My Parenting Hacks – Share Yours and Win

11th November 2015 By Susan Mann 71 Comments

Parenting hacks or tips is something I never thought about until I had children. Before I had children, and especially when trying to conceive and then being pregnant, I read every book I could on the subject. There were no real hacks in there. Once baby arrived, pretty much the majority of what I read went out of the window after the first 6 weeks of no sleep and desperation of trying to settle a baby that just didn’t want to sleep.

Once the haze of night time feeds and nappy changes passes, you try to get back to a bit of normality. And in doing so I picked up a few tidbits of information along the way. A hack or tip is just that, a way that helps makes parenting that little bit easier, simpler or saves you that little bit of time.

The inspiration behind my parenting hacks.

My parenting hacks are:-

1. Keep those plastic Halloween trick or treat buckets. They make excellent sick buckets and are washable.

2. Menthol in the form of Vicks or similar on a baby or child’s feet with socks over them will help ease colds and coughs. Strange, but it works.

3. Monster spray or a magic stone when the child is older helps keep nightmares and monsters at bay. Monster spray I made was in one of those plant style spray bottle and added some lavendar oil and a sprinkle of glitter.

4. Have a key rack in the hall way and have it high up. Handy for storing keys and keeping them from being put down the toilet.

5. Keep a canvas bag where you store the kids jackets that they can put their hats, scarfs and gloves in. That way you aren’t hunting for them before the school run.

Competition:-

Sudocrem are looking to find out your best parenting hack. The three best ones on my blog will win a fab Sudocrem goody bag below. And if your parenting hack makes it through to being one of the 3 the best in the UK, then you’ll also be in with a chance to win £100 voucher. Simple!

You have read my hacks above; here are Sudocrem’s hacks to help inspire one of your own:-

Put a hook at the back of a high chair to bold the bibs.

Reuse a pool noodle and make it a door stopper and stop little hands getting trapped in doors.

Use a fairy cake cup to prevent the melting ice-cream from getting your kids hands dirty whilst eating an ice lolly.

Enter in the Rafflecopter entry below. I am looking forward to reading your hacks and the top three will win a Sudocrem goody bag containing:-

1 Red/Pink/Blue Sudocrem hat (Colour chosen at random)
1 Sudocrem T-Shirt
1 Sudocrem Care & Protect
1 Tube of Sudocrem Skin Care Cream
1 Sudocrem Pen
1 Sudocrem car bumper slogan
1 pair of Sudocrem sunglasses

Good luck and I can’t wait to read your entry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ThePrizeFinder

Disclaimer:- This post is done in association with Sudocrem. I am looking forward to reading your hacks

