Stop Splashing Around in the Sink
Kids are short (duh) and reaching the faucet is a challenge that the kids face every day. And, it’s no secret that kids get their hands into just about anything so they need those suckers washed frequently.
Source: Indulgy
Cut up one of your empty shampoo bottles to create a makeshift faucet that is easier for them to reach. Plus, you’re reusing some single-use plastic that would have ended up in a landfill. Win, win!
Just a Spoonful of Sugar Makes the Medicine Go Down
Mary Poppins said that a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. But if you don’t want to get the kids all hopped up on sugar, you might consider trying this method instead.
Source: Vegetarian/ Reddit
Put a straw into the medicine and hide it behind a soda can. It might seem like a mean trick but you’re trying to keep them healthy after all! This will only work for the young ones. Kids are smart and they’ll start to catch on eventually.
Get Thrifty for Summer
Not all of us are too handy with a sewing machine or thread and needle, but if you are this is an amazing way to prolong the shelf life of your kids’ pants. When summer rolls around and they need some new shorts, take some scissors to the jeans.
Source: Stylishboard
Cut them to the desired length and then sew some cute bandanas to the ends. Voila! Kids grow so fast but this is one way to avoid buying new clothes for every single season.
Make Yourself Useful While you Nap
Any parent knows that getting some downtime is nearly impossible when you have kids. Taking a nap is basically unheard of. But, this is one way to be able to lie down and rest while keeping the kids entertained.
Source: Daily mail
Draw some sort of track or design on your back for the kids to play with as a toy. They can race their toy cars all around the track while you get a nice massage and some downtime.
Bandaids Are Good for More Than Just Boo-Boos
If you try to tell a toddler not to do something, they’re just going to go right ahead and do it anyways. So, when you caution them from sticking their fingers in the sockets, chances are they’re going to get themselves hurt.
Source: Weixinyidu
If you’re in a bind, use bandaids to cover the sockets so they can’t hurt their little fingers. For a more aesthetically pleasing look, use something more transparent like cellophane tape.
A Quick Babyproofing Tactic
When the kids hit that age and they start to open up every cabinet, drawer, and door in the house, parents start to get worried. There are lots of babyproofing items that can be bought and used to effectively protect children.
Source: Amlibgroup
But, if you’re needing a fast solution, you can use your dog collars for another purpose! Just strap the collars around the cabinets that you don’t want the kids to get into. This is a great temporary solution until you can find something more permanent (and a little prettier).
Add some Color to the Schedule
Getting the kids to sit down and do homework or clean their rooms is never easy. One way to make the schedule a little more fun is to add some color. Draw some colors onto the clock and correspond them with the things the kids should be doing.
Source: Onedio
If it’s “purple o’clock” they better be getting ready for bed! This is great for the little ones to get them a little more excited about those things they might not always look forward to.
The Staircase of Knowledge
Multiplication is one of those things that can be difficult to master for young kids. You can turn your staircase at home into a learning experience and make it super colorful for kids.
Source: Commune-info
Making math fun is important for getting the kids to learn. All you need for this is some paper, cellophane tape, and markers. Those kids will be multiplying geniuses in no time!
Send the Dolls to the Salon
Any kid that has a favorite doll has probably had the experience of the doll hair on the left. That wild hair needs a good trip to the salon. Luckily, this combination can make your kid’s doll look brand new.
Source: Indulgy
Get your spray bottle and add 2 tablespoons of fabric softener and water. This is a makeshift detangler spray. You can brush your own daughter’s hair while she brushes her doll’s hair.
No More Slippy Socks
No parent ever wants to see their kid slip on the hard floor. And as every parent knows, it is nearly impossible to get the kids to stop running, so what’s the solution? Make the socks non-slip socks that double as an art project.
Source: Taringa
Buy sock slick paint and get creative! Get the kids involved. You can paint whatever you want on the bottoms of the socks and it’ll make them less slippery. The kids will love the fun designs and you won’t have to worry about them slipping and falling.
Turn That Old Crib Into Something New
When the kids outgrow their cribs and make the jump into big-kid beds, you don’t need to throw the crib away! You can repurpose the crib as a desk for the kids to do arts and crafts or school work.
Source: Casadecorar
You can get creative with how you want it to look, but the kids will appreciate having a palace designated to unleash their creativity!
Turn the Crib Into a Tent
When the kids begin to crawl, they start making strides to go all over the place. They can be hard to keep track of! If you need to protect the kids from the sun while you’re doing some yard work, this is for you.
Source: Tilestwra
Bring out the playpen or portable crib into the yard and just place a fitted sheet over the crib. They’ll be preoccupied with their toys and protected from the sun while you get some gardening done.
A Crib for the Cook
This is a great way to keep the kids away from the hot grill. Baby gates can be used for more than just the stairs. Put a gate around the barbecue so the kids steer clear of the hot grill.
Source: Ladbabyofficial/ Instagram
Now you can have all the neighbors over and the kids can run around without you worrying about them getting too close to the fire. So, plan that fourth of July bash!
Get the Girls to Stop Wearing Short Shorts
Most daughters grow up to that age where they want to start wearing clothing that their parents might not necessarily approve of. This dad had the perfect solution to stop his daughter from wearing the short shorts.
Source: Karmadecay
He wore them himself so that she would no longer think that fashion choice was all that stylish. What are parents for if not to embarrass the kids?
