15 Parenting Hacks That Are Actually Genius

Lex Gabrielle
father and daughter coloring together
Unsplash | Humphrey Muleba

Parenting is a hard job. Not everyone can do it, and not everyone can do it well. But, we all are learning as we go. You know that saying—it takes a village to raise a child. Well, good thing that we have social media and that village of other parents to showcase to us what tips and tricks work for their kids so we can copy them for our own.

Never lose socks again.

Kids socks are so tiny that it's easy to lose them in the laundry. This mom found a way to keep them all together in pairs when she washes them. Simple: all you have to do is put snaps on them and keep them together in the washing machine.

This dad who played Barbies, with a catch.

His daughter wanted to play Barbies with him so he said of course, but instead of going to the mall, they went to the drive-in movie theater. Now, they're all watching a movie.

He's going nowhere.

If dad wants to take a nap or watch the game but there's a baby crawling around the floor, apparently tying a sheet to the baby's diaper gives you the freedom to do you! Plus they can still crawl around a little.

This is perfect for parents of multiple children!

If you have more than one kid, doing laundry can be annoying having to separate everything and fold it all up, then separate it to put it away. This mom came up with a genius way to fix that problem by making sections in the basket for each kid.

Keep your kids safe while BBQing.

Nothing says "danger" quite like a toddler near a hot BBQ. But, in those summer months when you have the whole family over, let the kids run around by putting a baby gate around the grill—they can't get too close now.

Never hold bubbles again.

Kids love to play with bubbles when the weather is warm, but we hate holding them and getting soap all over our hands. If you tape the bubbles to a pole or a tree, the kids can play with bubbles and your hands can remain dry.

Use their toys to help yourself.

Lugging up groceries is the worst—trust us. If you have no one around to help, grab your kid's toys to help yourself. A red wagon is great to throw everything in and wheel it up the driveway.

Smartest mom ever.

If you tell your kids you hate something or you don't want them to do something, they will test the limits and boundaries like no other. So, might as well do it in the best way possible and make it something you like.

No more mess.

Kids who draw all over the wall tend to want to do it again and again. So, instead of cleaning the wall and scrubbing it a bunch, you can make an "art studio" by getting painters' paper and letting them create a masterpiece.

No more mess.

Cutting their nails and toenails always makes a mess, but not if you have tape. Put some tape at the end of the clippers so it catches all of the nail clippings and you're safe to keep on going without having to vacuum them up!

No more dirt on the carpets.

When you want to bring the stroller inside, many of us know those wheels are super dirty and we do not want that dirt on our rugs or carpets. If you grab shower caps, you can cap those wheels, and boom—no more mess.

Kid-friendly corners.

Get a pool noodle, the ones we float on all summer long, and cut that bad boy down the middle. Then, you can put it on the sharp or rough ends of your furniture to babyproof it without having to replace your favorite TV stand or coffee table.

Tom Sawyer would be proud.

In the summer, let them have some fun outside and give them a project that won't require a clean-up. Let them "paint" the fence with water. It'll look like they're painting, but it dries rather quickly and they'll want to "paint" more.

Genius grounding hack.

Take their toys, take their iPads, and take their phones if they do you wrong. But, let them earn them back instead of just giving them back to them. Bonus points if they clean the whole house, too. Saves you some time.

They'll never wake you again.

Every kid's favorite thing to do before bed is to ask for more water. No matter how much they have had or what time it is. Give them water in their room that won't spill and that way, they don't wake you up in the middle of the night.