Parenting is really the toughest gig around, and any parent could not agree with this statement even more. It does not matter if the mom (or dad) is working or stays at home with the kids. Parenting is tough. And for those who are working who think that stay at home parents have an easy life, think again!
Stay at home parent, I still have to manage the household chores, pay the bills, run errands, and care for the kids even though I don’t go to the office every morning. Additionally, I do work from home because raising a family is expensive, especially nowadays! With that said, I have a lot more to juggle as well. This is why parents, whether they work outside of the home or stay at home, are extremely stressed! No surprise really at all.
However, the way I see it, you can make anything you are dealing with easier as long as you have the proper knowledge on how to create shortcuts without compromising the quality. That does not only apply to something like you purchasing a cooking appliance that will make your cooking time short and the preparation effortless without the taste of the food being altered in any way. Life hacks like that also apply to parenting! And all parents are strongly urged to utilize parenting hacks in order to relieve a lot of the stress that comes with parenting. Here are 7 parenting hacks that I have learned the hard way!
1. Put A Medicine Dropper In A Pacifier That Is Open
If you have a baby or a toddler, then this hack is the perfect one for you! Your little one that is sick will not cringe while you are attempting to put the dropper in his or her mouth which will only make your child and you even more stressed out. As long as your child has the pacifier in his or her mouth, then that is how you can administer the medicine without your child fighting you. And, this will reduce your stress levels a lot. If your child is not the type to suck pacifiers, then, unfortunately, this hack won’t work. But you will want to know about the next tip if that is the case!
2. Mix The Medicine In Something Tasty
If your child has to go on medication that is safe to use with dairy, then you can mix it in some ice cream that your child will love. If your child doesn’t have much of an appetite but is willing to eat something light like applesauce, you can mix it in that as well. The point is if the medication can be mixed with something tasty that your child will be happy to eat, then, by all means, do that. Oh and remember, if your child has a bad cold or chest infection, in addition to getting that proper medicine into them, be sure to get one of the germ free humidifiers and keep it in his or her bedroom! That will help speed up the recovery.
3. Put Disposable Coffee Lids Under Popsicles
If your child enjoys popsicles then you may be hesitant to give your little one that frozen treat due to the mess it makes! There is a tip to avoid this issue, and that is by taking a coffee lid that is disposable and putting the popsicle stick through the opening. And this way, your child can enjoy the cold treat without you having to worry about a mess to clean up since it will drip on the coffee lid!
4. Use The Laundry Basket For Bath Time
Are you tired of having to worry about your little one getting upset each time their bath toys float away during their bathtime? There is a perfect hack for you to utilize, and that is to put a laundry basket in the bathtub where he or she is being bathed. Place your child in the laundry basket in the bathtub while it is running, and then add the toys in there. Your child still gets a good bath and will be satisfied by having the toys accessible. This way, your little one will be accepting of the bath and your stress levels will be much lower due to no one being upset!
5. Create A Phone Number Bracelet
Here is a fun craft idea that you can do with your kids. Get some beads that have numbers, as well as other cool beads. Get some string to make bracelets. Then find the numbered beads and only use the ones that correspond with your phone number and keep those beads in order while placing them on the string. Then you can finish it off with the other funky beads. This way, your child will wear it and if by some chance he or she gets lost while being out, then they have your phone number on their bracelet so you can be contacted if the unthinkable happens – which is your child getting lost!
6. Create A Game Or Something Fun Out Of Household Chores
Children as young as toddlers can start doing some simple chores, and many of them enjoy helping you out. However, many kids that are slightly older than that become resistant. Allowance is not always a motivator since many kids don’t yet appreciate money due to the fact that they are too young to understand its value. However, kids enjoy playing games. If you can get creative and make a game out of doing chores, then your child would likely become more receptive. An example would be if you gave your child a sweeping chore in the kitchen, and the flooring is tiled, then tell your child to sweep as much dirt as possible into one tile. This way, they can watch all of that dirt get sucked up by the vacuum all at once. Remember, kids become fascinated with things very easily.
7. A Rubber Band Around The Bathroom Door Knobs Can Eliminate Scares
Nothing scares a child more that is going to the bathroom is locking themselves in without knowing how to unlock the door. And, this is also stressful for parents because they don’t always know how to unlock the door from the outside. Sometimes using a pin does work, and usually, it does. However, not always. The best way to get around this is by placing a rubber band around the doorknob so that it would be impossible for the door to get locked! This way, your child won’t have to deal with the fear of being locked out and you won’t have to become stressed either!
Now you know of these 7 useful parenting hacks which are designed to make this parenting gig a lot easier!