We recently asked the parents of the BuzzFeed Community to share some of their favorite hacks and tips for raising kids, and some of these are pretty genius.
Here are 19 of them:
1. "Keep a medicine bag next to your kid. You won't regret it. At 3 a.m. when you're half asleep and have to tend to your kid, you need this. I would pack some wet wipes, hand lotion, and a thermometer. Make sure that everything is accessible."
—Anonymous
2. "My husband and I got the kids to improve their Spanish by switching to it (we're both bilingual) whenever we wanted to say something we didn't want them to understand. They caught on to our trickery and started to pay attention in school, actually understanding what we said. I've decided we have to learn sign language and hope they don't catch on."
—Anonymous
3. "Puppy pads when your child is sick (with GI illness). You can line the floor with the XL pads in a pinch."
—Emmz
4. "Potty training tip: If you have a portable/free-standing potty chair, take it in the car with you and put an inside-out diaper in it. Much easier to pull over and use in an emergency than trying to rush to find a bathroom, and the pee soaks into the diaper, so no mess. Then, simply take the diaper out, wrap it up like usual, and throw away in the nearest trash can. (It’s also handy to carry plastic shopping bags with you for times when trash cans aren’t readily available. The diapers can be put in a bag, tie the bag shut, and throw away whenever you get to a trash can.) This trick has saved us many times on roadtrips or longer car rides!"
—Anonymous
5. "Always put a towel down over your changing space. The amount of times I've gone to change a nappy (diaper) and they weren't quite finished or the cooler air made them go again. The towel would catch the accidents, and the cleanup was so much easier. Also, for number two accidents, I would get off as much as I could down the toilet, rinse off whatever was left, and stick it on a hot wash. And it meant I could fold the towel over the mess during the change because babies' legs always seem to find the poop. 😅"
6. "I never say let's go to bed or let's take a nap because they fight it. Instead, I say let's go check on teddy bear and see what he's doing."
—Anonymous
7. "Each of my kids had an assigned color (blue, green, pink). Backpacks, lunch bags, plates, cups, towels, wash cloths, etc. were all color coded to prevent fighting and to keep everyone organized."
—Anonymous
8. "At around age 2, kids naturally start pulling things off of store shelves and taking it back to their caregivers. As soon as my kids started doing this, I’d delight in what they showed me, take a moment to acknowledge it, then ask, 'Where does it go?' I’d always give a high five when they put it back, which helped them develop a conditioned response to feel rewarded when leaving it behind. As they’ve grown, I still stop when they see something they really, really love in a store. I let them take it off the shelf, spend time with it, then maybe hug it before putting it back 'home' and saying goodbye. I’ve never had a meltdown over not buying something they want, and they’ve even developed routines around visiting some of their favorite 'friends' at certain stores."
9. "I used a mesh lingerie bag for itty bitty baby socks. I would put them in it when they were dirty, then when it was time to wash them, just zip it closed and throw them in the washer. It can also go in the dryer. Saved me from losing tons of socks to the dryer monster."
—Anonymous
10. "When I start getting irritated with my kids or find myself about to say no, I stop and ask myself if this really is a big deal; if the answer is no, I let it slide. Kids need to be able to be silly and playful and enjoy being kids; it’s our responsibility as adults to give them opportunities for that time as well as teaching, nurturing, and guiding them into independence."
—Anonymous
11. "Buy multiple juice cups and keep them filled in the fridge. They're always ready, and you don't have to stop what you're doing to refill a juice cup with a cranky toddler demanding for your soul!"
—Anonymous
12. "Reusable pouches for applesauce/yogurt (so much cheaper in the long run, and most are BPA-free and dishwasher safe)."
—Anonymous
13. "Putting sunscreen on toddlers: Use an old makeup foundation brush for applying sunscreen to their faces. They think it’s fun and actually will allow it without squirming. Plus, it gets it on there real good."
14. "Almost all noisy children’s toys have a speaker, cover this with some postal tape to cut the decibel level by half at least! The battery trick only works for so long; quieting the toy makes it tolerable!"
—Anonymous
15. "I use regular baby lotion on aches and pains and tell my kids it has 'placebo' in it. It always seems to make owies feel better."
—Anonymous
16. "Instead of saying 'maybe later,' use the 'yes, but' trick. If they ask, 'Mom, can we watch a movie with you?' Instead of, 'I'm still working, maybe later,' say, 'Yes, but I need to finish my work' or whatever you have to do first."
—Anonymous
17. "The kids and I were always banging into the metal bed frames. Then, my 6-year-old fell backwards, hit her head, and went to the ER two days before Christmas. So, I cut open pool noodles and covered all four sides of the bed."
18. "When on a roadtrip and you need a pitstop for a diaper change, find a hotel. They always have clean, large bathrooms near the lobby and never question people going in and out. Bonus if they have a complimentary breakfast happening, or even just coffee. This has been a total game-changer for long rides!"
—Anonymous
19. And finally, "My 5-year-old has been wanting to help more with the cooking. It's not like the olden days were. 'Yeah, grab the knife and cut away.' I swear by the Montessori knife set (cheap on Amazon). It has all these neat knives and cooking tools, is safe, and my kiddo loves that he has his own knife and cooking set and helps us with dinner."
—Anonymous
