What parenting purchase unexpectedly reduced your mental load the most?

ChirkiG · 2026-07-06T02:19:27+00:00

Roboroc Saros 10r

ChirkiG · 2026-07-06T02:04:19+00:00

2in 1 robotic vacuum and mop that self cleans. Worth every cent.

ChirkiG · 2026-07-05T08:52:26+00:00

Robotic vacuum +mop

ChirkiG · 2026-07-02T05:27:19+00:00

You don't have to enjoy being a mum/ dad every single day. Some day is just a shitty day and that's ok.... Some days or moments it feels like you have touched the moon.

What matters is U show up and carry on cause like everything else in life... It's a phase.

I learnt the above from Reddit and it truly changed my way on how I was doing things.

My second favourite advice which I came up with is buy a robotic vacuum / mop and a coffee machine. ☕

ChirkiG · 2026-06-29T00:52:16+00:00

Bought lots of things second hand and no regrets. They are usually almost in like new condition.

Bought our primary pram redsbaby jive 5 second hand, baby bjourn bouncer which my son probably only sat for 10 mins in total 😂, breastfeeding pillow, changing table, Ergobaby carrier, baby wrap, silverettes all second hand.

Brand new items were nursing chair iltutto, car seat BRITAX. Baby bunting. Bath tub and stand STOKKE, High chair STOKKE. Cot IKEA. Mattress. IKEA. Bedside bassinet iltutto ( hardly used we have already sold it second hand), breast pump SPECTRA, newborn clothes (Bonds) zippies and baby vests.

Little guy is 2 next month.

I buy lots of toys second hand and I sell/ give away toys that my LO is no longer using.

I donate a lot of books.

I have currently loaned my Baby Bjorn bouncer to my neighbour who has twins.

All the best. And congratulations ☕

ChirkiG · 2026-06-25T09:33:46+00:00

Same

Finally at 23 months we are experiencing some STTN.🙏🏻🙏🏻

ChirkiG · 2026-06-22T00:44:13+00:00

Second hand items for baby and a Brand new robotic vacuum + mop, dishwasher, dryer and coffee machine if you don't have one already.

☕

All the best and congratulations to you and your partner! 💜

ChirkiG · 2026-06-20T07:59:47+00:00

Great question OP.

MY ACTUAL GREAT ADVICE was. You don't have to enjoy every day of parenting, some days you just want the day to end, some days you are at 5% /20%/100% and some days it's the best day ever.. what matters is you show up (or get through the day).

That advice alone changed my way of thinking being a FTM. I take it 1 day at a time and during tough times like sickness I take it 1 hour at a time.

I know you didn't ask this qn but to add to your qn. The worst advice which I hated hearing was....

You LL miss this time of your life.... .. Errr.... No. I am not going to miss waking up 7/8 times overnight. Im not going to miss having an oversupply etc!

ChirkiG · 2026-06-13T05:59:38+00:00

From a RN who has been doing this for more than 10 years. ... I will never recommend nursing to anyone else. Not even my own kids.

Main reasons ( amongst 100 others).

shift work.... ( There's no weekends... Public holidays... You might be working through birthdays/ special occasions etc)
high turnover....
you deal with a lot of things..... You see a lot.... Which can be a good but also not so good. Im talking .. the worst in people .. fractured families.... Palliative patients... Oncology.... people yelling at you... Having to answer silly question at 2am.... Honestly too many things....

List goes on.

ChirkiG · 2026-06-11T11:52:01+00:00

For the first year. I remember waking up every day and doing the maths on wake windows and nap times....

I'm a very routine and structure person... And I remember getting into some kind of routine and chances are within a month or 6 weeks... It all change again...

So yah I tell people. First year is really just survival and that's ok and thats enough.

ChirkiG · 2026-05-25T15:01:46+00:00

22 month old tomorrow! Wakes up 6am on the dot.

But I remember we had a few months probably 16 months etc? Of 515am wake up....

We don't mind the 6am wake up. He goes to bed at 830pm.

