How I Stay Organised with a Baby

[@jasminerebeca6097]

The bit about Rowan being unable to use warmer items because he was born in April reminded me of how my mom buys baby shower gifts. She gets things that are for any size range from 9 - 18 months but she does the math for whatever that season will be and buys something that works for the size and the season. Sometimes if a season has just ended and a bunch of the clothes for said season are on sale she will do the math for how old the child will be when that season comes again and finds those clothes.

[@sarahbutler1305]

So smart! The amount of gifted beautiful winter clothes that would fit my daughter perfectly now is shocking

[@chanchan4057]

My therapist and I were talking yesterday about if I wanted to have children, and I was telling her how wonderful and inspiring of a parent you are. I specifically mentioned how organized and sustainable your efforts are in parenting and she was like “what is her name, I love that!” 💛✨

[@morehannah]

Aw amazing!! I dunno how sustainable we are… we failed at the reusable nappies but we generally try our best with second hand clothes!!

[@tessamcguire]

I wonder if she meant your efforts are sustainable, like it's doable to have your way of doing things over a long period of time. I work a very similar way to Hannah with all my organisation, too, and I just hope I can transfer those skills when or if I have children

[@lilurri]

I was worried about having a baby because of my Crohns and the struggles with that that I've had, and Hannah was an inspiration. We're expecting in June. ❤

[@nielsleenknegt5839]

@@morehannah You might not be able to do EVERYTHING but the things you can do, do make a difference. I always like taking the bus to school and work, but now i need a car cus bus line got scrapped. I just drive to the nearest busstop and take the bus there. If a lot of hands do it, it makes a big difference.

[@marianneshepherd6286]

Hi, I'm a nursery nurse and totally agree with you in encouraging children to get involved with doing things around the house. I've worked with kids for over 15 years and children who are involved with helping at home (I mean tidying their toys, helping hang the washing & put away shopping etc) are more likely to be independent, and are really good at listening to instructions ❤

[@cariiinen]

Yes to second best parenting! Love this. No need to optimise every thing - in parenting and in life. "Your brain is weak" - 1000% yes, especially with a kid! Writing things down and alarms is the only way I function. Totally relate to getting places one hour early so I can walk around while baby naps.

[@tshirt-curator]

I feel you on the sacred nap time! I’m sitting here watching this in the dark feeding my daughter and hoping she’ll fall asleep soon so we can go on a family walk we planned for this afternoon 😂 Godspeed to all the parents out there in the same boat

[@amyh2623]

School aged - PACK ALL BAGS THE NIGHT BEFORE!! Whether they be school bags, hobby/sports/after-school bags/lunch boxes plus your own bags - all of it packed the night before and downstairs by the front door or in its usual place - your ‘mise en place!’ - My mum swears by this and it defo meant we left on time 97% of the time in the mornings before school :)) xx

[@morehannah]

Yesss mise en place!! And thank you this is great advice! We basically always have the nappy bag packed so it’s similar !

[@surlespasdondine]

we never pack food the night before, prefer the same day.

[@quinnrhodes3617]

"The calendar that you will use is the best one" is so real!! Though right now trying to figure out what calendar and organisational systems I *will* actually use consistently, as my current systems aren't working for me especially well! (Also I know this isn't the point of the video, but the yellow crop top looks so great with the red belt and light denim jeans!)

[@rootedreinvention]

When I worked in social care running parenting groups we said to "aim for 80%" in terms of parenting =) Much more realistic than aiming for 100% all the time and feeling like you're falling short

[@danih2972]

I have 2 'chaotic time suckers' a 21 month old and a 7 week old. 2 under 2.... what was I thinking 😂 I write everything down ! Even 'go for a shower' keeps me accountable for looking after myself. I also Get out day and bedtime outfits for the whole week every Sunday. I am a SAHM as my partner works away in the week. So being on top of everything and organised is a must !

[@jennifers5560]

My daughter is 28 now, we only had 1 child and she was enough! I don’t know how people have several children. Even with my parents helping us, I feel like we barely got through some days.

