As a parent, there are times when you wish that your kids came with a how-to manual. While this mystical tell-all handbook doesn’t exist, there are plenty of parenting hacks that you can use to tackle those little everyday challenges.
Here are 11 parenting tips and tricks to try out with your kids:
- Use WD-40 to Remove Crayon
It doesn’t matter how well you think you’ve hidden all the crayons, your kids will find the secret box — and they’ll use them to color all over your white walls. Don’t fret! This situation just calls for a quick spray from the do-it-all blue and yellow can. - Use a Sticker to Help Your Child Differentiate Her Left Shoe From Her Right Shoe
Some little ones have a difficult time figuring out which shoe goes on which foot. If you find that this footwear debacle is adding extra stress to your morning routine, you might want to try the sticker method. Just cut a sticker in half and place one piece on the inside of each shoe. That way, all your child will have to do is match the picture up to determine left and right. - Limit Your Child’s Soap Use
It’s certainly important to teach your kids good hygiene practices, but some kids go a bit crazy with the hand soap. Before you know it, your dispenser could be empty. By twisting a rubber band onto the neck of the pump, you can prevent it from going down too far, thereby limiting the amount of soap that your child can squeeze out at a time. - Use a Woggle to Stop Your Little One From Slamming Her Door
Does your child love to close her door with all her strength? Whether she does it out of anger or just because she discovered she can, the resulting noise is loud and annoying. Thankfully, you can put a stop to the sound by using a woggle! Just cut it lengthwise and slip it onto the side of the door. - Pretend That Cleaning Is a Fun Activity
There is this magical time in your child’s life when all he wants to do is mimic your behaviour. Why not use this to your advantage by encouraging your child to help out around the house? - Just Add Sprinkles
If your child is driving you bonkers with her reluctance to try a particular food, you might want to top off her meal with a few sprinkles. No, you shouldn’t do this all the time, but every once in a while you can use these colorful drops of sugary goodness to help your little one get over her fear of new foods. - Turn Your Child’s Pants Inside Out
It’s almost impossible to get pants on a wiggly baby one leg at a time. Why not save yourself the headache by turning them inside out? Just put your hands through the legs and grab your baby’s ankles with your fingers. Then, pull the pants down your arms and onto your little one. - Get a Lint Roller
A lint roller can be useful for picking up more than just dust and cat hair. You can also use this handy tool to clean up spilled glitter, nail clippings and more. - Don’t Insist on Silence
When you have a sleeping baby at home, you may feel the urge to turn off your TV, silence your phone and put a “do not ring” sign on your front door — but you shouldn’t actually do any of these things! Sure, you might not want to have to go through the process of getting your child to fall asleep multiple times, but it will be helpful down the line for your little one to learn how to not be disturbed by everyday noises. That way, he won’t awaken easily when sounds suddenly pop up. - Use a Rubber Band to Prevent Your Child From Locking the Bathroom Door
All you need is a rubber band to prevent your toddler from locking you out of the bathroom — or, even worse, locking herself in! Just loop one side of the rubber band over the inner doorknob, twist it (so that the rubber band creates an “X” over the lock itself) and then hook the other loop over the outer doorknob. - Schedule Your Housework Wisely
When you have kids, it can be difficult to find the time to get all of your household chores done. That’s why it’s crucial that you work smartly and efficiently. Try running your dishwasher overnight so that you’ll have clean dishes first thing in the morning, or try putting a load of laundry in right when you wake up. That way, the clothes should be ready to go in the dryer by the time you and your kids finish breakfast. Deep cleaning might have to wait — but that’s OK! Or browse housekeepers on Care.com and hire help near you.
Want more parenting hacks? Check out these 11 Organizing Hacks for Kids’ Clutter.
What are some of your own parenting hacks? Tell us in the comments below!