We could all use some mom hacks, whether we are new moms, or our kids are in their teens! Being a mom is hard and the steep learning curve can be completely overwhelming! We need to learn from the experience of other mothers to help us all save time & energy. Here, I am sharing my 27 best mom hacks that I have learned over the the past 5 years.
This post is all about the best Mom hacks
Mom Hack #1: Online Grocery Ordering
I go to Stop & Shop usually and I have the Stop & Shop app and love to order my groceries on there. The great thing is that as I notice something is missing, instead of having to write it on a list and bring or check the list at the store, I can put it in my cart right then and there. I can literally be looking in our fridge and pantry to make sure we don’t already have something as I plan out meals for the week.
Then I schedule a time to pick them up and swing by when I am already planning to be in the car. It saves me time by making it very easy to re-order items from past purchases. But it also saves me money since it actually cuts down on my impulse buying and I can also find coupons right there in the app. If you have a sleeping baby in the car or cranky toddlers it is a life-saver to be able to just pull up and get your groceries instead of unbuckling the car seat and dealing with crying while you go up and down the aisles looking for everything on your list.
Mom Hack #2: When you don’t do delivery, involve your kids!
Let’s face it, if we do get our groceries delivered, we don’t do it ALL the time! There are still times when I only need a few items and I have the time on the weekend. My 5 year old has really loved to help me make the grocery list! She will draw a little checkbox and spell out the item (as best as she can) and then draw a picture next to it. Then I attach her list to a clipboard and we bring a crayon and it is like a scavenger hunt at the store to find all the items. I even have her read the signs above the aisles to help us decide whether we need to go down that aisle or not. This makes it a fun game and also a chance for her to practice reading and writing
Mom Hack #3: Amazon Subscribe & Save
We didn’t really use this that much until we had our first baby. Especially in those first 6 months it was suuuuper helpful to have essentials just arrive at our door and she didn’t even have to think twice about it. We never ran out of diaper cream, wipes, gas drops, you name it! Not only is it convenient, but you can save up to 15% if you have enough items on the same delivery. We are thankfully out of the diaper phase now, but we still use this for ziplock bags, Shampoo and conditioner, detangling spray and toothpaste for the girls, toilet paper and paper towels, shelf-stable soy milk. It’s a life-saver!!!
Mom Hack #4: Robot Vacuum
This is definitely an investment, but it is worth it!!! When you have kids, things end up all over the floor and we also have a dog so there is dog hair all over our wood floors. We used to have a Roomba, but we upgraded to a roborock. This not only vacuums, but it mops too!
It is controlled on an app which scans the layout of your house the first time you use it. This allows you to set schedules, select / deselect rooms to be vacuumed, mopped or both. It forces me to clear the floor of toys every night so that the vacuum can run while we sleep. It feels so great to have freshly mopped and cleaned floors when you come to the kitchen in the morning! It is also perfect to run as we are all heading out the door to go somewhere.
Mom Hack #5: Use insulated coffee cup instead of a mug
Using an insulated mug with a lid not only helps to prevent spills since you will have only one hand most of the time but also helps to keep the coffee warm. When you are running around all day you often have to put your coffee down and will need to reheat it several times a day before you can finally finish it. Bonus, You can also fill it will hot water and use it to warm a baby bottle in a pinch!
Mom Hack #6: Keep diapers and wipes on every floor
I live in a 2 story house with a basement and an attic so technically there are 4 floors! Trust me, you will want to have a diaper caddy on every floor that you spend time with your baby with everything you need in there (wipes, diapers, diaper cream). I also use some of the pee pads for puppies and have a few of those in there to use as a diaper changing surface
Mom Hack #7: Take an item to put away every time you leave a room.
A new thing I have been trying to do in order to help keep clutter to a minimum is to look every time I leave a room for anything hat doesn’t belong there and take it with me. For instance: if i am in the bedroom and I am headed downstairs and I see a mug or a glass I grab it since I am going down there anyway and bring it down to the kitchen to get washed later. Or if I am in the living room and I am about to head upstairs and I see a toy I will grab it and bring it upstairs with me to drop it off in my kid’s room.
Mom Hack #8: Distraction is your best friend
I can’t tell you how many times I was able to cut a meltdown short or avoid it altogether with this secret weapon! Especially when you have an infant, it is almost like they can’t be upset and interested at the same time. I have had a SCREAMING baby top dead when I showed them a wooden spoon or a silicon basting brush! Seriously! But it only works in that case if it is an object that isn’t meant as a toy that they have never seen before, seriously…it is like absolute MAGIC!