[@Sophie_Cleverly]

My daughter is 4 and I feel the same 😆 I don't have a clue how anyone manages more than one!

[@serenamarangon5291]

Only 10 weeks pregnant and already decided we're a 1 and done type of family 😂

[@jennifers5560]

@@serenamarangon5291 👍🏼

[@jennifers5560]

@@Sophie_Cleverly I don’t know where they get the energy!

[@surlespasdondine]

It got easier with two than with one for me.

[@CharlotteOx2009]

This might very well be my most favourite video ever from this channel. Never needed to write anything down pre-kids, now EVERYTHING goes into my notes app 😅

[@tourdumondelitteraire]

Yes! My partner has a coworker who has a child 7 months older than ours and he lends us allllll the clothes it's soooo appreciated and we give them back when they're outgrown. It's perfect for us since we don't expect to have another baby. For food, I plan 6 dinners every week written on a calendar on the fridge and this does help a lot. We have take-out a lot less since we started doing this! And it's quite easy to maintain for me! My partner and I are in the process of reorganizing our house to make it work a bit longer and oooof this is a process with a 1 year old!

[@beeppotato]

I read somewhere that task planning and prioritising is like juggling with some balls made of glass and some made of plastic. The glass balls are tasks that have big bad consequences if they're not done, and the plastic ones are tasks that it's not going to be the end of the world if they get dropped. You can't just flat out say "being a parent is a glass ball for me", it has to be broken down for each thing. Watching your child's assembly where they get a certificate might be plastic if a work emergency comes up but feeding them an adequate number of calories each day is glass. For me it makes it easier to prioritise things and also to feel less bad when tasks have to slip because I'm exhausted or something unexpected happens

[@nikkirochelle3717]

OMG the communal calendar. I can't stay organised without one and it took a few years for my partner to start using it. And it's a HUGE jump for joy moment when they start to write things on the calendar!

[@kkaddict]

Yes so weird how there are no baby activities in the afternoons! I always struggle most with that time.

[@Theupoy]

I feel like I spend the morning rushing around and worrying about fitting in a nap before morning activities, then by mid afternoon I'm just loading around until dinner, trying to think of things to do with my son... thank goodness for bath time and story books!!

[@rosaidhphillips7677]

I suspect it's because school ends at 3pm (ish), so if you have school aged kids you are not free in the afternoon. And a lot of babies have school (or at least nursery) aged older siblings. Also probably a lot of people running the baby stuff have school age kids.

[@sallyparker11]

When I worked in child care, there was a child in my room who was always dropped off by her mum, and her older sister was always dropped off by their dad. They lived in the same house, this is just how they managed drop offs I guess! They must have both only had time before work to do the whole drop off thing with one child each! At the time I thought it was odd, but now as a mum I 100% understand it

[@kennethjoneification]

please keep the parenting content coming, it's so fun, I love it 😄

[@carolineappleton3177]

We don't have a kid, but my partner and I are the same (I'm the organised one, he is not) and he's also just started to use the wall calendar, so I feel your excitement!

[@ShySquiggles]

Hey Hannah! I'm on Team Happity- so glad that you find the site useful. Thanks so much for shouting us out! ❤

[@claudiajade624]

I am ALL about the calendar blocking now for work (including pumping sessions etc). Otherwise i would literally never get anything done. I also love having a shared Family google calendar for events/appointments with bubba / in general. Thankyou for the Treading water comment. Keep thinking im almost making the transition from Surviving to Thriving but then Bam, right back in the struggling (mostly with exhaustion) phase.

[@michelleheegaard]

The way you schedule yourself around nap times reminds me of the early days of being a dog owner. My life was scheduled around poop time. Poop time was sacred and it was just how things were

[@lara_xy]

I really enjoy your parenting videos! I talk about them with my partner a lot when discussing parenthood (for the future). Especially this video is really nice because I am a very organized person

[@the.social.fabric]

I first heard about the rule of two (two is one and one is none) from CGP Grey and I swear it was a pivotal moment in my life! It's so helpful for taking the pressure out of making small decisions about when to restock which item.

