There’s something about becoming a parent that turns even the most incurious person into a tinkerer . It’s like the role requires so much improvisation and quick thinking that it naturally turns a parent into a life hacker.
Are all of these hacks applicable to everyone? Not even close. Some of them are clearly only applicable to a few people. But you can’t help but respect the creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
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“My mom got my dad this ‘spatula holding crab’ and since then it has exclusively held peppers.”
Sometimes, you get gifted with a piece of plastic junk that’s intended for a highly specific task. Sometimes, it turns out to be useful — but for an entirely different task.
“My sister’s kids meal menu.”
If your kid is being a little brat when you go out to dinner, what are your moves? You could cajole them, you could cancel dinner entirely, or you could bust out a menu that mocks everything they say.
“This huge, ancient ergonomic mouse I found at my parent’s in law. Normal mouse for scale.”
This should unlock some embedded memories for ’90s kids . Remember trackballs? Remember how awful computer mice were before they became optical? Clearly, some people still have fond memories of the old days. If it hasn’t broken in a couple of decades, don’t fix it!
“The stickers my parents have on their boiler.”
Once you allow one magnet on your fridge, new magnets will start to appear almost spontaneously. After a little while, your fridge is full and you’ll need to find other magnetic surfaces in your house to use.
“My parents’ poop phone for urgent poop related calls.”
Anyone who doesn’t bring their phone with them into the washroom is lying to you. I guess having an official toilet-based landline phone is kind of the old-school equivalent of this tendency.
“My parents’ 45 year old microwave still works perfectly.”
When it comes to old appliances, they really don’t make ’em like they used to. If this microwave is still doing its job and not spitting out sparks or whatever, there’s no need to replace it.
“This guy at work’s huge dad wallet.”
Speaking as someone who stored a big fat dad wallet in my back pocket for years, the back pain isn’t worth it. Cut down on a few of those cards and find something nice and slim instead.
“My dad asked me if I wanted an egg sandwich. I’m not even mad, this is genius!”
How many ways are there to customize a sandwich? Literally more than we can count. I’m not sure if I could endorse this idea, but I have to applaud the creativity on display.
“When Dad takes action over a reoccurring problem.”
It isn’t elegant at all, but it’s a lot easier to find a big wooden plank than it is to track down a little dark remote. Maybe these parents need one of those gigantic remotes instead.
“I got my dad a personalized license plate for his auto mower.”
I don’t think lawnmowers, automated or otherwise, require license plates in the great state of Wisconsin. But there’s something undeniably appealing about seeing this mower’s little custom plate.
“When it’s hot as heck out and mommas got work to do while the kids play…. Fill an old cooler with cold water! Every time I get hot open it up drop in my feet cool down.”
If you’re looking to keep cool, ice and water is a good place to start. I’m not sure if I’d like an icy foot bath though, even on a hot day.
“The way my dad labels his frozen meals.”
These meals are labelled in a way that should make their contents obvious to everyone while using no words at all. I’ll have some of that meatloaf, and maybe some chicken later on.
“Now that school is back in session, we’re dealing with keeping track of iPads and making sure they’re charged each day. I’ve had a few friends ask me about my charging station details, so I’m sharing it here for easy reference!”
These caddies are an awesome way to store your various electronic devices. I have one, and don’t even have kids.
“Simply fill transparent sealable bottles or other containers with whatever you want and the child will have a lot to discover.”
To be fair, this is the kind of hack that just about everyone utilizes. It’s still a handy way to see, at a glance, what you’ve got in the cupboard.
“After losing all my socks to my kids, I’ve found a new hiding spot. My tool cabinet.”
This might preserve his socks, but it’s going to lead to a lot of questions about why dad is always sneaking off to the garage in bare feet.
“My mother made a framed sheet to help me do laundry more.”
I’m wondering if the last instruction on this very thorough list applies to asking Mom to just do the laundry, since she clearly knows all the steps so well.
“Use a NEW tackle box or small parts container and make your own Lunchable!”
People love charcuterie, even though it’s nothing more than meat and cheese on a piece of wood. Instead, how about this: meat and cheese inside a plastic box.
“My dad made a wooden speaker system.”
I love these low-tech speaker amplifiers. I’ve made my own using plastic cups and zip ties before, but I think this rustic, natural spin on the concept is the best one I’ve seen yet.
“Ahhhhh the old wine wagon.”
If you live in a friendly neighborhood, you might make a few new friends if you go for a walk and lug this bad boy around. In fact, I think it could become every parent’s best friend.
“Our son’s wanted to ride our @onepeloton so bad , so I had to get them there own had to #dadhack the custom paint job and stickers from @pelotonboutique really added the finishing touches.”
This is a convenient way to get your kid to worship brands while keeping them off your expensive Peloton.
