This is for all the parents out there looking for any way to make their lives easier. Parenting is a skill that some have, and others don't. Raising children takes a lot of dedication and hard work, and it's getting harder every day.
Some stuff is unavoidable (like cleaning up their diapers), but with a little creativity and imagination, parenting can be made a lot easier. This article shares some inexpensive parenting hacks and tricks that will change the way you maneuver through being a parent.
Using A Tent As A Sand Pit
Is there anything better than having a sandpit in your backyard as a kid? Yes, yes, there is. It's having a sand pit in a tent so you don't have to worry about your sand being wet or getting scorched by the sun.
This parenting hack will turn your otherwise boring backyard into a sand castle heaven with this great idea. This might be an unpopular opinion, but everything is much more fun when you don't have to worry about rain.
The Parental Eavesdrop
If you're lucky, your kids will share the names of their friends at school with you. The reality is that they're probably hiding some things that they don't want to tell you, good or bad. Any possible way as a parent to gather more intelligence about your kids and their group of friends is important.
This mom has a sneaky way to try to get all the information she can out of her daughter and it's actually outstanding in every way.
A Toy Cleaning Hack
When your kids are young, their lives basically revolve around toys. The problem is that these toys become very infected with bacteria from all over the place. There's a reason that kids get sick so much, and a lot of those reasons lie on the surface of their favorite toys.
Most parents overlook actually cleaning the toys thoroughly, which is a mistake. This parenting hack is perfect for cleaning all the toys in one swoop.
"Mom Has Eyes In The Back Of Her Head"
It's insane that the CIA isn't strictly made up of mothers because they're the sneakiest people around. They have eyes in the back of their head and can catch their kids doing anything. This mom (like every other mom) has mirrors strategically placed around the house so that she can see every corner and hear every conversation.
If you're looking at this and saying "my mom would never do that" you're wrong. In fact, she's probably watching you type right now.
Carry An Out Of Order Sign
If there's one parenting hack that you should take to heart, it's this one. When you take young kids out to the mall, they're going to get distracted and want to touch and play with everything. When you want to get from point A to point B, your kid is going to want to go from point A to point F to point T, and then back to point C.
Always carry "Out of Order" signs to place on random items and toys throughout the mall to keep your path straight and narrow.
A Bungee Drink
When you're driving with little kids in the backseat, one of the ways to keep them occupied is by giving them a bottle. However, kids aren't always able to keep the bottle in their car seat.
One quick and easy way to make sure that you don't lose the bottle under the seat is by attaching it to a bungee cord. Now the bottle will never be lost and your kid will never go hungry while you're driving.
A Frozen Sponge To Keep Things Cold
If you're looking to find a great way to keep your kid's lunches cold for the entire day, get a kitchen sponge (preferably clean and/or never used) and freeze it. Since the sponge holds water very effectively, having it in your lunch will mean that there won't be too much drip.
You'll need to cover the sponge in a plastic wrapping to get the excess water and to give a buffer between your kid's food and the ice pack.
The Perfect Size For A Newborn
If you're traveling with your baby, you should really think about this parental hack. Obviously, you can't bring a crib with you on the road, so using your suitcase could be the perfect substitute.
This hack also works if you need to bring your newborn to the office with you for a quick nap but don't have enough room to bring a full crib. I don't know about you, but this looks incredibly comfortable.
Pool Noodle Everything In Sight
This parent decided to do the right thing and strap some pool noodles around this moving high chair because kids are capable of literally anything. If you're feeling up for it, put your kids inside of a pool noodle. It's kind of trendy. It's the new bubble wrap.
Not only will this make for a softer collision if your little one decides to play bumper cars with the kitchen table, but it also won't ruin the wood on your dining room floor.
Make Sure They're Easy To Spot
Having all of your kids wearing the same color of clothing can make your life less stressful when you go somewhere like the zoo. It's even more important if you take someone else's kid because they can be easier to lose if you're not used to having them around.
The next step to having all your kids wearing red shirts is to strap a balloon to one of them so that you can always see them even when they're within sight.
Sleeping Is Important, Eating Is More Important
Having little kids running around takes a lot out of the parents. First of all, you have to constantly be chasing them around with their non-stop energy. It's so easy to forget to eat, which is dangerous because eating is the only way you're going to survive the everyday tasks of parenting.
This dad made sure to place a blanket over his sleeping child, but that blanket luckily served as a bib so he could continue to eat. This will be the only downtime he probably has to eat all day.
Fake It Till You Make It
We'll talk about this a little later on in this article, but often times, the aesthetic of food is all that kids care about. This parent knows their kid hates apples, so they decided to cut the apple into the shape of fries.
