As a mom to 3 who are now in elementary school I’ve learned so many different parenting hacks over the years. I’ve learned things useful for babies, toddlers and elementary school kids.
Parenting hacks are those random bits of information that you discover that make your life easier/better when you’re living life with kids. Many of these I’ve learned from other parents and I’m so thrilled to be able to share these with you!
Here are a handful of clever parenting hacks I’ve figured out to make your life simpler!
Quick Hacks You Can Start Using Today
Before I share my full list here’s a quick list of some of my best parenting hacks that I use on the regular.
- Keep bandaids in your wallet.
- Keep a change of underwear and pants in your car in a plastic or waterproof lined bag.
- Use furniture pads on doors to muffle any sound of the door closing.
- Keep a small bag of activities for kids to do in the car (coloring supplies, games, etc). Use them for restaurants or long car rides.
Parenting Hacks for Newborns and Babies
Keep an emergency bag in your car.
One of my best new mom life hacks is to keep a small bag in your car with daily necessities. When our kids were infants, we kept 2 diapers, a travel size wipe pack and a change of clothes.
You could also keep a pacifier or small toy in there too! We also used to keep a nursing cover in Rishi’s car in case he forgot the diaper bag since I preferred to use a cover while nursing.
I can’t tell you how often this came in handy for us, especially in that first year of life!
Use furniture pads on doors.
This is probably my favorite mom hacks. My husband did this when our first was little, and it was GENIUS. There’s nothing worse than shutting a door while a child is sleeping, only to wake them up with the close of the door. We put furniture pads where the door hits the door frame, so there’s no more noise!
If you don’t do any of the other tips, you HAVE do this one! We bought a pack of furniture pads from Amazon because it fits all of our needs ā furniture, kids table/chairs, doors, etc! And you’ll have extra for when some lose their stickiness or you switch up furniture!
Double layer sheets.
We don’t do this 100% of the time, but if one our kids is sick or if our newborns are dealing with a ton of spitting up, we do!
Rather than having to completely remake the bed (especially for those middle of the night blowouts!), layer a waterproof sheet, a regular sheet with another waterproof sheet and regular sheet.
That way if there is the need to change sheets, all you need to do is remove the top 2 layers (sheet + waterproof sheet) and you’re good to go!
When our kids have the flu, I also put down a giant towel on the floor with a large bucket on it if there’s any chance of vomiting. This saves our floor and makes cleanup a ton easier when the inevitable happens!
Use a mesh garment bag for socks.
It’s hard enough to keep my own socks from getting eaten by the laundry monster, much less those tiny kid ones! Keep a garment bag near your hamper to throw socks in so you don’t lose them ā super easy and it will save you from wasting time searching for them!
Keep a bin in your kid’s closet for clothes.
My sister-in-law taught me this, and I think it’s brilliant! Rather than walking to the basement every time a onesie is too little, I just throw it in the bin. Once the bin is full, I put the cover on it and put it in our storage room for future kids (or donate it if it’s your last child)!
I also write the sizes that are in the bin on a sheet of paper and put it inside the bin facing out so I can see it when it’s in our storage room. Then I know exactly what’s in there ā instantly organized!
I shared this mom hack along with tons of other helpful tricks on my 7 Genius Tips for How To Organize Baby Clothes (+ other stuff) post!
Use a laundry basket for bathing baby.
Once your baby graduates from their newborn bath support and can sit on their own, use a laundry basket to keep them stable in the bath. Any regular plastic laundry basket with holes is perfect for putting your child in for bath time.
Not only will it be safer (less likelihood of falling, tipping, etc.) but their toys will stay close! Bonus ā it makes it easier to wash them if they’re a wild child and would otherwise be moving all over the place!
Just be sure to always stay close whenever you bathe your child. š
Have a diaper caddie in other areas of your home.
Our nursery is on the second level of our home while we spent most of our time on the main level of our home. Because of that, I created a little diaper caddie area with a few diapers, wipes, butt cream and a changing pad so i wouldn’t have to go upstairs for every single diaper change. This was exceptionally helpful when I had toddlers that I didn’t want to leave alone to change a newborns diaper!
Stock your freezer!
Before the baby is born, do some meal prep! I try to have at least 5 meals prepped and ready so all I have to do is thaw and cook! A few times I did this with another friend who was pregnant. She would buy supplies for a few meals and I would buy supplies for a few meals and we would make them together! It made the process a lot more fun.
