I thought this would be a nice place to aggregate lists of miscellaneous parenting tips, organized by age. Maybe if this gathers lots of good input, I’ll post another age group in a few days. If nobody is into the idea, no big deal.
Let’s start with babies 4-6 months old, since newborns are way to fucking complicated!
Suggestion: post a single tip per comment, so people can up/downvote each tip, rather than long comments with lots of ideas. May the best advice float to the top!
Baby wearing! There are a lot of carriers out there, find the one that works best for you. You can wear your baby in the front, or the back, facing out or facing in, or even sideways in a sling.
It’s great because it allows you to get things done, like cooking dinner and light housework, while also staying close to your baby. You can talk to them, teach them about the world, and give them warmth and snuggles, without abandoning other needed work.
There are baby-wearing support groups in most metro areas. Check one out and you can visit nearby parents to try out different carriers and see the one you like, since they’re not cheap.
And check out your local Freecycle/no waste group/etc. — we got a well-used Ergobaby for free. If you’re ok with worn/stained/kinda fugly gear, free groups are a great resource.