It's a bulletproof way to make sure that the kids will enjoy getting their nutrients. The important lesson here for parents is to fake it until you make it, kind of.
Some Clean Entertainment
Every parent struggles with finding different ways to keep their child entertained while they do the necessary daily mundane tasks of parenting. If you're looking for a way to keep your little baby happy and distracted, put some bright colored clothing into the dryer and watch it spin.
Although this may seem like it won't be entertaining, for a wide-eyed baby, the drying cycle and colors are absolutely mesmerizing. Even as an adult it can be fun to look at.
That's One Way To Do It
With everyone becoming more informed on how wasteful we all really are, people are starting to find unique ways to get use out of old stuff. This dad has one too many undershirts (like most dads) and decided to use one to make sure his kid didn't fall off the chair.
It's the cheapest high chair you'll ever find and it also adds some use to an otherwise toss-able shirt.
Never Underestimate The Power Of Bread Ties
There is nothing more frustrating than getting your hair done right and then realizing that you don't have a hair elastic. Luckily, you can use a bread tie! This is especially handy if you're quickly braiding some hair in the kitchen.
A Yarn Door Knob Protector
This might not look like much, but if you can knit or know someone who can knit, this is a great idea. Having this knitted door knob protector can really go a long way to ensure your child's safety. First of all, if it's a push lock door handle, it will stop your kids from being able to lock the doors accidentally.
Also, this makes it impossible for a little kid to turn the knob because it takes a bigger palm to be able to turn the knob.
Hide Healthy Food
There are a few reasons why this banana with oatmeal is actually brilliant. First of all, if your kids don't like healthy food (which they probably won't), it's crucial that you hide it and sneak it into their food.
Once a kid locks into what they like, it can be pretty difficult to get them to try new things. Take advantage of what they like and mix it with newer, healthier options.
Twins Are Tough To Tell Apart
When twins get older, it's really easy to tell them apart because they have completely different personalities. But, when kids are younger, they don't have these different personalities and they look identical.
As a parent, you shouldn't feel ashamed if you get them messed up, but there are some steps you can take to ensure you can tell them apart. Sure, the easy way would be to have them in different outfits, but changing their hair to the numbers one and two is way cooler.
You'd Never Even Notice
If you have a top that you love but can't wear because it always gets pulled down because of the kiddos or comes undone, grab a pair of earrings and use them as you would buttons.
Boom! Problem solved!
The Reverse Psychology Hack
If you're a parent and you don't pull some psychological limbo on your kids, you aren't doing parenting right. For example, if they hate beef but love chicken, you just call everything chicken even if it's beef.
If you know your kid is rebellious and will do the exact opposite of what you want them to do, as a parent you can take advantage of that. Do what Annie did when she convinced her daughter vacuuming would bother her when really it's music to her ears.
Do DVD's Even Exist Anymore?
It's really sad to think that your kids aren't going to even know what a DVD case looks like, or the exhilaration of going into a Blockbuster to choose the newest release. In fact, DVD players are basically extinct already. This means you have a lot of old DVD cases lying around with no use, which is where this parenting hack comes in.
Turn those old DVD cases into a cool coloring book to teach your kids that Netflix hasn't been around for more than a few years and we had actual hard copies of our favorite movies.
Use Ever Dollar Of That Crib
Getting a good crib is incredibly expensive and stressful. You want one that is going to be big enough to allow the baby to grow, but it also needs to be reasonably priced. Some people are starting to be incredibly resourceful by turning their crib into a little kid desk/play area.
Doing this will ensure that you made the right decision and you're getting the most bang for your buck. This setup looks pretty cool too.
The Perfect Kid Tattoo
If you're going to be bringing your kid out to an amusement park or somewhere with a lot of people around, this could be a great idea. The thought of losing your kid and them not being able to find you, or you not being able to find them, is terrifying to any parent.
Having this temporary tattoo on your kid's arm is a perfect "peace of mind" parenting hack. They have these in collar form for dogs and they work great.
It's Even Better For Bunk Beds
As a parent, one of the scariest things is going to sleep wondering if your young child is going to roll over and fall off their bed. Thankfully, there's an easy fix for this problem and it comes in the form of a pool noodle and a fitted sheet.
The noodle acts as a barrier so that the kid doesn't fall out and parents can rest easy. This works even better for kids who sleep in bunk beds.
The Perfect Teething Remedy
When kids are young and teething, their mouths are on fire. There are days that they're in constant pain and can't even express how they feel without bawling the entire time. It helps to give them something to soothe the pain in their mouth, but many of the remedies can be dangerous.
This parenting hack is perfect for young kids because it gives them the familiarity of a soother, but also addresses the pain in their gums.
