So, parenting. It’s… yeah. It’s as difficult as everybody says it is, and somehow more difficult than that, but in ways you would never expect until you’re up to your neck in Cheerios and somebody’s crying and maybe it’s you. Then some days you think wow… who issued me a license to be responsible for actual humans? But then you come across parents—somehow functional, likely sleep-deprived parents, just like us—who have figured out these… not “magic solutions,” but like… time-savers. Things that make everything 12% easier, which at this point I’m totally down for.
1. Sandbox Tent
Kids love sandboxes, but unfortunately, cats like to use them as their litter boxes. Solve that problem by using an old tent to house a sandbox! When your child is done playing, simply zip up the tent to seal it off from neighborhood kitties. That’s a great fix for cats. But to completely protect the play area, you’ll also need to know how to keep pests out of the sandbox.
2. Tape Race Track
Give your kids hours of fun by taping a “racetrack” onto your carpet or floor with painter’s tape. It’s genius!
3. Igloo Building Blocks
Help your kids build the best igloo possible by using tupperware containers for the creation of the snow blocks!
4. Plane, Train, And Car Entertainment
Keep kids busy on a long plane, train, or car ride by having them play with window stickers or jellies.
5. Color-Coded Kids
When taking more than one child to a busy, crowded place such as a park or the zoo, dress them all in the same color shirt. It will make it much easier to spot them all if they disperse in different directions.
6. Sponge Ice Pack
No ice pack? No problem. Wring out a sponge, place it in a Ziploc bag, and use it in place of an ice pack to keep your kids’ lunches cool.
7. DIY Baby Bathtub
If you’re going to be somewhere without a bathtub, bring an inflatable kiddie pool! You can plop it in a shower stall when it’s your child’s bath time.
8. Parking Lot Hack
To keep a child from wandering in a parking lot when you’re trying to load up the car, get a magnetic hand sticker and have your child place their hand on the magnetic hand until you’re ready to go.
9. Medication Hack
If your child is on some kind of medication, label the bottle with a chart. You can cross off the days and times when you administer the medication. That way, you won’t forget whether you’ve given them their medication or not.
10. “Painting” Activity
On a nice day, send your child outside with a bucket of water and a paintbrush. Pretend they are a firefighter, and their next job is “painting” the fire station floor.
11. Tub Playpen
Need to shower but have a child to watch? If your bathtub is in view of your shower, fill up an empty bathtub with your child’s toys and plop them in. Your child will hopefully stay entertained and within your view long enough for you to get a shower in.
12. Safe BBQ Hack
To keep your child a safe distance away from a hot barbecue, secure a child’s safety pen around it!
13. Car Seat Labels
Alright, no one wants to think about emergencies, but, just to be safe, it would be a good idea to just label your child’s car seat. Think name, allergies, blood type, emergency contact information, etc. That way if something goes wrong, first responders don’t have to hunt for information in your glove box or complete guess work. It is right there for them. You hope no one ever needs that information, but just in case…
14. Help With Vacuuming
And if this isn’t parenting done right, I simply don’t know what is.
