The Parent Project: Month 4

Tiny hands. Jack was asleep when his handprint was taken. It was a great time and was easy to clean up. 15 weeks in, we are now getting more sleep in the Otobos household. We are getting better at it, as with any new endeavor. At least, I think so. We have been able to take an overnight trip to the beach in a hotel and spend several weekends with family members. It feels like we are becoming more confident, more capable. It takes 3 to 6 months for new employees to feel comfortable in their new job. The same goes for parenting.
The most important thing that I have learned this month is that my eyes are glued to the clock.
Pay attention to the passing time
Keep an eye on the clock as you count down to the deadline. If we complete Task X today, we can start Task X tomorrow. We are on track, because this activity was completed on schedule. This new risk could mean that we miss the deadline.
Parenting is the same. I know how many hours passed since the last feeding, nappy change or bout of crying. These things can be viewed on a clock, but they are not visible to me. We have clocks in almost all rooms so that we can keep track.
Sleep is the best example of how long it takes for you to understand. I add up the hours of sleep I get each day. I know how many hours of sleep that I have had multiple times. I am obsessed about sleep time. I never thought I would be grateful for a 45-minute snooze in my life. I don’t recall the last night I slept through. I can remember being pregnant and not being capable of sleeping for 8 hours straight. But I can tell how many sleep hours I get each night.
This is even more difficult for some of my project milestones. Perhaps this obsessive recording skill will translate to my work life.
You have a toolkit
This month, I also realized that not all tools are the best. Agile is not for everyone. Some projects will require a Gantt diagram. It is understood by all stakeholders. Others need me to create a list in Word. You must use all available tools to get the best results.
The butterfly mobile is used for 10 minutes of Jack’s parent project’s morning. This allows me to make a cup of coffee and have breakfast before the childcare routine begins. To distract Jack from his pain, we have a lion rattling to help him. It is also the most soothing rattle we have, so it does not bother me too much. Although it’s not something he can yet shake, I think it will.
Some tools in our parenting toolkit have been put away, like the swaddle pillows. Swaddling is great, but it won’t work right away.
What tools are you able to pull out over and again?