[@ruthcarmi1202]

Mom of 3 here. It gets chaotic! What i find as a challenge with school age kids is keeping track of social schedules. Birthdays, playdayes, general school activities that require them to bring something special like pg day at school. Google calendars help a lot!

[@EllieeMorrissey]

Rowan’s bedroom walls are such a gorgeous background!❤

[@16ilovevampires]

Wait, there are no paid sick days in the UK? In my country if you have a "regular job" you can take sick days for your children and they are paid the same as your own sick days (80% of your salary).

[@honestlyholly7657]

Statutory sick pay is a thing, so we get like £106 a week I think? If ill for over 3 days. Some companies pay more but that's the minimum! But self-employed people don't, because they don't have an external employer ofc

[@paultravis3249]

You do an amazing job and I am VERY proud of you

[@xzonia1]

Not a mom, but I love organizational videos, and this was fun to hear. I do a lot of these strategies in my own life (especially having a place for everything), and it's very helpful. Glad you're doing well, Hannah and family! :)

[@chrishuff6254]

Literally watching this while preparing a Hello Fresh meal.

[@audreyraj5626]

I have plans to have a child any time soon but my family can definitely second the hand-me-down clothes advice. My Aunty kept a bunch of one of my cousin’s clothes which then got passed down to another cousin then my little brother. My brother’s First Communion outfit was worn by two of his older cousins before him and half my sister’s clothes growing up were mine I think there’s something really beautiful about that.

[@elliemayride760]

Your skin is glowing!! It looks bloody amazing

[@sallys.2707]

Does UK work system offer "children sick days" ? In France you can be off of work because your child is sick. It's only between 5 or 6 days a year (depending if you're a civil servant or not) but it's quite useful ! It's not paid leave though, even if sometimes some employers choose to pay you.

[@katiemoss7578]

Absolutely if your child is sick or their school is closed outside of normal times (so a strike day counts but the school summer holidays doesn’t) you are entitled to the day off but it doesn’t have to be paid

[@morehannah]

Yeah you can get carers/parental leave but unpaid

[@mx.acacia]

In sweden caring for a sick child is paid time off, you get like 70-80% of your normal salary paid by the state social insurance agency, and you can take up to 120 days of per child and it applies to everyone including self-employed people (though obviously if your freelance and have certain deadlines that can still mean you cant take full days off)

[@lizandbug]

Laughing about the nap being sacred as I put my 1.5 month old down for her nap. Also I agree about the afternoon thing! That way we don't fall asleep on the way there! Not enough places do afternoon things

[@sillysoz]

I love that you're honest about certain things might make you a better parent, be good for your child etc. but isn't a priority for you e.g. the toy rotation! As a mother of almost 1 year old twins, I despair of people giving me 'advice' which amounts to even more effort or time I barely have, when it's not like I'm doing awful all-round. Becoming a mother as made me very blunt and self-confident in that aspect - also I'm just too mentally tired to care what others think anymore :) LOVE the sacred nap hahaha, it's true!! The chaos that comes if naps aren't completed by a certain time, oh my..... We received so much 2nd hand stuff from friends, and have passed some on too already. It feels so good!! I've also gotten carried away by bargain or free 2nd hand items though, and ended up with way too much.

[@SamWest96]

This video has made me miss Hello Fresh. I loved it so much because we actually ate really well and liked most of the meals. Unfortunately so many of the recipes come with dairy and I was just finding it increasingly difficult to find enough recipes we'd want that my daughter could also eat.

[@FarrenDowning]

Our first baby is due in December and I need all the parenting tips and tricks you can offer 😂 loved the 2 is 1 and 1 is none

[@bimaloxley]

That second best parenting attitude also reminds me of the "Good enough parent" which is very similar. Noones perfect so we do our best in life😊

[@canadiangreeneyes]

Not a parent, and for some folks this may not work well, but I've taken to writing notes to myself on the bathroom mirror with a whiteboard marker. Toiletries I need to buy, things I need to make sure I pack the next morning, etc.