Put the Kids in the Cubicles
The only thing more difficult than raising a kid is raising more than one at the same time. This dad found that the solution to get the kids to stop bothering each other in the back seat is to put up some dividers.
Source: Onedio
It won’t stop them from screaming but it will stop them from hitting each other or grabbing each other’s hair. Now you can focus on keeping your eyes on the road.
No-Slip Shoes
We’ve seen how we can turn socks into non-slip socks, but this is a great way to make sure they don’t slip in their shoes either! Get out the hot glue gun.
Source: The krazycouponlady
Make some squiggles on the bottom of their shoes with the hot glue. You can also write their name or draw a design with the glue if you’re feeling creative.
Make Bathtime More Fun
If you’ve ever wrangled your kids to get them into the bath, then this hack is definitely for you. This is an easy way to make bathtime much more fun for the kids and you won’t have to spend as much time convincing them to get clean.
Source: Happyhomefairy
Throw some glowsticks into the bath to make it a party! This will make them more excited for bathtime and will save you tons of time.
Monster Spray
This is a cute way to help your kids feel more confident that those monsters in the closet or under the bed can’t get to them. Decorate a spray bottle and label it as “monster spray”.
Source: Happygoluckyblog
Leave it with your kids before bed and they can spray away any monsters that might be lingering in the dark. It might save you from having to put them back to sleep a hundred times a night.
The Old French Fry Trick
Getting the kids to eat their fruits and vegetables is the difficult fate almost every parent has faced while raising their young ones. They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, so they need those fruits in their diet!
Source: Onedio
Cut up the apples into fry-shaped sticks and they won’t even know the difference. Obviously, this won’t work for your older ones but when they’re young a fry is a fry!
Keep The Wheels Clean
This is a great way to repurpose those shower caps many of us have laying around. If you don’t have any at the house, consider picking some up from the dollar store for this easy mud-free hack.
Source: Sarah hitchins/ Facebook
Put the caps on the wheels of your stroller so that you can strip them off before you track mud through the house or some other building.
Keep the Ice Pops Organized
Ice pops are one of the best treats for summer and the kids absolutely love them. One way to make sure they stay organized and you can guarantee a clean cut from the top is keeping them slotted in between the freezer racks.
Source: Rogerdat143/ Reddit
They’ll freeze with all the goodness at the bottom of the plastic bottle and you can cut the top off and enjoy it nice and clean. It’s the little things!
Blanket Forts Are So Over
Okay, blanket forts might still be just as fun as they’ve always been. But, this blanket hammock is another way you can turn your regular old blanket into a hangout spot for the kids.
Source: Babyelephantears
Just scoop it under the table and tue it on the top. The kids can hang out and swing. You’ll save them from that boredom and be able to get some stuff done around the house while they’re occupied.
Soothe a Sore Tooth
There are tons of hacks to help your babies through the teething stage. This painful age is difficult for both the kids going through it and the parents having to deal with it.
Source: Anwjohnston/ Blogspot
Fill an ice tray with milk or formula and pop their pacifiers in them to freeze. The frozen milk will soothe their aching teeth and you won’t have to hear as much wailing.
Safe Guard the Trampoline
Kids can be occupied with a trampoline for hours, and we can’t blame them. Bounding around is fun! But, as they grow up they start to experiment with more and more dangerous tricks, and by the time they’re doing backflips, the parents are holding their breaths.
Source: Organizedchaosonline
Make the trampoline a little safer with this simple DIY hack. Cup up pool noodles and use them to cover the springs of the trampoline. This way, they can’t pinch their fingers on the springs
DIY Baby Bumper
Spekaing of pool noodles, there is more than one way you can use them to hack the whole parenting thing! If you’re worried about the kids rolling out of bed, especially if they have a bunk bed, try out this hack.
Source: Tastyganics
Place a pool noodle under your kid’s fitted sheet in their bed. This will provide something of a bumper that will prevent them from rolling out of bed. They sleep soundly, and you can too.
Get The Kids Tatted
Now we would never recommend that any parent give their kids an actual tattoo, but these temporary tattoos are an excellent safety measure for the rascals that like to run around.
Source: Tottoos
You can have these made with whatever information you’d like. Put their name or your phone number on the temporary tattoos and if they run off someone will be able to help them get back to you.
Transporting the Team’s Drinks
If you’re in charge of getting the snacks and drinks for your son or daughter’s sports team, this is a great way to transport tons of drinks. Use a muffin pan to bring all those cups to the team!
Source: Tetsfillthevan/ Blogspot
This is also an excellent way for parents with big families to bring the drinks home from the restaurant.
Sweeping Experts
Kids create messes, and there’s no real way around it. But, you can teach them how to clean up after themselves and make it into a kind of game.
Source: Twentytwowords
Put some tape in a square and ask them to sweep up anything on the floor into the square. This makes it manageable for the little ones and helps you out from having to gather stuff from all over the ground. They might even enjoy helping!
A Helping Hand
If you have a kid that needs you to have a hand on them at all times, this is a perfect solution for you to regain control of both your arms! We don’t always have a hand to spare.
Source: Pholder
Fill a glove with rice and sew it up at the end. Place it on your child’s back as they fall asleep. The weight of it will comfort them and make them feel like you’re there with them.