I love mom hacks. I love the simple shortcuts we take to make chores easier, kids listen better and days flow smoother. Life is too short and too busy to do things the hard way.
I’m excited to share nine of my best mom hacks, which I’ve learned from trial and error, other moms and numerous parenting resources. I hope these tips trigger light bulb moments for you, but more than that, I want you to share YOUR mom hacks. What are the little things you do that make mom life a little easier? I can’t wait to hear your shortcuts, sanity savers and time-saving secrets!
Dinner Bell
My son loves being my milk helper, and I use this enthusiasm to my advantage. I bought him a special pitcher and tasked him with pouring milk for the family (with help, of course). He gets to feel like a big boy, and I get him to the table without any whining. It’s a win-win!
Mealtime Smiles
A simple smile chart has saved my sanity at mealtime. For each portion of the meal, we record a happy, neutral or sad face based on how my son ate. At the end of the meal, he gets an overall rating. Surprisingly, these happy faces are incredibly motivating for my son!
Happy Feet
To help my toddler put on his shoes correctly, I drew small smiley faces on the inner soles of his shoes. He lines up the happy faces, and viola, his shoes are always on the right feet – without any help from me. (Thanks to my mother-in-law for the tip!).
Coat Check
My son’s coat used to always end up on the floor. To remedy this, I hung a Command hook at his eye level in the closet. Now it’s my son’s responsibility, not mine, to put his coat away.
Ready, Set…Go
My son loves competition. Tapping into his love of winning, I use a board game timer to challenge him to do tasks quickly. He loves racing the timer, and seeing the sand fall helps him develop a sense of time.
Goodbye Sock Monster
How often do you lose kid socks in the laundry? Putting these tiny socks in a linen bag has nearly eliminated this problem. My son’s socks are now safely contained in the wash, which makes matching them so much easier. (Thanks for the tip Mom!).
Take 5
My son’s preschool encourages parents to wait five seconds before repeating an instruction. This simple tactic is magical! When given time to process, my son responds more positively and is more likely to comply after the first request.
Polite Buffers
I am guilty of using buffer words: “You need to clean up your toys, okay?” Or “Go put your shoes on. Please.” Eliminating “please” and “okay” from my instructions fosters better cooperation because it’s clear that my directions aren’t open to negotiation.
Here Doggie Doggie
To lift my son out of a funk, I sometimes drop to all fours and act like a puppy. Absurd, I know, but my “puppy persona” transforms me from a mom to a friend in his eyes. Silliness is my best tool for conquering his defiant toddler mode.
Now it’s your turn. What are the hacks that make your mom life just a little bit easier? Just think how much time these hacks could save us, moms. Maybe enough time to take a bubble bath while sipping a glass of wine and mindlessly reading a magazine. Ahhh…Doesn’t that sound nice?