[@maggiebookworm]

My partner realized we could write the fridge with a whiteboard marker and GAME CHANGER. We have lost for groceries (keeping in mind the one is none rule) and then also list what’s in the fridge and freezer. It helps me to not forget about things that are close to expiring

[@canadiangreeneyes]

@@maggiebookworm yeeeessss I love this! Whiteboard markers for everything! I also use them to put dates on things in my fridge (date opened for oat milk, date made for leftovers, etc)

[@SamarkandChan]

We don't have kids, but my partner travels for work a lot and we both work different hours as we're in theatre/performance. I can't imagine my life if we didn't have a shared digital calender we could keep up to date easily.

[@emmabarnes609]

hey!

[@Liaurius]

Please make a video about having a child who’s not the best sleeper. I have an 11 month old that still wakes 5-10 times, and at that age most people just expect your baby to STTN - I know Roman didn’t - how did you survive? Where is sleep now?

[@morehannah]

I’ve no idea…. Rowan is 14 months and still wakes 5ish times a night so 🫠🫠🫠

[@DanikaBevirt]

My husband and I finally reached our exhaustion limit and consulted with a baby sleep expert. She had us log his night time for several nights and his feedings then she provided us with a plan and a schedule. I really recommend talking to a sleep trainer, everyone online makes it seem cruel, it’s not. It immediately resolved our sleep problems. First thing we had to do was ween him from night feedings, decreasing over 4 days. Learning to not eat at night helps your child and will reduce the wakings. Your particulars will vary but it’s worth doing it now, we did it at 12 months old, he is now 14 months. It’s made days easier just being more rested, not as much of a zombie anymore.

[@EA-fv8dq]

Omg yes i have an almost 3 month old and our mornings are a write off 😂 why are there no afternoon activities!?

[@hsellors]

When my son was born it was November and he got given beautiful 0-3m winter clothes...he was born TINY 6.5lbs, NB size drowned him for a month and he didnt wear 0-3 until he was 3m. We lived in Portugal at the time so by the time he fit them it was hot 🙃 I then had a 2nd child 17m later, a girl born in totally opposite seasons, so she wasn't able to wear them either. Making friends with mums at groups has been great for handing down clothes. I use Vinted to buy most of my girls clothes, but like to pass clothes forward rather than sell as I've been SO grateful to receive hand downs from others 😊

[@elizabethroyerjohnson4992]

Haha I feel that point about naps so hard!

[@c.morland]

Thanks!

[@atrabilious]

What do you do if your partner has a different calendar preference to you? My husband prefers to write in a bullet journal so I never know what he’s doing, and he never knows what I’ve put in the Google calendar!

[@piarateking8094]

take a pic and send it to each other, or just tell each other if theres something important so you can both put it in your calendars, also can have the google calender send an email or text to him as a reminder

[@morehannah]

Yeah you’ll need to figure out the best way to communicate what you’ve got in your calendars so you can make sure they are matching!

[@MadSpacePig]

Google Calendar is fantastic but it's annoying how the week view is the only view that gives you that really nice visual representation of how long events are and when they overlap. What's also annoying about the week view is how useless it is on Saturdays and Sundays because it's Mon-Fri and not 7 days from the current day, so you can't actually SEE anything that's upcoming without manually going to the next week.

[@morehannah]

Ooooooh great points!

[@zoogott]

Wow, great mind think alike 😊 I am a mom of 2 girls. One is turning 8 years and the other one just turned 5 years. I can’t even remember how it was when they were younger, and at the same time I got sick from exhaustion syndrome when the youngest one was 1 1/2 years . Somehow I and my husband managed to raise them by actually most of your tips. The best part was the uplifting words from a mom to another of that you is enough as you are ☺️🥰

[@lilurri]

We're fairly het/cis normative on who cooks as well, but that's because I love cooking, and my hubby only likes cooking some things. He cooks Christmas breakfast for his family, but that's because it's a special dish, and he loves cooking that one. Also, I'm allergic to a lot (mostly it messes with my Crohns), so it's easier for me to read labels (he's super dyslexic, so he has trouble with ingredient labels).

[@Nelle4ever]

I don't and won't have kids, but I watched the whole video as you're so organized and I need help!

