If you don’t find parenting to be messy and hopeless, maybe you are not doing it right. Things do not always have to be so tough- it’s time you learnt to distinguish between smart parenting and hard parenting. There are many things you don’t have to break your head over (like potential house-destruction or vandalism), if you work around things the smart way. Here are 15 parenting hacks that would save you a lot of time and energy (and probably money too).
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1. A Rubber Band To Prevent Lock-Ins
Keep your bedroom and bathroom doors unlocked with the help of a rubber band. Interlock the doorknobs on either sides of the door with a rubber band. This would prevent the door from locking your child in accidentally.
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2. Vinegar For Minor Burns
Dip a facecloth or tissue in some vinegar and apply it immediately on minor burns. This will help cool the skin and prevent the skin from blistering.
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3. A Laundry Basket For A Mini-Bathtub
Place a laundry basket inside your bathtub when giving your little one a bath. This will make sure the bath toys don’t float away and will also prevent your child from drowning.
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4. Potato For Paint Stamps
Cut a potato in half and remove the excess moisture from it using a tissue paper. Press a cookie cutter into the center of the potato and carve off a thick slice around the cutter. Make different shapes like this from different pieces of potato and dip them in paint. Make your kids stamp them onto paper or an old piece of cloth. This will keep your child occupied for hours.
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5. Ice Cube Tray for A Cute Snack Box
If you are having one of those days when your child refuses to eat anything, try out the ice cube hack. Fill each cubicle with pieces of fruit, nuts, dry fruit, candy, cereal, carrots, celery etc. This will make sure a little bit of everything goes into your child’s mouth, that too in a fun way.
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6. Toothpaste To Remove Stains
Tired of seeing crayon and marker stains everywhere you look? Dab some toothpaste on a tissue paper or cloth and scrub the stains with it- they will disappear in a jiffy. Your wooden furniture will not have to suffer the wrath of permanent markers anymore.
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7. A Kiddie Pool for A Playpen
Building a genuine playpen would most probably cost you a bomb, and public playpens are often the breeding grounds of germs and diseases. Fret not! Fill an inflatable kiddie pool with plastic balls and balloons and your child will be over the moon with joy.
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8. Hot Glue For Better Grip
Tiles, hardwood and marble floors can be pretty hazardous for toddlers. Spell out their names with hot glue on the bottom of their shoes or slippers and let it dry for better grip. This will also help prevent accidental shoe swaps with other kids.
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9. Paper Plates For Catching Rogue Ice Cream
Ice cream cones and Popsicles are potential nightmares for parents given how kids turn into gooey, sticky blobs by the time the ice cream gets over.Cut a hole in a paper plate and pass the Popsicle or ice cream cone through it for diverting this disaster.
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10. Blackboard Paint For A Canvas
If your kids are going through the phase where they cover the walls with their signature crayon, chalk or permanent marker art, it is time to get hold of some blackboard paint. Paint a section of the living room or bedroom with blackboard paint and supply them with enough chalk to go wild with their imagination.
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11. Transparent Plastic Sheets For Clean Floors
Do your kids love doodling on your hardwood floors with markers? Cover a section of the floor with transparent plastic sheets and duct-tape. They can draw all they want and your floors will stay untouched.
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12. Liquid Chalk For Sidewalk Art
Powder different colors of chalk and mix it in water to make paint that would easily wash off. Your kids will have a ball painting the sidewalk with these super-fun paints.
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13. Band-Aids To Cover Up Plug Sockets
Stick some band-aids over the plug sockets in your home to keep your little ones from poking their chubby fingers inside. You can even try this hack with cello-tape or duct-tape.
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14. Cardboard Boxes For A Fort
Save the huge cardboard boxes that refrigerators and washing machines come in. They can be put to clever use when building a fort or castle. You can even make forts with blankets and pillows and have lots of fun along with your kids.
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15. Fake Remotes And Keys For Prolonged Distraction
For some unknown reason, kids are obsessed with remotes and keys. Keep a stock of battery-less remotes and unwanted keys with you all the time. You will be amazed at how long they can keep your kids occupied! You can even add key chains, old credit cards, and everything else your kid loves, but is never allowed to touch. But make sure nothing is small enough to be ingested.
