These 23 Parenting Hacks Might Just Change Your Life
Fact checked by Annabelle CanelaFact checked by Annabelle CanelaLooking for the ultimate hack that will make parenting less stressful? We went straight to the best and brightest parenting minds on social media and put out a call for must-know parenting tips on Instagram and picked some of the most brilliant.Thank us later if you must, but in the meantime, you might want to start using these hacks ASAP.
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Pack Baby Powder for Easy Sand Removal"Keep baby powder in the car for trips to the beach," shared Scout Larson, influencer and mom behind the account hello.scout. "It takes the sand off their feet SO easily and saves our car from being a huge beachy mess." (Just be careful how you apply the baby powder, always making sure your child doesn't inhale any of it.)Bring a Baby Pool to the Beach"Bring a mini baby blow-up pool to [the] beach and fill [it] with ocean water! Keeps them cool and you don't have to make a million trips down to [the] water," wrote mrsack22. "Also freeze juice boxes and bring to [the] beach, they defrost to the perfect ice-cold drink."Order Ahead for Toddler MealsHonestly, this one is genius. "Whenever we plan to eat out at a restaurant I call ahead and place a 'to go order' just for my toddler," shared Instagrammer gabbymondragon_. "Once there, we say we are dining in instead. It allows the food to cool down and the hungry toddler to be relaxed and fed by the time we get our food."Offer Choices Instead of OrdersOne Instagram user said she offers her toddler choices, instead of commanding orders. "Probably pretty standard, but instead of giving toddlers orders, offer them choices," shared Veronica Vanderpool, the mom behind the page the.wellbalancedhome. "For example, rather than telling them to clean up their toys, ask if they’d like to start with the blocks or the stuffed animals. Actually, this works well with any age!"Make Juice Boxes Easier to HoldUser mamaneedswellnessandwine commented, "Lift up the side flaps on juice boxes, so your toddler can hold on to the 'wings.' No more squeezing the box and getting juice everywhere!"Use Scissors to Cut Up Food"Using scissors to cut up food into bite-sized pieces," said eliza_marie. "So much quicker than a knife and fork."Ask Them WhyOne user swears that throwing your toddler's questioning nature against them is a hack to avoiding all the "whys." The Instagrammer haliekjensrud said, "When he won’t stop asking 'Why?', I ask 'Why do you think?' My 2-year-old will just say 'I don’t know' and then we can finally move on with our lives."Don't Limit Pizza Cutters to PizzaMastyleswrites has another idea when it comes to cutting toddler food: "Using a pizza cutter for everything: pancakes, grilled cheese, waffles, French toast, hotdogs, pizza," she wrote. "Makes cutting things up 20x faster." (Editor's note: I personally use this one for my five children and it works like a charm!)Label Technology for Easy Battery Replacement"Using a label maker to put the number and size of batteries on the bottom of toys," wrote sbertschy216. "This way I can check if we have them before opening up the toy."Spice Up Old Remotes for Baby-Friendly Fun"Eight-month-old always tries to grab the TV remote," explained katwhelan_illustrations. "We have an old remote from a broken DVD player, removed the batteries and put dried rice in the compartment. He will always trade the actual remote for the rattling one."Make Them Laugh for Picture-Perfect Smiles"Saying, 'who farted?!' to get them to smile for pictures," said punsandlittleones.Stash a Car Bag for On-the-Go Fun"I keep a 'fun bag' in my car that is filled with chalk, bubbles, balls, kazoos, water bottles, and snacks," housewifeplus said. "That way, when my kids start getting cranky while we're out, I can distract them. It keeps me sane and they think they're getting a special treat. Win-win."Kiss It BetterOne Instagram dad by the account iamcoachd_ swears by kissing it better. "The 'I’ll kiss it and make it better' works until our kids get 2-3 [kisses], [it] goes a long way."Offer a Dry Erase Marker During Potty TimeThemamibrunchseries shared, "Giving the little one a dry erase marker and sitting him backwards on the toilet to assist with potty training."Keep a Training Potty in Your Car"Keep a training potty in your car for unexpected stops for your little ones," wrote plpetterson3. "Place a doggie 'poop bag' in the seat to catch the waste! It has saved me so many times on road trips!"Double Layer Sheets to Make Accident Clean Up a Breeze"On your children's bed double the mattress pad and sheets. 1. Put a mattress protector then a sheet then 2. Add another mattress protector and another sheet," said txgrwnnsassy. "This way when accidents happen in the middle of the night you are not fumbling around to make a bed. Just strip it and put them back in."Prep Breakfast the Night Before for Early Risers"When my 6-year-old started waking up before 6 AM asking for cereal, I'd leave the box of cereal out for him and put a sippy cup with the right amount of milk in the fridge for him to pour over it," said hannahesisley. "Gave mamma another few minutes of rest and avoided a gallon of milk on the floor."Use a Diaper to Avoid DamageAside from diaper explosions, samcomstock2010 uses a diaper to avoid another potential messy situation: "I use a diaper to make sure my car door doesn't scratch or dent the car parked next to us when I'm loading and unloading my kids from the car," they note.Use a Lint Roller When Checking for TicksTicks and kids don't always mix well for fun outdoors, so ky_ky_la has safety in mind with this tip: "[Use] a lint roller on their clothes to check for ticks after playing outdoors."Always Be Ready for Birthday SeasonIf you're in the season of non-stop birthday parties, you'll love this hack from vcj15, who keeps "A bag of gift bags and tissue paper in the car for all of those weekend birthdays!"Get Ahead of Screen TimeFor summer months when screen time feels like an endless (losing) battle, try this: "Set a daily family activity time to keep screen time down over the summer!" suggests chelseas.chronicals.Make Yogurt Straws a Thingms_momma_of_3 provided this tried-and-true tip: "Use a straw in yogurt! Life saver for on the go and eliminates the drippy spoon messes for toddlers!"Always Stash a Spare Set of ClothesSure, a spare tire is helpful, but so is this hack: "Always, and I mean ALWAYS have an extra set of clothes inside a Ziploc included in your diaper bag," said ashley_dicus. For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Parents.
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