The Best Tried And Tested Parenting Hacks

Almost every day, you scroll through your social media to be met with the tonnes of the latest and greatest viral parenting hack promising to save your sanity but in reality, a lot of them aren't sustainable.

So today we are sharing parenting hacks that really will make your life easier.

Stain remover 

You can spend hundreds on stain removers over the years but the most pocket-friendly way to banish stains out of baby clothes is by placing the item in direct sunlight for a couple of days -  it works an absolute treat especially during the early weaning days. 

Toddler coat hack  

Teaching a toddler to put their jacket on by themselves can be tedious for many but this little coat hack gave me life when I came across it. Not only have all my children have been putting their own coats on before they turned two they think they are only brilliant for doing it. 

Car park safety hack

Bundling any number of kids in and out of the car can be super stressful for parents but then we discovered hands-on magnets from Mama Smartz - these nifty visual aids are brilliant for keeping kids safe around cars. They work an absolute charm for my three musketeers aged three, four and five. A cheaper alternative is to direct your child to the flap protecting your petrol tank but in my case, it never worked as they would attempt to open it or get their hands dirty because my car hasn't been washed in probably over a year.

Travel bands

Exploring or heading to festivals of any kind can send parents stress levels through the rough especially with small kids so last year I invested in travel wristbands from Tiger for each of the kids. They wear them religiously on days out now and if any of my children ever get separated from our group I have the peace of mind knowing they have my mobile number attached to their arm allowing someone to call me. You could always just write your number on their arms but then as they get older and start doodling on their hands you will be opening a whole new world of contradiction. 

Shoe tying trick  

Again just like teaching your child to put on their coats properly for the first time, learning to tie your shoelaces can be just as tricky that's why love this little boys tip that he learned from a friend. After four or five attempts my five-year-old is now tying shoelaces for his two younger sisters and is an absolute pro.

Toddler shoes

When you have multiple kids it can be tedious trying to get over the threshold in the mornings or any time of the day if I'm honest. Toddlers don't tend to be able to tell their left from their right so we put half a smiley faces using a sharpie in each of the kid's shoes. Each time they have to put their shoes on they put the smile together to find out which shoe goes where. Some people glue stickers inside their children's shoes so they can tell them apart but in experience they kids rip them out. 

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Kellie Kearney

Kellie Kearney is a Dublin mammy of five kids aged newborn right up to nine. She loves coffee, cloth nappies, travel and sharing her every day true to life family moments on Instagram.

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