1. First of all: You've been transporting that baby carrier wrong the whole time! The way this mother does it creates less stress and is easier on your back.
2. And use shower caps to prevent the dirty wheels of your folded-up stroller from making a mess.
3. You can also convert a totally normal box of wet wipes into a diaper bag. To do so, you just need two rubber bands that strap the wet wipes to the lid. Then, you'll have plenty of room in the box for underwear and diapers.
4. If you have a crawler who's attracted to power strips, try this trick: Drill a hole in a Tupperware box that the plugs and cables can fit through – then simply put the power strip in the box.
5. Use an egg carton as the palette for your child's finger paints or paint pots. Plus: The brushes fit perfectly in the flap, too!
6. By the way, shaving cream is a great substitute for finger paints. Just stir a few drops of food coloring in!
7. Bring along wax crayons when you visit the pediatrician so that they can draw on the paper sheet.
8. And if your kid is the messy artist type, just put them in the tub, paints and all, and let them have at it. Then just rinse the tub afterwards.
9. Sticking a piece of paper under the ring and index fingers can help teach your child how to hold a pencil correctly.
10. Glue a couple of magnetic strips (like the ones for storing knives) onto the wall of your child's bedroom for a super easy way to store all those little toy cars.
11. Stick a trimmed pool noodle on the door to prevent fingers from getting jammed and doors from getting slammed.
12. Write your child's name with a glue gun on the soles of their shoes. The dried glue will also act as an anti-slip grip.
13. Take all the things you kid loves playing with around the house (like wheels, hinges, toilet roll holders, locks, pocket calculators, telephones, key chains, etc.) and fix them all onto an activity board to keep them busy.
14. For an improvised step stool, screw two IKEA stools together. Your child can even climb on it alone!
15. Want to make your own ball pool? All you need is a laundry hamper and a few plastic balls.
16. Duct tape their bubbles to a pole or rod in the yard, so that they don't spill the bubble mix.
17. Instead of using "shushing" noises, try to calm your screaming baby with an "OMMMMMMMMMMM" (as if you're meditating). The sound is supposedly a lot like the sounds that babies hear in the womb.
18. If your kid is sick and has blocked sinuses, you can ease the pressure a little with this gentle massage.
19. Your child wants to eat "ALONE!!!" with their plate and cutlery, but doesn't want to sit at the table? Offer to let them sit in a moving box. Most children find that awesome and exciting – and you'll have less mess to clean up afterward.
21. If you want to slowly wean them off their pacifier, slowly cut off little pieces of it – eventually your child will find it too weird to use anymore.
22. For a particularly rainy, boring Sunday: Add a few drops of finger paint to a freezer bag, tape it to a window (so that the opening is well sealed), and let your child's creativity run wild.
23. If your child gets something stuck up their nose, consider trying this emergency parental kiss: Blow hard into their mouth and, with a little luck, the object will shoot out of their nose.
This post was translated from German.