As a parent you want to give your children a fantastic childhood, one they look back on as an adult with fond memories. The role of parent is an important role, but exhausting, and sometimes you are juggling six things at once. Any help is appreciated, right? Here are 20 practical tips and hints on how to make parenting a little bit easier for you, and, at the same time, more fun for your children.
1. If you have more than one child, use the dot method to identify their clothing.
Such a simple idea, but so useful if you have a whole tribe of children to look after. So, mark two dots for the second child in your family, three dots for the third child, and so on. This tip alone should save you lots of time when sorting out the laundry.
2. An inflatable pool makes a great playpen for babies.
Instead of forking out a fortune for a playpen your baby will only play in for a few months, why not use the family’s inflatable pool instead?
3. A cheap shower caddy makes a great place to store food in the car.
We all know how much of a mess children can make without even realizing it, so try using a shower caddy to keep all their food and drinks in. This will save a lot of time having to hoover and clean your car.
4. This cute baby mop suit lets your child crawl and help out around the house at the same time.
This baby mop suit is so cute and makes sense when you think how much time your baby spends crawling about the floor. It saves you time having to clean the floor, and you want your floor to be very clean when your baby is at the crawling stage.
5. Scare away big, bad monsters with this “secret formula.”
Add monster stickers to a bottle and fill with water to create a “monster spray.” When your little one gets scared in the night you can get rid of the monsters with this spray. Genius idea!
6. Use a sturdy, cardboard box to make a slide on the stairs.
Wow, this is a fun idea, and so simple. This idea will keep your children entertained while you can get on with other work or simply have some time-off.
7. Teach your children how to dress modestly.
This is hilarious and gets your children thinking about how appropriate their clothing is. This should save you lots of energy and time in the long term, especially when they reach teenage years.
8. Get a baby stroller/scooter to make walks through the park a little more fun.
Getting a baby stroller/scooter is a fun way to exercise at the same time as looking after your little one. This saves time having to go to the gym, and it is quicker getting from A to B.
9. Give them temporary tattoos in case they get lost during an outing.
All children get lost at some point in their childhood and it can be scary. You can create your own temporary tattoos which advertise your telephone number, ensuring you can reclaim your children.
10. Create a kid-sized hammock with some fabric and a table.
Your children will love creating their very own hammock with some fabric and a table. This should keep your children amused for some time.
11. A cut pool noodle will prevent little fingers from getting slammed in doors.
You can buy a pool noodle on the internet and cut a wedge into it so that you can insert it into your door frame. This saves your children getting their fingers caught in the door
12. Old lotion bottles can be used as faucet extenders until they aren’t so little anymore.
Turning old lotion bottles into faucet extenders is a great idea as they can wash their hands on their own, which promotes their independence. It also frees up your time to get other tasks done.
13. Use a laundry basket to keep bath toys from floating away.
Using a laundry basket to stop your child’s toys floating away is a good idea as it ensures your child can properly play with his toys. It also reduces the risk of the child having to reach too far for a toy and falling over into the water.
14. Use glue and glitter to make “Tooth Fairy Money.”
This fun idea is simple, and will be a big hit with your children.
15. Use sprinkles to make boring foods turn into tasty ones.
One way to get your children to eat their broccoli and other healthy food is to smother them in sprinkles.
16. Use this reusable babysitter info sheet to make things easier for you and your babysitter.
Having a reusable babysitter info sheet is a fantastic idea, as it sets out all the information your babysitter needs and it saves you having to recreate the sheet each time, which seems a bit pointless.
17. Put your kids to work by turning chores into a fun game.
Get your children excited about household chores by turning them into a fun game. This gives them a sense of contributing to the family and becoming more responsible. You can create any game you think of. My parents had us in fancy dress with bin bags to collect rubbish from the house. It was such fun to see if you could collect the most rubbish, and the winner got a prize.
18. Keep your kids organized with this simple idea.
It can be hard to keep track of what your children are up to, especially when you have several in different activities. It makes good sense to have flipchart for each of them so you can post reminders and keep abreast of what is going on.
19. Make a kid-friendly bracelet with your phone number on it.
Another way to advertise your telephone number is to add it to a bracelet. You can involve your children in the making of the bracelet, which they will find so much fun!
20. Pool noodles are great for protection.
Pool noodles are great for protecting your equipment from little children, helping prevent injuries.