Sanity Savers

Moms need all the help they can get. My biggest sanity saver is my husband, and then my cousin and sister, because they help out with my son.

But other things provide me comfort in times of frustration as well. And no, I don't mean chocolate and cake, but that works too. Here are some things off the top of my head:

moving pods and other storage chests. Considering the multitude of toys my son has amassed in his first year of life alone, these things keep the clutter manageable. Plus, that age-old advice of keeping some of the toys away and rotating them after several weeks or so truly works. My son gets delighted each time we open a box. It is like Christmas every two weeks or so.

educational videos. I know it's wrong to have the good old TV babysit for you, but sometimes I just want my son not to bother me. So I turn on the TV and let him watch Disney cartoons (which I actually find nice, like Higglytown Heroes, Thomas and Friends, Tigger and Pooh, the Safety Patrol, Little Eisnteins with all that classical music, etc.) or his Baby Signing Time videos. Oh, he loves commercials too!

cell phones. I just lock them and let him play with it and he gets occupied enough to be quiet for several minutes. Perfect distraction when he's starting to throw tantrums or making diaper changing a challenge.

music in general. He dances to everything. And I mean everything. Be it Tennessee Waltz or Umbrella, he dances to it. Again, a quick, foolproof happifier.

sign language. But i've already posted how helpful they've been. Now he also knows the signs for banana and cat and fish. Hehe.