[@myacot]

I was doing side-feeding right from the birth with my first baby and managed to not be TOO bothered waking up a lot during the night. Hearing women say they breastfeeding their baby SITTING all the time is absolutely crazy to me. Sounds very exhausting. Hopefully it will workout for your next children as well.

[@Hnj-f]

During the 'things that work for us' section, there is an ultra-sound hung up, Hannah is that Rowans...?

[@morehannah]

Yeah haha we still have them placed around the flat

[@krystinapearson8417]

I dont know if ive missed this before - how do you get Rowan to sleep. Does he tale himself off? Boob and pop down? Contact naps? Interested in where youre at now, how it works for you and how you got to that stage would be interesting x

[@morehannah]

Side boob lying next to him on his bed 💛

[@krystinapearson8417]

@@morehannah pretty much already my technique 😂 love to hear it x

[@sophiaM682]

Love it!!

[@caitlyns9587]

I so relate to your explanation of your life in the “baby activities and schedule” section of the video. This has been my life the past year with my now 14 month old. Trying to be chill about their naps cause I always wanna get out of the house everyday but still over analyzing and obsessing about the sleep calculations hahaha 😂

[@Sophie_Cleverly]

Is it weird that I basically did no baby activities 😅 I mean, I guess to be fair I only had a window of like less than a year post birth recovery/illness and pre-lockdown. But we live in a village and I didn't really do anything other than sometimes taking her to a baby and toddler group one morning. I would see the occasional advert for baby classes but I guess there's not as much here. My daughter is 4 now and is doing great so I don't think it really affected her at all as far as I can tell!

[@t.kruste3085]

Do parents in the UK not get sick days when their child is sick?????

[@honestlyholly7657]

Not paid days :(

[@t.kruste3085]

@@honestlyholly7657 oof, that sucks, I'm sorry :/

[@surlespasdondine]

@@honestlyholly7657 crazy!!!!

[@laurenschenck5355]

SO EXCITED!!!💛🏝️🩵🩵🩵🏝️💛🏝️🩵🩵🩵🏝️🏝️🏝️🩵🩵🩵🏝️🏝️🩵🌞🌞🌞💛🩵🩵🩵🏝️💛💛🏝️🩵🩵🌞🌞💛🩵🩵🩵🩵🏝️💛💛🏝️

[@Wendyroo6817]

My adhd could never lol

[@K842970]

Oh gosh yes afternoon baby (and toddler) activities would be so useful! Why do they not exist?! 😂

[@Theupoy]

Love your videos! My son is nearly 6 months old and you've been a wealth of knowledge throughout my pregnancy and the trials of motherhood. Perhaps you've touched on it in previous videos, but I was wondering what your opinion on littles watching television/tv on in the background is? Also, what kind of approach did you and Dan take to sleep training (if any)? 🌈☺️

[@onlychild1018]

Hannah, i love your videos and habe been following for a while so it was a bit surprising when the HelloFresh Ad part started. The thumbnail or title had no indication that it was an AD. Arent influencers meant to add that in visibly for transparency witb their audience?

[@surlespasdondine]

Only a portion of the video is sponsored which is clearly indicated.

[@onlychild1018]

@@surlespasdondine yes but under the ASA guidelines if there is any sponsored content within the entire video then it has to be thumbnailed and titled with AD

[@johannawurschlop4457]

Do you not get paid leave to take care of your sick child in the UK? I mean doesn't Dan, since you're selfemployed? Also when you said you still had to do the re-sign-up for the taxfree thing I remembered my own adulting I had to do, paused the video and got it done, so thanks for that!

