Do you need some parenting hacks to help manage the wild toddler years? Toddlers are developing lifelong habits and personalities, which can be both enjoyable and challenging. The following suggestions are based on Edgar’s and my personal experiences and have proven to be valuable time and time again. Some parenting hacks are simple, while others are a bit more extreme, but we’ve benefited from all of them in some way. Some of these tips even sparked an “ah-ha” moment for us. Continue reading to discover pointers or spark ideas that could benefit your family.
Contents
- Turn Your Child’s Silicone Bib Inside Out to Make It Actually Work
- Did You Child-Proof With Door Lever Locks? Turn Them Upside Down Instead
- Reverse the Child’s Door Lock if They Wander at Night
- Use the Light Switch Parenting Hack to Keep It Dark at Night
- Do You Have A Potential Crib Climber? Use the Sleep Sack Hack!
- On-the-go-Puppy Pad Parenting Hacks for Less Mess
- Still Have Nighttime Leaks? We Have More Puppy Pad Parenting Hacks!
- Do You Use a Bath Mat? Hang It Up in a Bathtub Corner!
- Do Your Play Food Boxes Get Smooshed Immediately? Fill Them Up!
- Laminate Paper Items Easily to Keep Them Intact
- Buy Children’s Tylenol, NOT Infant Tylenol, for a Money Saving Parenting Hack
- Use Old Curtains to Keep Light from Leaking Through the Door Cracks
- Public Safety Parenting Hacks: Use Bright Shirts in a Shared Play Area
1. Turn Your Child’s Silicone Bib Inside Out to Make It Actually Work
Do you find yourself struggling with ineffective baby bibs? Those generic store-bought bibs with a pouch to catch food may look good, but Edgar and I found them quite useless. The pocket needed a more spacious gap to catch the food. You had one job, pouch! Additionally, food would end up under the bib and ruin our baby’s clothes, and the silicone clasps would break after just a few uses. We were frustrated and felt like we were wasting our money. After all, bibs are supposed to do their job. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Edgar and I wanted to try a more reliable brand for bibs in hopes of better luck. Unfortunately, even with the new brand, the pouch still failed to catch the food. However, this time around, the silicone clasps held up. Edgar came up with the idea of turning the bib pouch inside out, and surprisingly, it worked wonders! The pocket opening became more prominent and efficient in catching food while preventing food from getting trapped underneath. Doing this simple step made this reputable bib brand achieve its full potential. It’s incredible how a simple solution like this can make a world of difference in the product’s functionality.
2. Did You Child-Proof With Door Lever Locks? Turn Them Upside Down Instead
Door lever locks are helpful for child-proofing, but they also have drawbacks. For instance, if you have a child like Xander, they may be able to figure out how to manipulate the lock and render it useless. Furthermore, if the child applies too much force to the safety product while attached to the door, it may lose its grip.
To solve this problem, Edgar decided to flip this safety mechanism upside down. This one of many parenting hacks has effectively eliminated the possibility of Xander manipulating the lock, as it was now pointing up when opened rather than pointing down. In other words, pull the door handle upwards instead of downwards to open the door. Thankfully, Xander still needs to grow a few more inches before he is tall enough to accomplish this feat. We no longer need to manipulate the safety lock either and can leave it open, which reduces the amount of necessary handling and extends the lifespan of this safety item.
Door Lever Hack for Continuous Lock
3. Reverse the Child’s Door Lock if They Wander at Night
Do you have a curious toddler who tends to leave their room at night? Nightly wandering poses a safety risk since they leave their child-proofed room. One possible solution is to reverse the door knob (if it has a lock). Although it may seem drastic, it is worth considering.
After transitioning Xander to a toddler bed, his natural curiosity grew tremendously. Initially, we put a gate in his room to keep him safe, but it gradually became a habit for him to open his door and yell for Edgar or me in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. Xander did this purely because he could. We slept on the second floor; he could freely roam upstairs if he managed to push the gate down. If the stairway gate was left open, he could easily fall down the stairs, and if he entered Meli’s room, he could disturb her sleep. Obviously, this was a significant safety concern for us.