Parenting Hacks for Toddlers
Rotate toys.
This was one of the best life hacks for moms with toddlers. We all know toddlers lose interest in toys super quickly. They play with something every day for a week and then never want to see it again.
We have 3 medium-sized bins of toys that we keep on each level (upstairs is where our bedrooms are, main level is where our living room/dining room is and our basement is our “fun” room).
Most of our play time is on the main level and sometimes the basement, but each level has a bin full of toys appropriate for both our kids (trucks/cars for our 3 year old, a doll for our 2 year old, musical instruments for both, etc.). I rotate the bins every couple of weeks, and it’s always fun to see the toys they haven’t seen get played with again! It makes them seem new again.
Every once in a while our preschool age kids would ask for a certain toy so we’ll pull it out but often times they just play with what’s around them!
Use cupcake liners for popsicle drips.
We’ve used this favorite hack over and over in our house! It keeps our little kids nice and clean ā which is a perk since one of our kiddos HATES to get messy ā and also keeps our 2 year old from covering herself with popsicle juice!
We sometimes like to double wrap for the most messy eaters or really hot days. š
Make a marshmallow ice pack.
It’s inevitable that your little one will at some point need an ice pack. This is where a marshmallow ice pack comes in handy! Not only will an ice pack filled with marshmallows make the whole situation less scary (bonus, you can let them eat a few non-frozen ones while they ice) but it’s easier to mold around a child’s injury.
Simply fill a Ziplock bag (or 2 ā one quart size and one gallon) with marshmallows, and throw it in the freezer. It’ll be ready the next time you need it!
Set a timer for transitions.
If your toddler struggles with transitions and is prone to meltdowns, try a timer! Using a timer where they can see how much time is left is super helpful for them to begin to understand time and be more ready for transitions.
Parenting Hacks for School-Age Kids
Have your kids pack their school bag the night before.
This simple addition to our bedtime routine makes school mornings feel calmer and more predictable. Even younger elementary kids can handle this with a simple checklist nearby. We ensure the kids have water bottles filled, snacks in their bag, lunches ready (in the fridge of course) and all their hats/mittens/winter gear ready.
Get your kids involved in the cooking process.
As our kiddos have gotten older, I have one kid help me prep meals or bake with me. They’re learning valuable skills and the more they learn the less I have to do!
Our elementary age kids are fully capable of doing things like making breakfast tacos, scrambling eggs, baking brownies and cookies and so much more. Like all things, it will make the process of cooking longer in the beginning so I only have them help when I have enough time to go slow but it’s been so nice to know they can make their own food if needed!
Keep ice packs in your car.
Maybe if your kids aren’t in sports or not super active you don’t need this one but this one comes in so handy! I’ve used ice packs for boys on my son’s soccer team when injuries happen and for my own kids when they’ve twisted their ankle at the playground. I’ve actually been so shocked at how many I’ve used.
Time-Saving Systems for Busy Moms
Get your kids to help with chores at an early age.
No, this isn’t child labor ā it’s truly a great hack for moms with toddlers! š Kids love helping out and feeling part of something, so allow them to help!
Starting at about age 3 we started having our kids do some simple chores – things like feeding the dog, setting the table and helping emptying the dishwasher.
As they have gotten older we’ve added more chores. The one thing you need to remember is they’re not going to do it perfect the first time (and often time not the 5th time either). It’s a process and it WILL get better (and you’ll have less chores to do).
Now that our kids are in elementary school they do just about all the chores – scrubbing toilets, vacuuming, watering plants, etc. Again, it’s a process but they’re learning necessary skills for when they move out of the house!
Put cleaning supplies on each floor.
Inevitably you’ll need paper towels in the bathroom when they’re mainly kept in the basement or you’ll need a Clorox wipe for a toilet when they’re nowhere near you.
I like to keep a Clorox wipe container in each bathroom and some paper towels and all purpose cleaner on all levels of our home. This helps our house stay in order when cleaning supplies are readily available!
Have a Sunday reset time.
Every weekend (pick a day that works best for you), have a little reset! During this time I like to get my house back in order for the week ahead and do the little things that help my house and my family ready for the week ahead. I do things like:
- Meal plan and place a grocery delivery order (or go grocery shopping)
- Organize our snack shelf so the kids have what they need for school snacks.
- Do laundry.
- Look ahead for the week to ensure we know the plan and can prep accordingly (soccer uniforms are ready, we know of upcoming birthday parties for friends, etc).
