Let’s face it; you’re at your wits end, and about to rip your hair out. Your house in a mess, and you are so close to losing it. This wasn’t supposed to be this tedious. You’re right. There is a better way to get things done that won’t exhaust you completely. Here are thirty tips and tricks that will help you get through this madness with your sanity intact.
1. Give your kids one huge basket for them to chuck their toys into when playtime is over.
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2. Carrying paper and color pencils when you go out for dinner will keep them engaged in an activity like drawing.
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3. Wait half hour after your kid falls asleep to cut their nails.
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4. Always carry an extra shirt for yourself. That extra shirt is a godsend when you land lunch on your collar instead of your kid’s mouth.
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5. Use rubber bands on the dispenser nozzles in the bathroom.
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6. Give your kids their ‘own’ cups. In fact, take them to the store, and let them pick one out. No more fighting at the table over whose glass it was.
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7. Sprinkle the apple slices with salt and rinse them under cold water. This little hack keeps the apples looking fresh and delicious.
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8. Old pizza boxes = canvas for your kid’s painting. Keep recycling, everybody.
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9 . Toothpaste or sanitizers get rid of marker stains on wooden surfaces. You’re welcome!
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10. Doll hair can be kept intact by washing it with fabric softener and water.
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11. Clean your kid’s shoes and toys in the dishwasher on a low-heat setting. Goodbye, scrubbing grass stains and pasta spots!
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12. Use a fitted sheet around your kid’s table. It won’t get pulled out and is easier to clean.
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13. Create a bed fort by hanging a sheet by a hula-hoop over your bed. You can make bedtime more magical by adding fairy lights and glow in the dark stickers on the inside of the sheet.
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14. Use exercise balls as chairs for kids during homework. The ball is fidgety enough to help them with their concentration. You can try this too!
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15. Vicks on the feet with socks over them will keep all that coughing over night at bay.
16. Use your kid’s footprint for shoe shopping rather than taking them along. Nothing drains your energy faster than trying to get a hold of them in malls.
17. Pack outdoor bags for kids to carry. These bags, when going out on an errand or a vacation, will carry each kid’s necessity. Basics being a water bottle, snacks, or their favorite toy.
18. Stick a piece of duct tape over the latch bolt to prevent your kids from locking themselves in.
19. Roll your clothes instead of folding them when packing for a vacation. It’s easier to get your kids’ clothes to fit in the same luggage as yours.
20. Keep an ice cube and zip lock bag supply ready for instant cold compress for bruises and cuts
21. Use crazy straws (the straws in shapes) and insert it upside down into the cup for spill-free beverages.
22. Use an old plastic box as a trash can in the car. Those wrappers all over the back seat after a long drive? Yeah, let’s avoid that.
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23. Put up a white board and divide house chores or errands amongst family members equitably.
24. Make sure your kids spend time at the playground. Not only does it tire them out, studies show that it helps with their motor skill development. Time on the monkey bars is especially good in case of poor handwriting.
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25. Let your kids watch ChuChuTV rhymes to keep them occupied enough while you take a nap.
26. Turn the crib into a desk. Waste not, want not, you know?
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27. By using zip ties to install baby gates, you avoid drilling into walls or banisters.
28. Use pool noodles under fitted sheets to keep your kid from falling off the bed. That’s one less thing you have to worry about when you’re away while your kid is napping.
29. Baking soda and water removes vomit and other stains from most fabrics. Thank goodness for hacks, am I right?
30. Chores are much more fun when they’re guised as competitive games. It teaches responsibility and fosters healthy sibling rivalry.
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As much as we love and adore our kids and are more than ready to compromise for their well-being, we wish more often than not, that having to be a parent was a little easier. These hacks help you make parenting more fun, save time, or handle chores more conveniently than usual. What is an adventure, if not parenting?
Do you have some parenting hacks up your sleeve too? We’re certain that the other parents would appreciate you for sharing them. Tell us what they are by commenting below!
The spray is really just inexpensive lavender body spray, but it will put your kid’s mind at ease — and make the room smell good! Pack an extra shirt for yourself in your diaper bag so that when your baby spits up on you in public, you’re covered.