Edgar decided to reverse the door knob on Xander’s door so the lock was on the outside to ensure maximum safety. Despite saying he would never lock his child in his room, Edgar prioritized Xander’s safety during sleep time and opted for this solution. Although child-proofing door knob products are available, like the door lever lock mentioned previously, Edgar chose to take extra precautions and minimize any potential risks in the middle of the night.
Nevertheless, implementing this parenting hack kept Xander from leaving his room. Truth be told, he didn’t even seem bothered by it. He eventually stopped wandering around his room and mainly stayed in his bed. Xander knows we will come if he cries out for Edgar or me. Thank goodness he reserves that superpower for when he truly needs it, like when he’s sick. In essence, reversing the door lock is a helpful hack for you to consider if you need a quick safety solution or lack a child-proofing product.
4. Use the Light Switch Parenting Hack to Keep It Dark at Night
If you have a child who wakes up at 3 am and turns on the lights, we have a solution for you. We had the same issue with Xander before we reversed his door knob. One tried and true approach is blocking the light switch from the top, which Edgar accomplished with his 3D-printed design. If you don’t have a 3D printer, duct tape works just as well. Tape the switch down; however, keep in mind that the tape may need replacing more often than the printed product. If you are interested in the 3D printer design, please message us, and we will be happy to share!
5. Do You Have A Potential Crib Climber? Use the Sleep Sack Hack!
One great parenting tip to prevent climbing out of their crib is to use a sleep sack. If your child keeps it on, it will work effectively by reducing the traction their feet have to climb out. Furthermore, sleep sacks keep them warm and cozy during cold nights, especially if they have yet to learn to cover themselves with a blanket.
We love these sleep sacks. They have lasted through my daughter, son, and nephew. I recommend washing them inside out and letting them hang dry vs. in the dryer to make them last as long as possible.
6. Puppy Pad Parenting Hacks for Less Mess
Do you have a child who always needs to conveniently use the bathroom when there is NO restroom in sight? Do you dread cleaning your travel potty after every use?
Here’s a helpful parenting tip: Edgar and I use puppy pads to line our travel potty bucket in these situations. This trick has saved us time and messes over the years. You can even cut the puppy pads in half to get more use out of them.
After your child uses a potty lined with a puppy pad, simply remove and dispose of it and replace it with a new one. Using this method will make your trip less stressful and less messy. Plus, if you can’t dispose of the pad immediately, the waste is less likely to spill if the potty gets knocked over in the car due to the pad’s incredible absorbent properties.
Puppy pads can also be an on-the-go barrier. Use them in a public bathroom for diaper changes or as an “in transit” safety barrier during potty training. Place them under your child in the car to protect their seats from accidents. Throwing away a soiled puppy pad is much more convenient than washing all the car seat pads.
7. Still Have Nighttime Leaks? We Have More Puppy Pad Parenting Hacks!
Puppy pads are beneficial when it comes to parenting hacks which is why it deserves a second mention. If your child still wears pull-ups or diapers at night, you’ve likely encountered the frustrating issue of urine leaking through. Leaks can result in a lot of extra laundry, with pajamas, sheets, and mattress pads all becoming soaked. Luckily, we have a simple solution for you.
By placing a puppy pad between the mattress pad and fitted sheet, you can effectively protect the mattress pad and save yourself a lot of time and hassle. Doing this is especially helpful if multiple young children experience leaks simultaneously. When time is of the essence, and you don’t have any backups, quickly finishing all the laundry is challenging. So, try using a puppy pad to make cleanup more manageable!
