Among the many challenges in life, raising a child is particularly difficult.
It takes a lot of unconditional love and patience to do the job right. Even when your children are just being themselves and running around, it can be hard to keep up with little people who have so much more energy and attitude than you do as an adult.
While there are parenting books and others you can ask for advice, learning how to be a good parent is a difficult process. Although many of the bigger skills need to be learned on their own, there are still smaller tips and tricks which can make the process easier.
With that in mind, here are 20 of the best parenting hacks to make life easier.
1. Use separators to keep your kids peaceful in the backseat.
Are your children fussy when you take them on errands? Try using cardboard or another lightweight material to keep their seats separate. As the old saying goes: out of sight, out of mind.
2. Use ear protection to keep your kids safe at concerts.
If you’re a big music fan, you may struggle with how to introduce your kids to things you love without damaging their hearing. To keep them with you, use some heavy duty headphones for protection! (Also: tying your hair around your child to keep them on your shoulders is an added bonus.)
3. Use a fitted sheet at the beach to keep out the sand.
Although a trip to the beach is fun for the whole family, keeping things neat and tidy is difficult. When you only use a beach blanket, sand is likely to get everywhere. Instead, use a fitted sheet wrapped around some heavier objects to create a barrier.
4. Use a roll of butcher paper to help your kids draw on the walls.
Needless to say, children have a lot of creative energy that they’re always trying to get out. That energy overload can sometimes lead to kids writing on the walls. To help them get their energy out in a constructive way, use a roll of butcher paper on the wall to give them a safe outlet that won’t damage your home.
5. Trick your kids into drinking their medicine with a can of soda.
Obviously, this trick is limited to children who are a little bit younger. Still, making your kids think they’re drinking soda instead of medicine can sometimes help the process go a little more smoothly.
6. When they get too old, convert your kids’ old cribs into play desks.
Buying a crib (or cribs as the case may be) is expensive and they quickly outlive their usefulness. To get a little more mileage out of them, turn them into an area for your kids to play and express their creativity!
7. Use a weighted glove to comfort your baby to sleep when you need a break.
Babies are notoriously fussy when they are little, especially when it’s time to sleep. Although the ideal strategy may be to coddle them yourself, this can be exhausting when you need to sleep as well. To ensure they stay asleep, try filling a glove with beans or something else lightweight and put it on your child’s back to keep them feeling safe while they fall asleep.
8. Use old cardboard boxes as another outlet for creativity.
As mentioned, keeping your kids entertained while having them not draw on the walls is a tough task. To that end, consider letting them play in an old cardboard box where they can color on all the surfaces (with your supervision, of course).
9. Use a color-coded clock to teach your children time management skills.
One of the toughest parts of being an adult is learning to harness your time effectively. Many of us don’t learn these crucial skills until we’re much older. To give your kids a headstart, consider using a color-coded system on a clock to teach them the importance of a schedule.
10. If you’re a gamer, keep your children involved by giving them unplugged controllers.
Parents need a little downtime every now and then. For some, that means playing video games. Still, the problem is that these consoles are very interesting to little kids. To let them participate, give them controllers that have no batteries or are unplugged so they can join in on the fun.
11. Cover your baby’s crib with a blanket to keep out mosquitoes.
Though you may have a portable outdoor crib for your baby when you’re working in the garden, it doesn’t always protect from all the world’s dangers. To help, drape a blanket over the top to protect your children against bugs and direct sunlight.
12. Turn finding lost items into a game to get your children to help out.
In a home with a lot of activity going on, some important items are bound to get lost. As all parents know, children are usually more than happy to play a game with you. Next time you lose something important, harness their creativity to help you find the things you’re looking for by making a game out of it.
13. Put slick paint on the bottom of your children’s socks to prevent them from slipping on smooth floors.
Kids like to run around in the house—and can sometimes slip and fall while doing so. Try as we might to stop them, our strategies don’t always work. To help, use slick paint to decorate the bottoms of their socks to provide a little extra traction.
14. Need to keep your toddler occupied? Have them paint the outdoor fences with water.
It’s hard to keep our kids occupied when we’re working outside, especially because they want to be helpful. One way around this? Give your child a paintbrush and a bucket of water and have them paint the fence with it.
15. Use pool noodles to cover the springs on a backyard trampoline.
Finally, anyone who has a trampoline knows how terrifying these things are when it comes to kids. For a little extra protection, wrap the springs in pool noodles to keep your kids safe.
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