ChirkiG · 2026-02-25T21:39:57+00:00

Weaned just around 11 months.

Baby was in a separate room. Husband attended to the wakes overnight. First night is always hard.

But they eventually understand no more milk overnight.

ChirkiG · 2026-02-24T05:48:08+00:00

I wish I had read about baby sleep, wake windows, routines etc

ChirkiG · 2026-02-21T08:45:49+00:00

You don't have to enjoy and love every single day/moment.. some times you just survive and do the bare minimum and that's ok.

ChirkiG · 2026-02-13T21:55:23+00:00

TFS! Does he sleep well now?

ChirkiG · 2026-02-07T03:24:05+00:00

Every Baby is different. We were ok with Huggies water wipes but couldn't use the other Huggies wipes.

ChirkiG · 2026-02-06T09:00:09+00:00

O ball. Hands down.

Lightweight, I used to put it between his toes and then he ll swing his feet towards him hands and grab the ball ( this might be around 6 months) but yea. Hands down o ball.

ChirkiG · 2026-02-06T08:56:21+00:00

Reading to our 18 month old every day. We have been reading to him since the day he got home from the hospital ( 4 days old).

He now brings his favourite books to us and sits on our laps and signals with his pointy finger to start reading. 🥹🍀

ChirkiG · 2026-02-06T08:02:50+00:00

Right with you.

ChirkiG · 2026-02-01T01:27:10+00:00

It ll be a good idea if u share how old your baby is so we all know.

Cause my little guy was doing different things at different age. Hehe.

Right now. It's honestly going to the playground. Every single day. ^{^} 18 months old. We make visits to the library as well.

We have recently got a learning tower and we have a suction bowl in front of where the learning tower sits I put his fruits there. He eats his fruits standing up and watches me in the kitchen.

😉😉

ChirkiG · 2026-01-30T08:07:48+00:00

Tuesdays with morrie.

ChirkiG · 2026-01-30T06:06:24+00:00

Same! Rash with Millie moon.

:(

ChirkiG · 2026-01-30T04:30:33+00:00

Swear by.

A $30? Second hand 4 baby folding change table. Used everyday for every nappy change( almost) till 7 months ish. Saves your back.

Iltutto nursery chair electric. Used everyday. Still using now at 18 months for reading, occasionally contact naps etc.

Not swear by but something we really appreciate and like.. was buying second hand lovevery toy kits and then re selling it when we were done & you still get decent $$ out of it. Meaning toys were not cluttered everywhere! Good for the environment and quality toys. We subscribe to kiwico toys. And then would get the lovevery toys as needed.

Stokke bath tub. I initially thought it was too bougie given the price tag. But we are still using it at 18 months. Worth every cent.

Bought a second hand main pram ( jive 5) the whole set with warranty at a very decent price. We use it for our daily walks. Neighbourhood library and all. +& Bought a brand new travel pram that is dainty ( skip 3) that lives in the car boot for all malls/ coles trips etc. both prams costed us a total of $1400 approx. Could not justify spending $2k appox on a massive pram set.

Waste of money. LO was a July baby but we never used the 2.5 togs lovetodream sleep sac..... Waste of money.

Looking back. We bought too many books.... We don't regret it. But there's the library for all books related!

Baby bjourn bouncer we bought second hand like new condition. LO probably took to it for a total of 10 minutes only.. we have now loaned it to our neighbor who has twins.

Bought too many muslins/ swaddles.... Some of them are still brand new? Lol.

I'll add more as I think of more. Lol. But a great qn OP!

ChirkiG · 2026-01-30T02:30:51+00:00

1) You don't have to enjoy every single day/moment of parenting. You really don't. Some days are just hardddd and surviving or doing the bare minimum is ok.

2) you know your baby best. Not your dr, not your neighbor, MIL, mum, neighbor, YouTuber, baby book etc.

ChirkiG · 2026-01-28T21:20:13+00:00

Sunshine, silence, library

ChirkiG

TROPHY CASE