Welcome to the world of parenting! Are you new here or have you been a parent for a while now? You will find there are many ways to do things, and if you didn't already know, taking care of kids can be hard at times and definitely overwhelming. I have three kids and feel like I'm sometimes in survival mode. I definitely don't have energy like I used to...and definitely wish I had some of my kids' energy! I thought I would be doing crafts every day with them and that my house would always be spotless. Man, was I wrong! But it's okay that my world doesn't look like that. When I became a mother, I realized that I could probably make some everyday tasks a little easier for myself, I just needed to find solutions for them. So I created a list of parenting hacks that have worked for me, and that my friends have tried. These hacks will change your life and definitely make it a little easier.
There are hundreds of hacks out there for what you need in life. It can be newborn hacks you need, hacks for dad, or even postpartum hacks for us mommas; and we will cover it all in this post! First off, I made a mental list of what things were causing me the most stress, took too much time, and or were things I know I could fix without making a huge change and which I could control. I did these tasks one by one, and slowly but surely things started falling into place. I am so glad I found tricks on how to improve situations or jobs I have to do!
30 Parenting Hacks
- Use a wine bottle to core an apple.
- Put playpen/toddler bed sheets on the back seat of the car for kids to get dirty, then change them out when they do get dirty. This will help prevent your car seats from being destroyed, stained, and minimize frequent cleanings.
- Gather foam bathtub letters and a spray bottle. Seat your toddler next to a small low window or a door and let them play while you cook dinner or do other tasks around your house.
- Create a routine. This may seem obvious, but I promise you its a game changer for how you run your day. Have a set nap time, meal time, playtime, bed time. Kids thrive on a schedule. There will be days where that schedule isn't followed, and that’s okay, but speaking by experience, a schedule has definitely helped me and my kids--they know what to expect and the days run easier with one.
- Keep snacks on hand in the car or in your purse/diaper bag. These are perfect for hard moments when kids need to be distracted for a little bit.
- Get scissors specifically for cutting food into smaller pieces. And only use them for that purpose.
- Use 3D fabric paint on the bottom of your baby's socks to prevent slips on flooring. Baby-proofing your house can be hard, especially if you have slippery floors. This way your baby will have a better grip while adventuring.
- Lay out clothes, shoes, and backpacks for the next day as part of after dinner or bedtime routine. I cannot tell you how much more smoothly our mornings go when we do this, plus it also introduces small doses of positive learning of independence for your kids too.
- Hide valuables in a diaper. Whether you're on vacation at the beach or camping or just anywhere outdoors, there’s always a question of where to safely keep your personal belongings while having fun with your family. So how do we make sure no one steals anything? Use a diaper. Grab your items (keys, wallet, phone, etc.) roll them up in a diaper, and just leave them where you're sitting. No one is going to want to touch what looks like a used diaper, believe me!
- Put a ball of aluminum foil in the silverware container in the dishwasher. Say hello to your dishes never being cleaner!
- Place stickers in your kids' shoes to help them learn which shoe goes on which foot.
- Double your pancake/waffle batch and put the extras in the freezer so your kids have an easy breakfast to heat up.
- Keep a car trash bag in your car to throw away all those candy grabbers, straws, and just any trash, because it’s inevitable you'll have a lot of it.
- When it's bath time, seat your baby in a towel-lined laundry basket. This keeps them from falling or tipping, and it also keeps toys from floating away.
- Always have a grocery bag or plastic bag in your car/diaper for diaper blowouts.
- Stick a cupcake liner on your kid's popsicle stick to catch spills.
- Roll onesies up over your baby's arms while you're changing their diaper. I cannot tell you how many times my kids have accidentally put their arms in their own poop! As you can imagine, it’s a horribly messy situation. This way you can avoid that and have keep their arms from flailing everywhere.
- When your little one has a blowout, take the onesie off from the shoulders down, not up over her head. This is a huge game changer! Baby onesies are made with shoulder flaps that are designed so that the onesies can be removed from both the top and bottom. This keeps the mess from being pulled up over their heads and arms.
- Keep essentials in every room you frequent (diapers, wipes, medicine, breast pads, clippers), that way you don’t need to travel to another room every time you need something--it will conveniently be at your side. In your bedroom, the nightstand is a perfect place for this.
- Wash baby and kid socks in a mesh laundry bag. You can clip it to their laundry hamper to collect the socks until it's time to wash, then just toss it in the washer. Never lose a sock again!
- Keep a bag of mini marshmallows in the freezer, then use it as an injury pad. It's lightweight, gets cold, but not too cold, and is easy/affordable to make.
- Hide the medicine. Medicine is not only dreaded by kids but also not fun for adults, especially the liquid type. With just a look your brain creates this sense of avoidance. Try to avoid showing your child the medicine bottle before giving them a dose. Instead, buy a pacifier medicine dispenser or dump out a juice box (or reuse one) and cut out the back. Slip in the medicine and face it forward when giving it to your sick child. This can make giving your child medicine a bit less dramatic.
- Open up flaps on juice boxes. (I didn't know this one either!) See those triangle flaps? Yep, those! Fold them up and away from the box. This helps little ones be able to grab their juice more securely and minimizes spills.
- Keep a spray bottle in your car for those really hot days! Spray on door handles and especially seat belt buckles--no more burned hands for your or your little ones.
- Carry a stain remover stick in your purse or diaper at all times! This has become such a life saver for me and my kids. In just seconds you can watch those stains disappear!
- Put a double layer of sheets on your baby's bassinet, crib, or bed! This is great for moments when there is a blow out, sickness, or accidents. All you have to do is rip off the first layer and there you have a nice clean bed! Layer it like this: a mattress pad, then a fitted sheet, then another mattress pad, and another fitted sheet. Just make sure all the bedding is pulled tight and fits the mattress properly!
- Line your baby's activity mat or bouncers/swing with a blanket or burb cloth to catch spit up, spills, or blowout. Believe me, messes will happen, and it’s a pain to clean those bulky items so frequently. This way you can just wash the blanket or burp cloth, and it is easier for you to clean.
- Baby carriers or wraps are a must! Whether your baby is your first or you have multiple kids, you can do so much more when your hands are free, and your baby will be content being upright and close to you.
- Do you have a boy you're trying to potty train? Drop some Cheerios in the toilet to give him something to aim for. Potty time can become a game!
- Wash stained clothes immediately. The longer you have the mess on their clothes, the harder they are to remove, and possibly create a permanent stain on their cute outfits. Even if you're not able to fully wash it, keeping the clothes in water will still help keep those stains from becoming permanent. Even if the stain doesn’t go away after the first wash, keep the clothing out of the dryer and repeat the same wash treatment.
Well there you have it, some helpful tips and tricks to make your everyday life as a parent easier. What may work for you and the kids may not work for everyone, but that is okay! As you go about life, you will gain more experience and develop your own hacks that work for you. Share these with other moms, help each other out! Let us know what hacks you use that has worked for you and your kids in the comments below!