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I am constantly amazed by other mothers.
Their ingenuity, resourcefulness, and wisdom is something to admire. I have only been a mother for a short period of time, so I really look up to mothers who have been there done that and found a better way.
Being a mom is one tough job. I think we can all agree that we welcome anything that can make daily tasks easier!
I have always been obsessed with life hacks in general and love reading those long lists of things I wish I would’ve thought of myself!
Obviously, after becoming a mom I stopped reading about life hacks and started reading about mom hacks!
I’m always looking for fun tips and tricks to up my mom game. I even started a Pinterest board to collect all the mom hacks I found.
I thought it was time I finally made a list of my own favorite mom hacks!
Some of these hacks I’ve tried and others I am going to try, but all of these mom hacks are pure genius!
36 Mom hacks that are pure genius
1. CLEAN KIDS’ TOYS IN THE WASHING MACHINE BY PUTTING THEM IN A MESH BAG
Put your child’s dirty toys into a mesh laundry bag and throw them into the washing machine! No need to wash each one individually.
(diply)
2. SAVE DIAPER BAG SPACE BY ROLLING EXTRA OUTFITS INTO SOCKS
I wish I would’ve known this mom hack when my daughter was having multiple blowouts a day! Just roll all your baby’s extra clothes into their socks to save space and load more outfits into your bag.
3. MAKE YOUR OWN MONSTER SPRAY
Okay. This is pure genius! Make your child some “monster spray” and let them spray it all over and feel comfortable knowing they are safe from monsters! Honestly, this can work for anything your child might be scared of, like ghosts or vampires!
4. CLIP YOUR BABIES NAILS IN A CARRIER OR WHILE THEY SLEEP
Put your baby facing forward in a baby carrier to make it easier to clip their nails without them wiggling all over. Or if your baby is a deep sleeper, just wait until they are asleep and clip their nails then. This is what I do and it’s so much better than fighting my daughter’s wiggles!
5. PUT A COMMAND HOOK ON THE BACK OF THE HIGH CHAIR TO STORE BIBS
This is so simple you will hate yourself for not thinking of it. Just use a command hook to hang your baby’s bibs in the most convenient place…the back of their high chair! Duh.
6. INVEST IN CRAYOLA COLOR WONDER MARKERS
I really need to get my daughter some of these! Never worry that your child will color all over furniture, walls, or floors. Give them these little magic markers and take a sigh of relief.
7. THE PERFECT DIY STAIN REMOVER
Mix a little Hydrogen Peroxide, Dawn Dishsoap, and Baking Soda and voila! No stain will survive! Really wish I knew this one for those newborn days, but you can bet I’ll be trying it from here on out!
8. USE A BUGGY BENCH TO GO TO A GROCERY STORE WITH ALL OF YOUR KIDS
How cool is this Buggy Bench?! Now if you have multiple children each one of them can have a seat. No fighting and no chasing toddlers down isles.
9. PACK OUTFITS IN ZIPLOCK BAGS WHEN TRAVELING
Pack everything your child will need for the day (i.e diaper, shirt, pants, sweater, etc) in a ziplock bag for each day you are on vacation. I did this with my daughter when we were out of town for a week and being that organized was a life saver. Plus, when you squeeze all the air out, it’s a space saver too!
10. CUT A STICKER IN HALF AND PUT IN YOUR CHILDS SHOES TO HELP THEM TELL LEFT FROM RIGHT
This is an amazing idea! Just cut a sticker in half, put each one in a shoe, and it’ll help your child figure out which shoe goes on which foot. I’m doing this to all my daughter shoes.
11. USE PLASTIC TO-GO CONTAINERS TO STORE PACIFIERS IN BAG
Next time you’re in a restaurant take a hand full of those small plastic to-go containers. You can put your baby’s pacifiers inside of them so they stay clean when they are in your bag!
(Buzzfeed)
12. MAKE YOUR OWN BEACH PLAY YARD WITH A FITTED SHEET
Seriously though, this is a pure genius mom hack if I ever saw one! Next time you go to the beach use a fitted sheet to create a walled in area for your baby or toddler to play in without the sand!
13. SAVE YOUR BABIES EYE’S BY USING THIS SHOWER CAP
I am getting this shower cap ASAP. Whoever invented this protective shower visor deserves an award.
14. KEEP A TIDE STICK ON YOU AT ALL TIMES
Gosh, such a simple suggestion but oh so brilliant. Keep a Tide To Go Stain stick on you at all times for those moments when your out and about and your toddler makes a mess like you know they will. This will save your child’s clothes while you have the chance!
15. USE HAIR TIES OR COOKIE CUTTERS TO BABY PROOF
I never when out and bought all those fancy baby proofing cabinet locks. All I used was some hair ties wrapped around the handles a few times. Sure the fancy stuff might be more convenient, but the hair ties are free and just as effective. Even better if you have some cookie cutters around!
16. ATTACH CUPCAKE HOLDERS TO THE BOTTOM OF POPSICLE STICKS TO CATCH THE DRIP
Mind blown. Honestly, I wish my mom would’ve known this trick when I was little. I used to hate eating popsicles and getting all sticky.
17. MAKE YOUR OWN SORE NIPPLE RELIEF PACK
This is so creative! Just put some aloe gel into a breast milk storage bag and pop them into the freezer. Then, when your sore nipples need a little TLC just put one of your aloe packs on them!
18. USE TAPE ON CANVAS TO TURN TODDLERS PAINTING INTO TRUE ART
I swear all the mama’s out there are geniuses for thinking of this stuff! This is such a great way to make your child’s mushy paintings into something a little more intentional.
