# 15 Amazing Parenting Hacks You Never Thought Of - Link: https://stayathomemum.com.au/family/parenting/15-amazing-parenting-hacks-you-never-thought-of/ - Published: 2022-08-19T11:00:00+10:00 - Author: Clare Whitfield Raising kids can be a lot of work. But it’s also a lot of fun! Luckily, there are some simple hacks that can make parenting a little bit easier. Check out these 15 amazing parenting hacks that you never thought of! Who knows, you may just find the perfect solution to your parenting woes! ## _Parenting is hard, but are there ways to make the process just a little bit easier? We certainly think so!_ In fact, we think that hacks, like the 15 that we’ve assembled right here, might be just what you need to make the experience of parenting flow a bit easier. Sure, it might not solve the big problems, but it will certainly clear away some of the little ones. --- ## **Recommended Posts** * [5 Totally Awesome Alexa Parenting Hacks](https://stayathomemum.com.au/my-kids/awesome-alexa-parenting-hacks/) * [15 People Talk About the Worst Parenting Techniques They Know](https://stayathomemum.com.au/my-kids/behaviour/15-people-talk-about-the-worst-parenting-techniques-they-know/) * [10 Crazy Tumblr Posts That Prove Parenting Is Not For Everyone](https://stayathomemum.com.au/my-kids/12-parenting-fails/) * [7 Simple Tips For Parenting Adult Children](https://stayathomemum.com.au/my-kids/simple-tips-for-parenting-adult-children/) * [9 Single Parenting Tips To Remain In Control](https://stayathomemum.com.au/my-lifestyle/single-mum/single-parenting-tips-to-remain-in-control/) --- As any parent knows, raising children can be a challenge. From the never-ending laundry to the never-ending stream of questions, it’s easy to feel like you’re in over your head. However, there are plenty of ways to make parenting a little bit easier. For example, did you know that you can use a pool noodle to prevent your child from climbing out of their crib? Or that you can put a pair of socks over your shoes to prevent your child from tracking mud into the house? These are just a few of the many helpful parenting hacks that can make life a little bit easier. So if you’re looking for ways to simplify your life as a parent, be sure to check out some of these great tips. ## **1. Bathroom Locks** Keep kids from locking themselves in the bathroom, and creating a crazy amount of panic on both sides, by twisting a large rubber band over both the door knobs. This [five-second trick](https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/50-top-parenting-tricks-and-hacks-that-will-make-life-easier-and-more-fun.html?ref=fbp&n=5) means that the door won’t even fully close, which will stop little kids from being able to trap themselves. Plus you can take it off whenever you want! --- ## **2. Simple Cup Solution** Kids need to drink lots of fluids throughout the day, but there’s nothing more frustrating as a parent than having to pick up cups from all over the house, or have your sink fill up with cups, that your child continue to use. Solve this problem by buying each child a cup of their own and glueing some magnets onto it. Then just stick it to the fridge! --- ## **3. No more shoe problem!** Kids have trouble getting their shoes on the right feet? One solution is to take a sticker, preferably a rectangle or circular one, cut it in half and then stick it to the bottom of your child’s shoes. That way, your child can look in the bottom of the shoe, and see which foot needs to go where. --- ## **4. Trampoline Safety** Worried about your kids getting their little fingers trapped between the trampoline springs? Take a few pool noodles and cut them to the size of your trampoline springs, then either slice them down one side to fit them on, or put them on when you’re assembling the trampoline. This will allow kids to use the trampoline, but pinch- free. --- ## **5. Stainless tipples** If you have problems with stains, pop open the vodka right now. But don’t take a sip just yet, because as it turns out vodka is a great stain remover for almost anything that’s covered in fabric. Just put some vodka on a white towel, dab it onto the stain and, like magic, the stain will clear up. Just make sure you wash it after, so your kid’s soccer uniform doesn’t smell like the floor of a pub. --- ## **6. Pencil pushers** Learning how to write and hold a pen properly can be a real challenge for kids, but there’s something you might not have thought of. When your child is holding their pencil correctly, pop some tissue behind their last two fingers. Any tissue will do, just make sure that they’re holding the tissue with their last two fingers on their writing hand. This will stop them from slipping out of the proper handwriting form. --- ## **7. Soap limits** Kids getting soap everywhere with the push pump dispensers? We’ve been there! Did you know you can limit the amount of soap that comes out of the dispenser by twisting a rubber band around the pump? It only takes a few minutes but it means that small- sized hands won’t use up all your liquid soap. --- ## **8. Splinters away!