Simple Parenting “Hacks” for Younger Children

Parenting young children isn’t always easy, so it can be helpful to know a few hacks to make those less-than-ideal parenting moments a bit easier.

Stubborn Stains Disappear in the Sun

It is pretty much inevitable that a baby will soil their outfit at least a few times while they are in diapers. Unfortunately, they can be incredibly tough to get out. To effectively get rid of stains, it is necessary to bleach them out. A great way to do this is to place the stained item in the sun for a few hours after it has been pre-washed. It works best on white and soft colors since it may fade bright-colored clothing.

Kids Will Eat Fun Vegetables

Introducing vegetables cut in fun shapes or crinkle-cut to toddlers will make it easier and more enticing to eat them. It’s easy to turn any veggie into “crinkle-cut” snacks with a potato cutter and only takes a couple of minutes and may get a picky eater to try new food.

Boredom-Busters

Kids get bored quickly because their minds always seem to need stimulation. Sensory boxes are a great teaching tool and can also provide hours of fun through sensory exploration. A sensory box can be as simple as a box filled with tweezers and pom-poms that need to be sorted by color or may include different shapes that need to be matched to the appropriate patterns on a set of cards.

It’s a good idea to have a few on hand for “quiet” times or a fun activity when mom needs a few minutes to complete a task without interruptions. Some moms even have one for every day of the week and pull them out at a certain time of the day for sensory playtime.

They require a little prep initially, but once a few are stockpiled up, they can be rotated to keep them “new” and interesting to a curious toddler.

Busy boards are very similar but usually involve a few buckles, knobs, and other materials that encourage a toddler to use hand-eye coordination to explore the board. They can be small and compact for taking along in the car or trip to the store. Others may be very large and can even be mounted to the wall.