19. LAYER SHEETS AND MATTRESS PADS FOR LATE NIGHT ACCIDENTS
Well, this hack could’ve saved me a lot of late night frustration. This would have worked really well for those middle of the night breastmilk leakages.
20. MAKE YOUR OWN PUMPING BRA WITH A USED SPORTS BRA
Pumping bras can be really expensive. This hack uses an old sports bra you already have to make pumping hands-free no problem. (Click here to find the best nursing bras under $40!)
21. TUMMY TIME MESS FREE ART
Oh my gosh, I so regret not doing this when Lily was younger. This is such a great way to make tummy time more interesting for your baby and you end up with a beautiful piece of art!
(Buzzfeed)
22. HOT GLUE HOLES IN BATHTUB TOYS
I swear I’m doing this tomorrow to all of my daughter’s toys! Just hot glue the hole on the bottom of your children’s bath toys to make sure no water can get inside. This will prevent the growth of mildew and mold.
23. BATHE YOUR BABY IN A LAUNDRY BASKET
This hack is great for two reasons. One, it’s safer for your baby because they have less room to move around and possibly slip and fall. Two, all of their toys stay close to them so it’s easier for them to play!
24. TODDLER PROOF TOILET PAPER USING A HAIR TIE
This is such a simple way to make sure your toddler doesn’t run wild with the TP. If I had done this sooner I wouldn’t have just had to clean up an entire roll of toilet paper off the floor.
25. USE TOOTHPASTE TO REMOVE PERMANENT MARKER FROM WOOD
Has your child ever gone crazy with a permanent marker? Worry no longer, because apparently all you need is a little toothpaste and you’re good to go!
26. USE TAPE TO PREVENT YOUR CHILDREN FROM LOCKING THEMSELVES IN A ROOM
Just tape over the lock with a little painters tape and you don’t have to worry that your child will accidentally lock themselves in a room. A simple hack for a potentially scary situation.
(themaven)
27. GIVE YOUR CHILD A BANANA BEFORE BED TO HELP THEM SLEEP
I always knew bananas were magical. Having trouble getting your little one to sleep? Try giving them a banana before bed and see if they doze off any quicker.
28. MINI MARSHMELLOW OUCHIE PADS
This is so smart! Like, hello clever. Just put some marshmallows in a ziplock bag and throw them in the freezer. Next time your little one gets hurt they will have a soft, pliable ice pack to use!
(themaven)
29. WASH PLASTIC TOYS AND FLIP FLOPS IN THE DISHWASHER
Apparently, it’s okay to wash toys and flip-flops in the dishwasher and now I can’t wait to try. The dishwasher can clean and sanitize all your child’s toys at once. No more cleaning each individual toy one by one!
30. USE AN EMPTY INFLATABLE POOL AS A PLAY AREA
If you have a crazy toddler and you’re always worrying about them getting hurt than you know how incredible this is! Just get a large inflatable pool and let your kids get wild inside. If they trip or fall they have a squishy wall to fall into.
31. TAKE THE PACK N PLAY OUTSIDE AND COVER IT WITH A FITTED SHEET
Use this pure genius mom hack to save your baby from bugs and too much sun exposure. Simply place a fitted sheet over a pack n play and you’re good to go.
32. USE AN EGG SLICER TO CUT YOUR BABY’S FOOD
If you have a baby who is currently being introduced to solids this is such a time saver. You can use an egg slicer to quickly make sure all your baby’s food is chopped into small enough pieces.
(popsugar)
33. TURN ANY CUP INTO A SIPPY CUP
Genius invention alert! Use these stretchy sippy cup tops to turn any glass into a toddler-friendly one.
(Amazon)
34. USE OLD WIPE CONTAINER TOPS TO CREATE A PEEK-A-BOO SENSORY BOARD
How cute is this?! You can save the flip tops from old wipe packs and use them to create a peek-a-boo sensory board for your baby or toddler.
(motherhoodandotheradventures)
35. CREATE A MOTHERS MILK POPSICLE
Well, this is crafty! Make the perfect teething remedy by just placing pacifiers into ice cube trays filled with breastmilk. Then, when your baby is dealing with some sore gums just pop one of these paci-cles into their mouth.
36. USE THIS PACIFIER TO EASILY GIVE YOUR BABY MEDICINE
I could’ve made so much money inventing this product! My mom actually passed this tip onto me: The best way to give a baby liquid medicine is to quickly squirt the medicine into your baby’s mouth with a syringe and then immediately shove a pacifier into their mouth. Well, now you can buy a pacifier that helps you do just that, only easier!
(Amazon)
Do you know any pure genius mom hacks I should know about?! Please share all your favorite mom hacks in the comments below!
Mind. Blown. I wish I knew these before (my youngest is 14) but many of them can be used as hacks when you have a rambunctious 1-year-old cat, I imagine. Makes me wonder, too, if you could turn other Pinterest boards into awesome posts like this.
If toddler one piece jammies are too floppy at the feet and they are tripping over the footies, I put elastic hair ties around their ankles to hold them up.
I also keep reusable wet/dry cloth bags in diaper bags for dirty clothes or diapers.
If your child fights being buckled in the stroller or car seat, tickle them when they arch their back!
Thanks for the article. I always have a doggie poo bag with me, keeps messy diapers, buggers e.t.c easy to store meanwhile you find a trash can. I have them in my car and my baby bag.
For potty training kids, put a waterproof mattress cover on your couch to protect the cushions.