For toddlers, sadly, the wooden spoon or basting brush don’t work anymore. Once your child gains more awarenss they are not as easily distracted. Also, their feelings and emotions get more complicated and they can be both excited, sad and interested all at once. However, I have had the verge of a meltdown come to a screetching halt by yet again using distraction. My daughter started crying saying that she hurt her lip and when I said “Oh, I guess you are too hurt for those treats we were going to have” and the crying stopped right away, remembering that we were just about to get some treats and she just said “TREATS!?!?”. I then said “I think your mouth is just fine…don’t you feel silly for making a big deal and crying???” to which she responded “yeah…”
I want to not only prevent and correct behavior, but bring awareness to it and reflection on it. “What will you do next time this happens? Will you freak out and scream?” Always try to make EVERYTHING a lesson in some way.
Mom Hack #9: Pacifier clips
Our kids were both sooo attached to their pacifiers and it was a game-changer to have clips to prevent them from falling between car seats, behind the crib, in the dirt or the street etc.
When you are ready to wean you child off a pacifier, check this post out!
WEAN TODDLER FROM PACIFIER IN 8 STEPS
Mom Hack #10: Layering sheets and mattress protector
This is helpful if you child is still wetting the bed. My little one went through a phase where she wet the bed almost every night for a week! I met a mom at yoga class that told me about this trick! On your crib mattress you layer 1 sheet, then a waterproof mattress protector and then another sheet. That way, if your baby has an accident in the middle of the night, all you need to do is just take off the top 2 layers and throw them in the laundry and you have clean sheets ready to go underneath! GENIUS!
Mom Hack #11: Prioritize self-care for you!
I know, easier said than done! But, it is so important to make time for yourself to recharge and reset and not to feel guilty about it! Take a leisurely bubble bath, go to a workout class or brunch with a friend, meditate or journal. Whatever you need to do to avoid getting burned out and remain on top of thing and keep your composure when your kids become frustrating or difficult to handle.
Mom Hack #12: Toy Rotation
Toys will pile up so fast!!! All of the family members are trying to outdo one another or engraciate themselves with your kids and the toys are all the rage for a while and then are quickly forgotten. What I do, is ever time we have a holiday or birthday coming up when I know some new toys are coming, I have my kids go through all of their toys with me and if they tell me they want to keep a toy I will keep it, but anything thet say they can get rid of, I do! It may only be like 10% of their toys, but it helps for sure!
After that initial weeding through the toys, I will take toys that they don’t use very often (even if they said they LOVE them) and I will move then to another room or even in a box in a closet. Then, when I go through this exercise again in a few months they will either show renewed interest in those toys (getting so excited almost like they just got a new toy!) or they will finally say that they don’t need it and we can get rid of it. This helps to declutter and also to give some forgotten toys an extended life.
Mom Hack #13: Narrate what you are doing to your baby
This is great when you have an infant that doesn’t talk yet. This way, they can hear you speak more (which helps to expose them to more language and they pickup on speech earlier studies have shown) but this also helps them to understand what is next. Like whenever I made my coffee in the morning, my baby was there with me listening as I narrated and eventually she started listing out the steps for me and wanted to help me make the coffee. It just really helps to encourage more interactiona nd communication between you and your baby.
Mom Hack #14: Freezer meals
This is something I REALLY got into as I was nesting before my first baby. I went NUTS making freezer meals for postpartum. But this is something that has stuck with me that I still like to do too this day!
Especially casseroles are great (something where you can just take it out the freezer and pop in the oven) or slow cooker meals where everything is already chopped and measured out and you just need to thaw the night before and pop in the slow cooker. These especially come in handy on nights where I won’t get home int ime from work to make dinner for everyone, I can tell my husband when to put the food in the oven or crockpot and what to set it to and then dinner is ready for all of us when I walk in th door.
If you don’t have time to make a bunch of meals that your family won’t be eating right then, just double a meal that you are already making and have one to eat that night and another to freeze for later. So simple!!!
Mom Hack #15: Pack activities for restaurants and errands
Our diaper bag always has crayons and coloring books in them. This way there is always something to keep the kids occupied at restaurants or if we are waiting forever at the doctor or the bank, etc. Ipads are great for this as well, but we try to wait and only bring those out in completely dire situations and start with coloring first!
Mom Hack #16: Always have bandaids!!!
I always have bandaids in my purse, diaper bag, car, anywhere! Most of the time just putting a bandaid on a minor boo-boo stops the tears. My girls love these bandaids that come in cool colors and patterns. They also come in a cute little tin that I just keep re-filling. Moms and teachers ask me where I get there all of the time!
