just follow suit!
It makes you feel better about your home
You naturally spend a lot of time at home when you are looking after a new baby and to look around your space that it’s neat and tidy can be a huge boost when things might not all be going to plan with your little one- which by the way is totally normal!
It’s a distraction
For those mums who suffer from post-natal depression or baby blues- it helps to give you a distraction and a mission, thus helping you to focus less on periods of low moods. Lightening the load of your belongings can also feel like a burden has been lifted from your body too which can only help with your mental recovery.
MORE: 7 Reasons we all need to be more baby