8. Do You Use a Bath Mat? Hang It Up in a Bathtub Corner!
Bath mats are prone to getting dirty quickly, especially when left on the bathtub floor with soap and soaked toys. No one wants to use a grimy bath mat, especially when bathing their children. We prefer to buy bath mats with suction cups on the bottom to help avoid this. After each bath, we hang the mat on the wall to dry rather than leaving it on the bathtub floor. We stick it over a corner on the bathtub wall for better airflow with the drying process. This simple extra step only takes 10 seconds but has saved us hours of scrubbing (washing machines don’t scrub off grime) and the cost of buying a new bath mat every two weeks.
9. Do Your Play Food Boxes Get Smooshed Immediately? Parenting Hack: Fill Them Up!
In my post about ways parents can save money,” I shared a helpful parenting tip. We purchased Melissa and Doug “pretend grocery store” boxes for our children. Unfortunately, the kids quickly smooshed them as they were quite fragile, similar to regular food boxes.
For this reason, we now collect small empty boxes from snack bars, spaghetti, macaroni, rice, and other food items to create our own “pretend play” kitchen and store items. We stuff the boxes with cut-up cardboard box pieces to add structure to the boxes. Since we started doing this, Xander has been unable to smoosh or ruin the shape of these boxes, despite his best attempts.
10. Laminate Paper Items Easily to Keep Them Intact
As I mentioned earlier, children tend to damage paper-based materials. But don’t worry; we have a helpful tip for parents to prevent this from happening. Simply laminate any paper item you would like with wide gorilla tape or laminating sheets to preserve and make it last longer in your toddler’s hands.
This method applies to shapes, letters, words, names, pictures, etc. For example, Edgar laminated the “play money” in Meli and Xander’s play store to prevent damage. He also laminated alphabet magnets on our fridge to prevent Xander from chewing on them. Even though Xander still chewed on them (but not long), the saliva did not destroy the magnets. I made a sorting game using laminated construction paper shapes, so the game wasn’t a one-and-done idea. So, try this practical tip to keep your child’s paper belongings intact for longer than a split second.
11. Buy Children’s Tylenol, NOT Infant Tylenol, for a Money Saving Parenting Hack
I cover another intriguing parenting tip in my post about ways parents can save money. When buying Tylenol for your child, opt for Children’s Tylenol instead of Infant Tylenol. Infant Tylenol is simply Children’s Tylenol with a HIGHER price tag and the word “infant” on the box. If you prefer using a syringe to administer the medication, you can purchase one separately and still save money. Always follow your child’s pediatrician’s dosing recommendations, even if they differ from the instructions on the box. Michael Scott perfectly depicts my face after realizing this fact.
12. Use Old Curtains to Keep Light from Leaking Through the Door Cracks
Research has shown that it is better to sleep in complete darkness. However, some toddlers may feel frightened of the dark and require a night light. If this applies to your child, this suggestion may not suit you. In my experience, my children prefer all bedtime lights off. They even call me back into their room if I accidentally leave a night light on.
Sometimes, light can seep through the door frame cracks, which can also be problematic if they wake up too early and think it’s time to get out of bed. Even the best blackout curtains won’t solve the problem if the source of the issue is the room entry door. To solve this, we hung and stuffed old (non-blackout) curtains in Xander’s door to prevent the light from leaking through the cracks. Although it’s not a permanent solution, it helps when the mornings get brighter earlier.
13. Public Safety Parenting Hacks: Use Bright Shirts in a Shared Play Area
How often do you take your child to a public play area and lose sight of them instantly amongst the sea of other playing children? One of our best public place parenting hacks is to always carry a bright shirt or pullover in your diaper bag to avoid this stressful situation. When you go to a public play place on the fly, put the shirt over your child’s clothes so they stick out like a sore thumb. Bright or neon colors are more noticeable in a crowd of playing children than darker colors like brown, gray, blue, or black.
These have been our most helpful parenting hacks that have aided us time and time again. We sincerely hope you have found these hacks beneficial on your journey as a parent. Do YOU have any tried and true parenting hacks? Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We would love to read your feedback! Are you interested in more parenthood tips and tricks? Discover easy ways to maintain a manageable household with “Tidying up: 9 Simple Strategies for Busy Parents with Young Kids.”