That's One Way To Keep Them Quiet
One of the biggest "fight spots" for siblings is in the back of the car on a long (or short) car ride. Why? Because you're forced to sit within inches of each other and every breath they take feels like it's right in your ear.
So, if you want to avoid all the bickering and the casual elbow, this is one way to do it. This dad put cardboard slats in-between his kids to eliminate this problem.
The Best Kind Of Medicine
Getting your kid to take their medicine is nearly impossible if you just do it the conventional way. Most of the time the pills or syrup that they're taking don't even taste bad, but it's the thought of ingesting the "big bad medicine" that will make kids squirm.
This is a perfect parenting hack for every gullible kid out there. This mom is pretending to give her son some Pepsi but instead has his meds hooked up to the straw. Perfect.
Deception Is Key
If you're a parent and don't have a secret stash of candy hiding around your house that your kids don't know about, are you really doing it right? This one decided to hide their Snickers bars in the green beans bag because they know their kids will NEVER look there.
This is a brilliant way to ensure that your kids will never find them. In fact, you can hide anything in a veggie bag and you can guarentee that the item will be safe.
This Is "Daddy Time"
Being a parent usually means very little time actually doing what you love to do. It's a sacrifice you make, and you make it without fuss. But, if there's ever a chance to play some video games, you take it.
This dad is incorporating all of his kids into thinking that they're playing, but they're really not. This hack allows him to get some time to do what he loves, while also maintaining his parental duties with his kids.
No Water In The Eyes
This little contraption is perfect for when your kid is a newborn and you need to wash their hair. No baby likes to get water in their face because, well, they're a baby and literally don't know what's going on around them.
This little hat is perfect for the shower, but also perfect for going outside and having some rain downpour on you. Just look at the face of this baby! Does this look like someone who's relaxed? I'd say so.
Don't Be Wasteful
It's so easy to overuse toilet paper, let's be honest. No one really knows the appropriate amount to use as an adult, never mind a child, so anything helps. This parent is putting in all the work to ensure that their toilet paper rolls get the most bang for their buck.
Also, this will eliminate the opportunity for someone to be stuck on the toilet with no TP which, as you know, is a horrific experience.
A Safety Measure For Your Busy Bee
This backpack-style head and back protector was designed to accommodate the most active of babies.
The straps are adjustable, but also contain a bit of elastic so that your infant can still have a good range of motion while wearing the device. The padding inside provides a lot of cushioning while keeping the whole product light and easy to wear.
Budget-Friendly Socket Shutters
You're already spending who knows how much money on baby wipes, so why not put some of that packaging to good use?
Pull that seal off the top of the package and use it to seal off other things in the house—like sockets!
No More Slamming Doors On Fingers
To prevent your toddler from closing their tiny fingers in the doors, or to prevent your teenager from slamming those same doors, a piece of foam will do the trick.
Trust me, it's a real lifesaver!
No One Will Voluntarily Look In There
If someone is desperate enough that they would go searching through someone's stuff and choose to open up what appears to be a dirty diaper...
Then they clearly need your valuables more than you do.
Make More Space In The Fridge
Trying to fit every dish or container into your fridge—especially when trying to prep for a party or barbecue—can feel like you're playing a game of Tetris.
If you need to stack a few bowls on top of each other, put chopsticks in between them to keep them from falling into the bottom bowl.
For The Multitasking Man
Any parent knows that mornings are the time for true chaos in the house, so you have to learn to multitask.
Don't worry about that wrinkly shirt you forgot to iron. Hang it above the stove while you're making breakfast and let the steam do the work for you.
Lock Down All The Dangerous Items
If you're worried about all the hazards around your house and you're trying to make sure your curious kid can't hurt themselves, you can get a little creative.
Just like this dad did.
Bounce In Peace
For the kids who have a tendency to bounce too close to the edge of the trampoline, you can protect their fingers and toes from those pesky springs by cutting up a few pool noodles.
It's the perfect solution!
Anything Could Be A Popsicle
Well, some things definitely wouldn't taste as good in Popsicle form as they do in their original form, but you get the point. Take watermelon, for instance.
Turn a slice of watermelon into a Popsicle and it's less mess for you to clean off your kid's face, plus it's a healthy alternative to a regular Popsicle or ice pop!
Upcycle That Old Crib
While on the hunt for a pre-made tie-rack for his closet, this dad came up with the idea to turn his child's old crib into the tie-rack he had been searching for!
Pretty clever!
Limit The Waste
A little hack like this one is a great way to teach your kids without taking away the option to do it themselves.
It's a gentle reminder of how much they're supposed to be using, while still allowing them to do it.
