When the kids are out of school, the dirty dishes multiply. It’s an unavoidable fact of summer vacation, but does it really have to be that way? Bianca Majanja doesn’t think so. The busy mom of three recently shared a simple and oh-so-cheap hack for preventing the dishes from piling up, and it’s so brilliant you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it before.
The only dishwashing hack you need this summer
“I will not be coming home to a pile of dishes every day this summer,” Majanja writes on Facebook. Instead, she says, she went to the store and purchased each child their own color-coordinated set of dishes to use, clean and keep track of themselves.
“Everybody has their own cup, plate, bowl, fork and spoon,” she explains. “They are responsible to wash their own dishes, and they can only use these.”
Best of all? If someone isn’t following the rules, the colors let her know which kid is the culprit. “I know who the colors belong to, so if I find a plate or bowl in their rooms or where it should not be, I know exactly who to hold accountable for it,” she writes.
So, where can I get these magical coordinated plates?
Majanja’s post has gone mega-viral as kids get out of school for summer break. In a little over a week, it’s been shared more than 44,000 times and liked by more than 5,000 people. Most parents can relate to the struggle of dealing with a never-ending pile of dishes day after day.
“The crazy part is I keep paper and plastic plates and cups, and they still have a sink full,” one person jokes.
Most people wanted to know where Majanja got her magical coordinated kid plates and utensils. The mom says she picked them up at Walmart, and they won’t cost an arm and a leg. Each item is only 50 cents! They’re also listed as microwave and dishwasher safe.
Parenting hacks shared online are the very definition of “work smarter, not harder,” and they make life easier not only for moms and dads, but also for nannies, day care providers, grandparents and everyone else kids spend their time with.
Majanja says she is a single mom who’s just trying to stay organized during the summer months. Her viral tip is proof that child care hacks don’t have to be complicated or expensive in order to be brilliant. Here’s to a summer break with fewer crumby plates and abandoned cups and way more down time for the caregiver in charge!