Get your groceries delivered!
This is one mom hack I used ALL the time to save time and reduce stress especially when I had newborns. There’s nothing worse than lugging 3 kids to the grocery store in 1 degree weather, and when I had all 3 I had to use the giant carts to keep everyone contained! Those are a beast to maneuver around the store. š
This also helped me meal plan since I ordered all of my groceries Sunday evening to be delivered Monday so it forced me to figure out what we were going to eat!
Travel and On-The-Go Hacks
Keep a small bag of kid activities in your car.
When our kids were toddlers we bought this cute little backpack for one of our flights out to California. A busy kid is a happy kid and way less likely to throw a tantrum! š
When we got home, I kept a book, a Water Wow coloring book and a small notebook with a bag of crayons in it. This is a game changer when we go to restaurants or anywhere where we may need some distractions for our kids with out needing any screen time!
This is also a great option to have for your kid to have things to do while in their car seat! We tried to always have books and things in the car wen our kids were little, and now as elementary age kids they always have books in the car – even for short 10 minute drives! It’s really fostered a love for reading in them all.
We’ve also kept things like Spot It and a deck of cards in the car to bring in to restaurants to play games while we wait for our food.
Keep a bag of snacks in your car.
Always keep a bag of snacks in your car! There’s few things worse than a hangry kid (or mom) so a bag of mostly healthy snacks is vital, especially when you’re out and about for long periods of time. We often use these after church before Costco runs when we’ll be butting up to lunch time, before soccer practices when again, it will be close to dinner time and any other random time we need to keep the hangries away!
If you have a kid who gets car sick, this is especially helpful since a full tummy can help prevent car sickness (take it from someone who has gotten car sick my whole life – it’s the one thing that will keep me from throwing up!).
Keep Band-Aids in your wallet.
I learned this one from my sister-in-law, and ā funny enough ā it was for me and not one of my kids! We were traveling together, and I got a blister on my foot. She quickly pulled out her wallet and handed me a Band-Aid.
Genius!
We’ve all been away from home and in need of a Band-Aid, whether it’s for us or ā more likely ā one of our kids. You don’t always have your first aid kit from your car or a box of Band-Aids in your diaper bag but chances are good that you have your wallet!
Keeping a few Band-Aids in your wallet is the perfect way to keep your (or your kids’) owies covered. I’ve used these since my kids were toddlers and now I’m well known on my kids’ youth soccer team for being ready whenever a player, player’s sibling or other parent needs a bandaid.
Use Band-Aids to cover outlets while traveling.
Now that we all have Band-Aids in our wallet, you’ll always have Band-Aids for when you need to cover up an outlet or two! Crawling babies seem to get into everything, and it’s unreasonable to ask friends or hotels to cover up outlets for your visit.
Covering up the outlet with a Band-Aid or two will help keep little fingers out of places they shouldn’t be, keeping everyone safe!
These simple life hacks can be implemented today to help you feel less stressed and more prepared for the unexpected!
Emotional Reset Hacks for Overwhelmed Moms
Head outside.
There’s something about getting outside that resets everyones moods. Even a short walk around the block can make everyone happier including mom! š
Utilize the bath for crabby kids!
Sometimes that act of actually getting the kids in the bath can be a disaster, but adding some bath bubbles (lavender scented to induce calmness, ha!) and a few new to them bath toys (raid your kitchen for spatulas, cups or other utensils they can play with) paired with their favorite tunes can turn even the crabbiest kid into a happy one!
Roy especially loves it when I tell him we don’t have to actually wash his hair and all he has to do is play for the next 30 minutes to an hour!
Turn on music!
When our kids were little I would turn on Laurie Berkner and do all the silly actions with her songs. As they got older we switched to
What are your clever mom hacks?
I love how we’re constantly learning from each other as moms to help make life easier and save time! What mom hacks do you do? What do you wish you’d known sooner? Share with us your genius tips and tricks!
Love these sanity-saving tips!
Great, practical tips! Thank you!
Def love all these tips and didn’t bother to think about the mesh garment bag to keep the socks together š I also need to make a “going out” activity bag– ASAP ! š
Somehow I am so behind the times but I have to start getting my groceries delivered.
I am all about grocery delivery!!
I need to utilize the bath more for walker. I used to do that more and always forget.
Rotating toys is the best. It even works for me, because I forget about them too. I usually just put a big bag in my closet and discover it the next year. Ha! I’m dying to see your braiding videos- going to check them out now!