[@gracesnow4416]

WE LOVE YOU

[@laurenschenck5355]

Hope you have a good weekend Hannah and you deserve it and thanks so much for the amazing video xoxo 😚 🏝️🩵🩵🏝️💛🌞💛🏝️🩵🩵🏝️🌞🌞💛🏝️🩵🩵🩵🏝️🌞🌞💛🏝️🩵🩵🏝️💛🌞💛🏝️🏝️🩵🩵💛🌞🌞🌞💛🏝️🩵🩵🩵🩵🏝️💛🌞🌞💛💛🏝️🩵🩵🩵🏝️💛🌞🌞💛🩵🩵

[@laurenschenck5355]

Good job Hannah for keeping organizations and keeping clean and you are doing incredible job xoxo 😚 💛🩵🩵🌞🌞🌞🏝️💛🩵🩵💛🏝️🌞🌞🏝️💛🩵🩵🩵🏝️🌞🌞🌞🏝️💛🩵🩵💛💛🌞💛🩵🩵🩵🩵💛🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️💛🩵🩵💛🏝️🏝️🏝️💛🩵🩵🩵🩵🏝️🏝️🏝️🌞🏝️🏝️💛🩵

[@Poppy90866]

You are on another level, to be living in a flat with a baby and a dan 😅

[@Charlotte-hv6ll]

Leaving a comment for the algorithm

[@laurenschenck5355]

Thanks for the tips Hannah xoxo 😚 💛🩵🩵💛🌞🌞🌞🌞💛🏝️🩵🩵🩵💛🌞🌞💛🏝️🩵🩵🏝️💛💛🌞🌞💛🏝️🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🏝️🏝️💛🌞🌞💛🏝️🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🏝️💛💛

[@GirliestMammy]

💖

[@laurenschenck5355]

Good morning Hannah hope you have a great day xoxo 😚 💛🩵🏝️💛🌞💛🏝️🩵🩵🩵🏝️💛🌞💛🏝️🩵🩵🩵🩵💛💛💛🏝️🏝️🩵🩵🩵💛💛🌞💛🩵🩵🩵🩵🏝️🌞🌞🌞🏝️🩵🩵🩵🏝️💛

[@heatherr55655]

So many baby activities in the morning... it makes no sense. Have they met a baby!?

[@selmar5161]

Since this is a recommendations video: I’m not sure you should recommend getting a cleaning lady. They are often not well paid and don’t have equal rights. Besides it’s the classic “husband is working, so me + other women (nanny, cleaner etc) are doing all the work. It’s such a classic but really something that should change.

[@amarshall5407]

Had to pause the video to say it sounds there was a cricket working very hard in the background lol.

[@morehannah]

omg the noisy crickets are SO ANNOYING!! 😅😭

[@amarshall5407]

@@morehannah Haha you probably owe him royalties by how hard he was working to give you background noise 🤣

[@marwamagdi2587]

is hannah pregnant again ? she has been filming at home lately

[@honestlyholly7657]

Probably shouldn't speculate on someone's pregnancy, especially when they have had publicly documented fertility issues previously

[@charlottetheile7234]

a bit disappointing to see you fall in such a gendered role. I was so sure you would do it differently

[@honestlyholly7657]

Hannah and her partner chose how to raise their child, and feminism is all about choice. Society often doesn't leave much of a choice however, so if you want to be disappointed in anyone, be disappointed in the systems new parents/mothers have to navigate

[@emc_4987]

This message screams entitlement. Imagine being so invested in a strangers life that you are ‘disappointed’ by their decision. Hannah and Dan are doing exactly what works for them, and by the sounds of it their communication is right on point. Everyone’s needs are being met!

[@thislifeinireland]

This is SO WEIRD 😭😭😭

[@charlottetheile7234]

@@emc_4987 I know she doesn't owe anyone anything. For me personally its just a bit sad to see all the women doing the heavy lifting while their partners pursue their careers 100 %. but I know the solution is easy: I don't have to watch content that depresses me :)

[@charlottetheile7234]

@@honestlyholly7657 i am raising a baby in a similar system (Switzerland) and yes, it is hard. still I find it odd when one partner continues to work exactly the same while the other changes their life completely. I don't think you have to do this

[@katieallen3266]

Only 6 mins in so apologies if it's mentioned later in the video but there are some rights that employees have about taking time off to care for dependents. www.gov.uk/time-off-for-dependants

[@gemgh420]

Thrilled that my calendar looked similar to yours in terms off multi calendars/blocking and I don't have children! I would literally not come without Google calendar 🪄6:03