Being a parent is a full-time job. And, for many of us, it’s an entry-level job. When we become a parent, we don’t have a lot to fall back on or experience that we can recall, especially as first-time parents.
Therefore, we oftentimes rely on our parents who raised us or other parents who are currently raising other tiny humans . Fortunately, moms online are always offering their help and advice for ways to “hack” parenting and save us time.
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Make snack time easier with ice or baking trays.
Snack time with kids can be pretty difficult, especially if you have multiple children. When you have picky eaters who want one thing, and your other children that want something totally different, you can compromise and make a “tray” for kids. Using a baking tray for cupcakes or even an ice cube tray, you can put whatever you’d like in multiple slots, satisfying everyone’s needs.
Use hooks wherever you can.
As a mom, we always have our hands full. Whether we’re grabbing things off of the floor, picking up our children, or grabbing a cup that is about to spill—we’re not octopuses, we only have two hands. A solid mom hack is to always have hooks in the house so you can easily hang things up and free your hands ASAP.
Get bandaids off easily.
Taking old bandaids off of our kids can be a huge pain—for both them and for us, too. The longer a bandaid is on a kid’s skin, the harder it is to pull off. We all know the face they make when we say we have to take off the bandaid—they know the pain is going to come. Instead of listening to their cries, you can use baby oil to loosen the stickiness of the bandaid’s glue, making the bandaid slide right off.
Let your kids feed themselves.
Getting clear storage bins can not only make your life easier as a mom but also teach your kids independence. Making a “snack space” in your house with easy-to-reach snacks will allow kids to help themselves when they are hungry for something. This way, mom gets some freedom from constantly having to grab stuff for them.
Rotate toys in your kid’s room.
It’s no secret that our kids are always complaining that they have nothing to do and no toys to play with. Many times, when our kids see the same toys day after day, they feel as though they are bored and have nothing new. If you rotate your kid’s toys from time to time, they will always feel like they have new things to play with.
Always tie those pacifiers down.
The one thing all new parents hate is the number of pacifiers that our kids throw around and lose. Whether it’s at night, throwing them out of their crib, or during the day throwing them out of the stroller on walks—we’re tired of losing pacifiers. If you tie the end of a pacifier to a baby blanket or something similar, you’ll most likely notice when your kid throws it, saving you a trip to the store again.
Use a rubber band to protect your kid’s fingers.
When our kids become toddlers and start to open and close doors, one of the fears we have is that our kids are going to slam their fingers in a door. It’s not an irrational fear because, well, we’re all guilty of doing it at one point in our own lives. Using a rubber band around the doorknob makes it so that the door doesn’t slam shut, trapping in fingers.
Always have activities.
No matter where you are going and no matter what you are doing, always have a bag of kid’s activities with you. You never know how long things will take when you are out of the house and not all of us love to have our kids starting at their iPad screens all day long. Packing a bag keeps them occupied for hours on end.
Keep all your marker caps in one place.
There is nothing more frustrating than when your kids are coloring and they lose a marker cap because that marker now has to go in the trash. If you have a lipstick or nail polish organizer. and some glue, you can solve all of your coloring problems. Glue the markers (cap down) into each slot and now, when kids color, they can only pick up the marker and they’ll have to put it back when they’re done.
No more nail clipping messes.
Clipping the nails of our kids can be a lot of work, but the worst part is the mess that we make with the clippings. No one wants to pick all of those nail clippings up. If you put some scotch tape on the sides of the kid’s nail clipper, it will keep all the clippings in place and you can clean it all out when you finish.
Invest in a good lunchbox.
We’re always worried that our kids aren’t eating enough or getting all of the right food groups in. If you invest in a good lunch box that has compartments, like a bento box, you can pack multiple things for lunch every day and be sure they get everything they need.
Get rid of smelly shoes.
If your kid’s shoes are starting to smell after a long day playing at the park or running around in gym class, it turns out that your answer may be in your kitchen. One mom shared on Instagram that if you put your coffee filter/pod inside of the shoe, it’ll absorb that stink!
Always have a “go bag.”
Many parenting websites share that one hack all parents should live by is always having a “kid go bag.” In the bag, you can pack just about everything you need when you’re running out of the house with your kids. Everything from sunscreen to ointments and even medicine, too.
Wash some toys in the dishwasher.
If your little one loves to put their toys in their mouth, use your time wisely and throw them in the dishwasher. When you see your kids are constantly chewing on toys, you don’t want them to be filled with germs and bacteria. Wash it in the dishwasher to clean and sanitize.
