15 Motherhood Life Hacks

We all know that motherhood can be one of the most rewarding and challenging roles ever. Instead of making things more difficult, let’s work smarter, not harder, with these 15 tried and true motherhood life hacks, kid tested and mother approved by yours truly:

1.) If you are in a hurry to leave on a cold winter’s day, and your child refuses to wear a coat, instead of saying, “Put on your coat!” a million times, simply try, “Put out your arms” and put the coat on their arms. The outwear psychology is mind blowing.

2.) Need your kids to leave the park or play area in five minutes? Since small children generally do not have a concept of time, just set your phone for five minutes and remind them that when the phone rings it is time to leave. Same goes for “five minute quick clean!” when there are Legos scattered and guests on their way. (See more about how a timer is my best friend (here) ).

3.) Potty training? Afraid the kids will get up in the middle of the night and wander the house in the dark, or pee in their bed? Leave their “kid potty” in their room at night with a towel underneath so they can use a kid friendly potty at their leisure. This is how both of my boys night trained.

4.) Skip the flat sheet on your kid’s bed. Fitted sheet all the way. You really do not need both. Bonus: it is easier for them to make their bed in the morning! Score.

5.) Instead of sorting laundry by color, sort by type: do all the socks and underwear in one load, all the shirts, all the pants, etc. When the dryer sounds, you know you have a load of just shirts to put away, instead of wading through a pile of mismatched laundry. Putting it away is super fast. I lose fewer socks in the process as well!

6.) Want your kids to sit at mealtimes? Read to them. They will pay attention to the book instead of getting bored and running down the hallway with a PB and J in one hand and a leaky cup in the other. (Maybe. I offer no promises. But it worked for us (here) ).

7.) Park your vehicle next to a cart return. You can load kids into a buggy and get them safety from the parking lot into the store, then put them back in the vehicle, unload your purchases, and return the buggy all while standing right next to your car.

8.) Write their initials on cups at fast food play areas. That way, your kid’s cup doesn’t get gulped down by a stranger’s kid. Also: if you use paper plates at home, write their names on them, too. Then when someone “forgets” to clean their area after lunch, you can instantly pinpoint the culprit. Muhahah…

9.) Have a cookie/candy stash for yourself in the drawer where you keep the aluminum foil that no one knows about? Want to continue to keep that secret? Open packs of cookies or candy while the vacuum is running. Kids come from a thousand hills when they hear that familiar sound of a pack of Oreos opening. Muffle it, ladies. Trust me.

10.) Keep a to-go kit in your vehicle with essentials in case of potty accidents/hours of traffic/car trouble. We have a large box in our trunk with a gallon ziplock bag for each child with a complete change of clothing, and gender neutral shirt/jacket that either my husband or I could wear, bottles of water/granola bars, and toiletries in case we ever needed to stay somewhere overnight unexpectedly. And of course, a flashlight, jumper cables, and some sort of wrench set. (That last one obviously is not mine. I think it is a set of wrenches. Jury is still out.)

11.) We have Donut Saturday EVERY weekend. The cups in the fridge are filled the night before with milk, the donuts are left on the table, and the kids scramble like it is Christmas morning to FEED THEMSELVES one morning a week. Translation: WE SLEEP IN. Oh, who am I kidding. Like, ten extra minutes. But, it is a tradition that we all enjoy!

12.) Baby products can double as personal use items. I use baby oil to take off my mascara each night, vaseline for under eye cream and lip balm, and baby powder for dry shampoo. (Like, a really small amount. My hair is dark and if you use too much, you look like the Bride of Frankenstein. Just saying.)

13.) If you are up all night with a sick kid and need to keep track of when they vomited, or if you are breastfeeding around the clock and want to keep up with the times, instead of fumbling in the dark for a pen and paper, just take a screen shot of your wallpaper on your phone every time you get up with your little one. You can review your photos in the morning and see how many times you were up. (Or, you can just base it on how many times you watched Jimmy Fallon last night. The first time? Or the 3am rerun? Or both? Thanks, Jimmy.)

14.) Pushing your kid in an umbrella stroller and it begins to rain and you are nowhere near shelter? Cover your kid with a clear adult poncho. It is large enough to tie to the top and bottom of the stroller and cover them head to toe, plus it is clear and they can still see. I picked up this tip from my best friend on our recent family trip to NYC and it was genius. And the fact that it is called an umbrella stroller and I am giving tips on how to fashion a fake umbrella on it is disturbing to me.

15.) If you are going to an amusement park/aquarium/baseball game, or any activity where a large crowd is present, take individual photos of each child before entering the event. If they somehow are separated from you, you have a photo of exactly what they are wearing that day. I also use this tip to take a photo of the floor level I am parked on in a parking garage. That way, you have your keys ready and know exactly what floor to exit off of on the elevator.

Do you have any life hacks of motherhood? Share below and let’s chat!