4 Parenting Hacks You Don’t Learn in a Book

Parenting is a big job. In fact, there’s no other quite like it in the world. There are so many decisions to make that it can be overwhelming. For this reason, many new parents turn to books to help them learn ways to make life a little less hectic. While books are a good source of information, there are a few things you won’t learn in a book such as the four parenting hacks below.

Pool Noodles Have Many Uses

Use a large pool noodle to help keep your toddler from falling out of bed at night. Simply place it under the fitted sheet on the outside of the bed. It acts as a barrier keeping your child from falling over the edge while they sleep. The sheet holds it in place. Easy-peasy!

You can also use pool noodles to keep kids from slamming doors by cutting straight down one side of the noodle. Then place it around the side of the door and it won’t slam anymore. You can even cut them into sections and make homemade building blocks. Do you have any other non-traditional uses for pool noodles?

Stickers are Your Best Friend

Most young kids love stickers (and admit it, adults do, too) so they come in very useful for many things around the house. For example, use stickers to help remind your child to brush their teeth, comb their hair or to eat healthy snacks. Use them as rewards for following the rules. You can even place matching stickers on the inside of their shoes to help them remember which foot they go on. Blank stickers are great for labeling things like toy boxes, bins, and even shelving in cabinets or closets. What creative uses for stickers have you found?

Rubber Bands are Handy to Have Around

Rubber bands are a #1 items in the parent’s Emergency Kit.  You should try to always have a few handy as they can help out in a pinch for many different emergencies.  You can use them to keep kids from locking themselves in a room accidentally. Place the rubber band around one side of the doorknob. Next, twist it once in the middle and then loop the end around the other side of the doorknob. It will form an X over the latch bolt preventing the door from shutting tight.

Wrap them around the pump part of a soap dispenser and it will prevent the pump from going all the way down and reduce the amount of soap released, which reduces waste. You can even use them for all types of craft projects. Do you have any creative uses for rubber bands?

Make Cleaning Fun

If you want your kids to clean, make it fun by turning it into a game. You can race to see who can pick up the most toys the fastest or see how many toys they can pick up in 5 minutes. You could play their favorite song and race to get everything cleaned up before the song ends. If you have toys separated into bins, you can play a matching game by matching the toy to the bin it belongs in. Kids don’t mind picking up after themselves when cleaning is fun.

These hacks can help your household run a little smoother so you have more time to enjoy being with your kids. Are there any parenting hacks you would add to our list?