5 Hacks That Every Parent Needs To Make Life Easier

Photo by Tommy Hemmert Olesen on Flickr.com

 

Being a parent isn’t easy – between the lack of sleep and constant chaos, you wonder if anyone is really cut out for the job. 

But as the world turns, we raise our kids, in awe of the strength we’re given to survive the most unpredictable and beautiful moments in our lives. 

Thankfully, there are parents who have learned some tricks of the trade along the way that will give you peace in the small things.

Here are 5 tips to use with your kids to take some bumps out of your journey of parenthood.

  1. Trace your kid’s feet on paper and keep it in your purse

Have you ever taken a toddler to buy new shoes and came home needing a glass of wine and an episode of Property Brothers to unwind?

That’s because getting a toddler to put on shoes (and not just the Paw Patrol ones they found in the wrong size) is a workout – and that’s before you try to have them stay still and “feel the toe.”

Get a piece of card stock and trace your child’s foot on it, stick it in your purse or diaper bag so you can calmly buy shoes online by measuring the length in inches or by having the shoe rep check the size with the foot gauge while your child stays at home with daddy. 

Doing this eliminates one battle with your kids so you can have a little extra time to sit and read a book to them, which is much more beneficial for you both. 

  1. Use cupcake paper for more than unicorn cupcakes

Summer is the time for popsicles. But they are so messy!

While spraying the kids down with a hose is one good approach to the afternoon popsicle catastrophe, there is another way.

Cut a small slit in the bottom of the cupcake paper, then slide the popsicle stick through the slit – it’ll catch all the drips and chunks melting off while they inevitably eat it too slowly in the heat. 

Your laundry and sanity will thank you.

  1. Use a sticker to help your kids put their shoes on the right feet

Kids are notorious for wearing their shoes on the wrong feet. 

You think to yourself, “Don’t you feel it is uncomfortable?!”

While being able to tell if the shoe is on the wrong foot comes with time, there is something you can do in the meantime.

Split a sticker of their favorite cartoon character in half and stick them on the inside of the shoes so putting them on correctly connects the character appropriately.

If your child tells you they like the feeling of wearing their shoes on the wrong feet, explore sensory processing issues that may be at play here.

  1. Use a pool noodle to protect little fingers

It seems it’s a child’s rite of passage to get their fingers slammed in a door – which is an awful experience.

Cut a pool noodle to about a foot long, then cut it open on one side and place it around the edge of the bedroom door. 

It will also stop the door from slamming no matter how mad your daughter is because you won’t let her play princess songs for the thousandth time. 

It doesn’t do much for the car door, so watch out – but at least you decreased the chances of one childhood tragedy. 

  1. Turn your baby crib into something your child can use

Most parents hold onto the baby crib until their child’s feet hang off the end of it.

Make sure you are getting your money’s worth out of your crib by turning it into a desk when they get too big for it.

Raise the platform up until a small chair can fit underneath and paint the bottom board with chalk paint.

Now the kids have something they will enjoy (and keeps the crayons off the floor!).

Use one, or all, of these hacks to take some of the edge off the everyday stressors, leaving you time to cuddle with your babes a little longer – while they still sit long enough to let you.