Our eldest is a little over two years old now, and since our two newest just arrived, I have been reflecting on some of the things that really worked for us. I hope these tips, gathered from friends, family, and the internet, offer some support and inspiration on your own parenting journey.

• Start a bedtime routine early: We started a bedtime routine when our son was about three months old, which seemed very silly at the time since he barely was sleeping at all. At the time, the routine was humming a lullaby, and telling him we love him. However, fast-forward to when he was one year old and even now, everyone knows that we go downstairs for a nighttime diaper, jammies, brush teeth, and then we do our lullaby, and we hop in bed. Even if he seemed wide awake when we read our books, by the time I’m picking him up for a lullaby, he’s yawning and isn’t resisting going to bed anymore. Toddlers thrive on routines, but even earlier it seemed like our son recognized those steps, and his mind automatically started to wind down.

• It’s never too soon to tell them “I love you”: Since he was an infant, I told my son I loved him multiple times a day, and at a minimum right before he goes to bed (as part of our bedtime routine). I was determined that this would be his first words. “I love you” (or his little kid version of it) was one of his first phrases when he started talking.

• Daily nighttime affirmation: Building on that foundation of love, we also incorporated daily affirmations into our bedtime routine. I hum him a lullaby and then tell him what I call it daily affirmation, basically telling him how much we love him and how much we’re happy that he’s in our lives and that we will always there for him. It’s a great reminder for both myself, and hopefully for him, our values as a family.

• Establishing healthy sleep habits early: I can’t emphasize this enough, and I have a dedicated post about this, but it was imperative for my husband and me to get my sleep back for our well-being as individuals and as a couple. Also, we really felt like we were teaching our son a life skill. I have heard stories of moms with 1 - 3 year-olds who are so tired because their child is waking up multiple times a night, or they share a bed and get woken up all night. I am grateful our doctor gave us that encouragement to teach our son how to sleep when she did.

• Travel as much as you can before they can walk: Traveling with an infant can be a unique and wonderful experience. While it presents its own set of challenges, it can also be incredibly rewarding. We were fortunate enough to go on a trip when our son was five months old and another at six months. It was such a special time together as a young family, and it ended up being pretty seamless traveling. My son was breast-feeding at the time (so I didn’t need to bring any bottles or pumps), and he would fall asleep in the stroller on the go whenever he was tired. If I remember correctly, he was still on two naps a day. More on this trip can be found here. Fast-forward a year later, we went on a trip when our son was 18 months old, when he was walking and starting to have opinions. This trip certainly tested our patience, but it also created some lasting memories (even if they were a bit tiring!). For example, I spent most of the plane you’re carrying him or following him up and down the plane, or trying to rock him to sleep in the back of the plane as he was crying.

• Get outside every day: I’ve been fortunate to have had (now two) smooth postpartum recoveries. One was vaginal, and most recently a cesarean. As part of my postpartum recovery and journey, I really prioritize getting out of the house once a day, and found that it really helps my state of mind. My outings look like car rides to the pediatrician, drives with the baby/babies to pickup breakfast, or simply a stroll around the neighborhood. I love getting the fresh air and the steps (great for the baby as well!), but also it feels like I am getting a step closer to my new normal state of life.

• Figure out your childcare plan early: This is location specific, but get on the waiting lists for daycare as soon as you can. My best friend really encouraged us to do this early, and I’m thankful she did. We signed up for several daycare waitlists when I was five months pregnant (note: daycares that started at one year old). We received a number of rejections immediately, but eventually got off a waitlist when our son was about six months old. Never hurts to get on the waitlist so that you have some options you need it.

• First time parents, second time mentality: This one is my favorites since my husband and I came up with this one. Both of us were second pregnancy children, our parents told us we were significantly easier to raise than our siblings. Likely due to a combination of parenting experience, and time constraints, and “second time” attitude, generally across the board it seemed like all parents said their second child was easier than their first. So before our first was born, we decided to adopt the motto “first time parents, second time attitude”. We didn’t have the experience, but we tried to embrace the responsible but laissez-faire spirit of second time parents. We trusted our gut more, trusted our son more, and tried to take a deep breath before responding to our baby as well as each other. It helped us bring down the anxiety a bit, and felt more relaxed as first time parents.

What are your must-have parenting tips? Share them in the comments below.