Mom Hack #17: Get the kids to help clean
I give my toddlers a Mr. Clean magic eraser and they just love running around and erasing all of the smudges, crayon, food etc.that gets on the walls, cabinets and furniture. No cleaning spray or chemicals, just wet it, squeeze the excess water out and let them go nuts!
Mom Hack #18: Prepare everything the night before
Mornings are hectic and it is tough to get everyone out the door on time! Preparing as much as possible the night before is really the key. I have the daughter’s bookbags, shoes, socks and hats al laid out in the mudroom the night before so I am not running around searching for things and running late. I also keep the girls’ shoes in different bins so I can quickly find the right shoes for the right kid. Their shoes are only 1 size different from one another, and my mother-in-law buys many matching pairs or them so it isn’t that easy to quickly look at the shoe and know who it belongs to
Mom Hack #19: Laundry sorting made easy
I put 1 dot with a permanent marker at the back neck label on my oldest daughter’s clothes. Once she is too big for them, I add a 2nd dot to signify that it belongs to my second child. If you have more than 2 kids you can continue to do this for any other subsequent children
Mom Hack #20: Black-out curtains for the nursery
It is SOOO important to have blackout curtains. Especially for naps and any time your baby is sleeping when there is still some daylight. Having blackout curtains helps to get and keep your kid on a nap and sleep schedule. Seriously! This is a MUST!
Mom Hack #21: Velcro & Zip Swaddles
My kids were little escape artists and were always wiggling their way out of their swaddle. Also, I never really got the hang of swaddling, my husband was always better at it than I was. I would do my best at a regular swaddle and then just put a velcro or a zippered swaddle on over it. They never escaped again!
Mom Hack #22: Fun little bedtime rituals
Bedtime is probably one of my favorite times with my kids! 99% of the time I am the one putting them to bed and they love it because of these little rituals that we do.
– Giving them dreams:
My kids will tell me where they want to go in their dreams. I will rub my hands together and use “magic”(or miming with my hands) to change our surroundings, pack an imaginary bag for them with any snacks or other items they will need in their dream adventure, and, change their clothes. They have gotten prepped to go to the beach in their dreams, to outer space, a land made of candy, Under the Sea. I tell them I will see them in their dreams and the next morning we chat about what happened in the dream when we got to hang out together.
– Night Fairy:
My girls most recently are into fairies and I created the “Night Fairy” who comes into their bedroom at night and sprinkles their eyes and noses with fairy dust that makes them fall asleep and mkes it so they only have good dreams. In the morning I ask them what dream the night fairy gave them and we talk about it over breakfast.
Mom Hack #23: Picky eaters
Kids love to know “WHY” for absolutely EVERYTHING!!! My oldest was very picky about food and it was very difficult to get her to taste food. But I started to explain that different foods have different powers that they can give you (kind of like Daddy’s video games!) Some of them can help your eyes, heart, bones, skin, etc. She has always been very fascinated with the human body and how it works. I have found that if I pull up the nutritional info on certain foods she will give it a try. If she sees the potential benefit, she then decides that the benefit outweighs the risk. A very logical and analytical approach for a year old, but it works for us!
Mom Hack #24: iPad as a TV in the car for longer drives
We will download the kid’s favorite movies or TV show episodes on our streaming apps to have to play in the car. But, the best thing is this mount that you can out behind the headrest of the driver’s seat. It has an arm so you can pull it out so everyone in the back seat gets a good view. This one is great because you can put your ipad or phone in this mount.
Mom Hack #25: Visual timer for kids
Giving children a concept of time is tough. This makes it difficult to spend a reasonable amount of time eating, quickly getting out the door, understanding how much iPad or TV time they have left. A visual timer like this has helped us to stay on schedule and also I have had fewer meltdowns when it is time to turn the TV or the iPad off or time to get out of the bath.
Mom Hack #26: Silicone bibs with pocket
Silicone bibs are where it is AT! Don’t have to add to your already overflowing pile of laundry. You can literally just toss in the dishwasher or just wipe down. Not only that, with the pocket in the front helps to catch any food that falls so it doesn’t go in their lap, making even LESS laundry to do.
Mom Hack #27: Learn to do a lot of things with one hand
This one may sound weird, but especially in the beginning you pretty much are always holding a baby in one hand so you only have one left to do things you need to around the house. Make sure to have foods that you can eat with one hand, especially in the first few months.
I hope that these hacks are helpful for you. Obviously every child and every family is different, so do what works best for you and yours.
Please comment and let me know any of your favorite hacks!!