Have you got any top tips for being a parent to a baby and toddler?

[Superdaad]

Just about to become a dad, what are your top tips? Like what is the one thing you should buy or the one thing you should do.
Got ideas on for making parenting easier or making me the best parent I can be?
Thanking you already!

Meal plan, organise quick easy dinners you can grab from the freezer, and breakfast and lunch options that can be put together quickly and easily. Order groceries online if you can, and keep plenty of snacks in the house.

Lower your standards, your house will be more untidy, less stuff will get done, more tv may be watched. Don't sweat the small stuff, just do what you can.

Get the toddler involved if you can. Dd came along when ds was 21 months, before she was born we got him a baby doll, and changed its nappy, fed it a bottle etc. He was keen to help when the real thing arrived, and that attitude has continued, she's 9 months now and he's teaching her to crawl.

Also if your toddler doesn't have a decent sleep routine, get one in place now.

Accept that it will be hard work, but if it feels like its getting too much, remember that this too will pass. Six months or a year from now, they will both be very different kids.

Find a decent sling/carrier you like for baby.

Cook and freeze easy to eat meals

Yes, batch cook and freeze meals. Accept all offers of help but be very specific about what you need. Assuming you are with the mother, be prepared for the hormonal carnage and don't take it personally - especially the tears when her milk comes in.

Newborn babies can be very hard, especially if they have issues like reflux. My husband found the constant crying very hard and avoided taking the baby. This made me feel abandoned as I was also finding things hard and recovering physically from a traumatic birth. Our marriage survived intact but only just!

Just remember that it won't be like this forever and don't lose sight of eachother, but do accept that your relationship will take a back seat for a few months. Oh, and you will sleep again!

Divide and conquer. One of you takes the toddler, one of you takes the baby. Both kids get one to one time with a parent.

Give each other a day off without the kids once a week. You will need it.

Accept that you both have it hard and do not descend into a race to the bottom where you turn against each other.

For at least one of the baby's naps make it a snooze in the pram while you take the toddler out for a walk/scoot etc. You bother some fresh air and exercise and get to spend some time with the toddler. I used to make up little treasure hunts for mine like finding acorns and things or counting how many red cars we saw etc.
I also tried to play with the toddler when the baby napped at home, quiet games like dominoes, so they still know mummy and daddy have time for them. On the other hand if you are knackered after a bad night with the baby an hour of CBeebies for the toddler will do no harm whatsoever!

My DC are 18 months apart.
Don't have strict routines.
Babies really can slot into your life.
You shouldn't live your life around babies naps, etc. If you want to go to the park- go. Baby can nap in pram.
If you may be out over toddlers mealtime- don't stress- pack a drink and snack for an on the go meal.
Say 'Yes' to all things you'd like to do and enjoy life without worrying about 2pm nap or 6 pm bathtime.
It definitely made things much easier than living by a strict schedule and made for much happier, relaxed and easy-going children.

Thanks all so far,
I don't actually have a toddler, I was just asking for like tips for the first couple of years kind of thing. Sorry if I didn't say this clearly.
But good stuff if we decide to go for another one!

Has anyone got any ideas on things I should buy? Or does none of that matter really?
I've put down a sling on my list and I think someone once said make sure you get a pram which turns into a car seat, but maybe that just costs too much

Well you certainly don't need all the stuff those baby magazines etc would have you think you need!
Realistically the baby will need somewhere to sleep. Most people use a small crib or Moses basket for the first few months and then a cot. If the baby is formula fed you will need formula, bottles (3 is enough that you are not constantly washing them) and a way to sterilize them.
You will need nappies and clothes for the baby. Those body suits with poppers and sleepsuits are ideal. You don't need loads but bear in mind babies are sick and poo throughout the day so you might need enough for 3-4 changes a day. 2 of mine were very sicky so I got a pile of those soft dribble bibs to save contant outfit changes. Muslins also really useful for wiping up sick amongst other things!
You will need a proper car seat and a pram, I think the travel systems are a matter of choice. They are convenient especially for a quick pop to the shops but they are expensive and the car seat part only lasts until they are about 1. A decent car seat that adapts for different stages might be a better investment.
Lots of tea, coffee and biscuits for the parents and and guests who come to see the baby! Good luck!

You just wing it like the rest of us and try to enjoy every stage as it goes far too fast.

Everything can be bought second hand except a car seat and cot mattress. Don't spend a load of money on stuff you may never use. Newborn stuff gets hardly any use so there are loads of really good quality, nearly new items for sale on the usual sites (eBay, Gumtree, Facebook marketplace etc.) plus table top sales specifically for baby things.

Something to eat (bottles, formula, steriliser if that's your choice), something to wear (vests and sleepsuits only - outfits are pointless), somewhere to sleep (bedside cot or moses basket) and someway to travel (car seat, sling, pushchair)

Buy a buggy that allows them both to be pushed at the same time (like a Phil and Teds inline) OR one that has a buggy-board on it. So you can get out with them. The more they're outside, the happier kids are.

Read the car seat manual. I know it's "less fun" if you can't figure it out yourself, but this is something which can be the difference between life and death if you use it wrong, so it's worth reading it. The English section is usually only a few pages :) Read it again every few months as you'll find out things which were irrelevant when your baby was a newborn are relevant now.

(Loads of prams are compatible with car seats these days and most car seats go onto most prams).

Britax is a great brand.