** Hate holding your struggling child while you dig a painful splinter from their foot or hand? Try this instead: Put a paste made from baking soda and a small amount of water onto the splinter and leave it for a few minutes. The baking soda will push out the splinter, meaning no painful digging with the tweezers. --- ## **9. Crayon stains no more!** Got crayons messing up your wall? Turns out that WD-40 can take crayon stains out of anything from walls to carpets, and even clothes. Just spray a small amount onto the wall, and then rub the crayon away. If you’re spraying WD-40 into clothing, make sure you add some liquid detergent along with it to remove the WD-40 as well as the crayon. --- ## **10. Permanent marker on wood** If your child has upgraded from crayons to permanent markers and drawn all over your nice wooden furniture, don’t despair. You can use toothpaste to get rid of the marker. Make sure that it’s not gel toothpaste, and then just apply the toothpaste straight on the mark and rub with a damp cloth. You can even use this on your wooden floors! --- ## **11. Cleaning dummies** Have a little one who still loves their pacifier, but you can’t seem to keep them clean in your handbag? Grab a few portable sauce containers, or wash some from your last take-away, and keep the pacifiers in that. You can use a small amount of sticky tape to keep the lids on, and this guarantees you won’t need to find somewhere to rinse the pacifier when they want it. --- ## **12. Short taps** If your kids are still little and your house happens to have taps that don’t stick out very far, try this: Take an old plastic bottle, like a shampoo bottle or similar, and [cut it to fit](https://au.pinterest.com/pin/571042427721500180/) on the end of your current tap. A long bottle can easily extend the tap 10-15cm, making it much easier to reach for smaller hands. Not only does this make your kids more independent, but it means you don’t have to lift them up to reach the taps, freeing up your time. --- ## **13. Mallow Out** When kids have a sore throat, there’s nothing worse than trying to wrestle cough syrup and cold and flu liquids down their throat. Well now, you have something else up your sleeve because it turns out the marshmallows can help ease a sore throat. You can use them in conjunction with cough syrup, but kids will think they’re a reward not another treatment! --- ## **14. Make cleaning a game.** It’s funny how easy it is to make cleaning into a game for kids. For sweeping, we’d recommend getting a child-size broom (you can buy mini ones in lots of places) and then making a square on the ground out of painter’s tape or even washi tape. The aim of the game? Get all the dirt in the square! Now sit back and watch your minions work! --- ## **15. VapoRub Toes** You’d think this might be wrong, but putting [Vicks VapoRub](http://tiffkeetch.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/cough-remedy.html) on your child’s feet is just as effective as slathering it on their chest with them fighting all the way. We know that the soles of the feet can absorb oils (if you rub garlic on your feet, you’ll taste it 15-20 mins later), but doctors still aren’t sure why this works so well. Anyway, if your little one has a cough, give the bottoms of their feet a good rub with Vicks, pop some socks on, and let them go to sleep. --- ## **More parenting hacks for you!** As any parent knows, raising children can be a challenge. There are always new things to learn and new curves to navigate. However, there are also a few tried-and-true methods that can make parenting a little bit easier. Here are three amazing parenting hacks that you may not have thought of. **First,** try using a slow cooker to make meals ahead of time. This is especially useful on busy nights when you don’t have time to cook. Simply throw all of the ingredients into the pot in the morning, and let it simmer all day. When it’s time for dinner, you’ll have a hot, nutritious meal with very little effort. **Second,** take advantage of technology to help you stay organized. There are a number of apps and websites that can help you keep track of your child’s schedule, as well as your own. This can be a lifesaver on days when you have to juggle multiple activities. **Finally**, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s hiring a babysitter for date night or calling in reinforcements for a playdate, there’s no shame in admitting that you need a break sometimes. Parenting is hard work, but it’s also one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have. So go ahead and ask for help when you need it you’ll be glad you did. ## _What other parenting hacks do you know? Share it with us!_ ![author avatar](https://i0.wp.com/stayathomemum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/ 12/clare_whitfield_profile.webp?quality=80&ssl=1) Clare Whitfield Chief Editor Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work. [See Full Bio](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/clare_whitfield/) [ ](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/clare_whitfield/)