Mummy Tries
Brilliant! I love a good parenting hack 🙂 will defo be giving monster spray a try xx
kim plant
as its nearly xmas keep the magic alive by taking the kids out to watch the space station fly overhead but tell them its santa x
Karl Borowy
free kids events over xmas locally
melanie stirling
Leave a sprinking of fairy dust from the tooth fairy or at the bottom of the chimney from santa.
HonestMum
Fab competition, how cute are the kids-literally make me smile every time I see them together, too cute. Love your hacks too, will try that monster spray x
Agent Spitback
Aw, your inspirations are so cute! My hack would be a zip lock bag – handy for vomitus, pee (for boys) and storing soiled clothes…Monster Spray-love that one, will try the next bad night kiddo has.
crazyvicky
use a wash bag or a pillow cas with a hair tie on to wash baby socks so they dont end up getting stuck in the pipes.
use a washable table cloth under the high chair to save the floor from spills!
- Susan Mann
  Congratulations you won, I’ve sent you an email x
  - crazyvicky
    Oh fantastic, I will check my emails now
Samantha Ripley
Use a little mesh bag you get with washing tabs to put sock and scratch mitts in so they don’t get lost in the wash
judy2357
To wean children off a dummie, cut a tiny hole in the top of it. You will find this is better than taking the dummie away and causing stress. The kiddies dont like the hole so will soon throw away the dummie theirselves.
- Susan Mann
  Congratulations, you won. I’ve sent you an email x
  - judy2357
    Many thanks I have sent you an email with my details.
Nichole @Budget Loving Militar
Use hot glue gun to create traction on slippery shoes by creating lines of glue on the bottom of the shoe.
Kay Panayi
Bid strange but I buy my tall 10 year old size 6 ladies tights as there cheaper and always better quality
missingsleep
Pool noodles can also be added to a trampoline to make the springs round the sides safer for little hands! x
Natalie Crossan
Pick your battles and don’t sweat the small stuff xx
suey1969
I don’t have any children but would love to win this prize to donate to
charity, to go to Romania.
Phyllis Ellett
Bite your lip, HARD, count to 10 and then go back to the battle, It is no good loosing your temper because the lil’ones do not know what temper is, its just another feeling they are learning.
Laura Pritchard
Make household chores into a game so they’ll want to be a part of it
Erica Price
Separate bags for different activities (e.g. swimming) – put the stuff back in the bag once it’s cleaned so it’s always ready to go.
Elaine Dale
always be organised well in advance of any activities
laura stewart
plan ahead 🙂
Gillian Mills
Stay calm and enjoy 🙂
Andrea
Be prepared for anything.
Rachel Bustin
stay calm and organised xx
Jessica Powell (Babi a Fi)
The best one I ever heard was tell them the ice cream van music meant they had none left, they just want to soften the disappointment… Hehe.
jamie banks
enjoy every minute x
sarah diane rees
organise and enjoy
Viv C
always have a ball in your bag
- Susan Mann
  Congratulations, you won. I’ve sent you an email x
maci234
yes enjoy it as they soon grow up
Rachel Craig
Plan ahead, aim to be prepared. Remain calm, enjoy the good moments as time passes so quickly.
Lisa Pond
That the red LED light on the alarms and tv means that Santa is watching 🙂
Mandy S
Have a packet of wet-wipes in every room of the house!!
Hayley Colburn
Don’t make threats you wont follow through, show them weakness and you’ve had it lol
Charmian Filewood
Dont take everything so seriously, enjoy the time you have when they are young
Caroline Buckley
Always have plenty of baby wipes. They can be used for anything and everything!
Karen Laing
Never let babies and young children sleep in your bed.I’ve friends who still have to battle to get their children to sleep in their beds as they always want mum and dads bed.I know one child who’s now six who cries every night if she can’t sleep with them,it’s a very hard habit to break x
Mummy Fever
When you have lots of children it can be hard to get anything done. When children understand that if they help around the house you can have more time to spend together as a family that can be really useful. I make jobs/chores into games so everyone has fun and we get the job done. No child is too small, babies can join in by being in a baby carrier and even toddlers can sort out washing, drying etc and enjoy cleaning. It is also a great learning opportunity, so for example “how many blue socks are there etc?” the children like to work in teams and have races and will often say “are there any jobs to do today mummy?”
Christine Reid
Put blue tac on the bottom of you fav vases etc, helps it stay on the shelf when little ones are about.
Karen Howden
If you ask them to do something follow it through
Sioni Barnes
Simple…..always have baby wipes to hand
Gemma Nisbet
Get rid of dummys by burying them on Christmas Eve for Santa to collect and exchange for presents.
Rebecca Howells
Cutting up veggies really small / blending them and hiding them in the food – e.g. spag bol, casseroles (@PeanutHog)
Charmaine
Baby vests have poppers on the shoulders so when baby does a messy poo you can remove the vest by rolling it down to the legs rather than over their head!
msgchristiansen
A tired child is a grumpy child. Make sure they have regular naps 🙂
Holly
With your kiddies make your own Christmas Dec’s by cutting up strips of coloured, sparkly or Christmas wrapping paper and sticking them together in rings (sellotape or glue stick does the job) into chains to hang up around the house. Not only does it give them a sense of pride when their handiwork is hung up but it keeps them amused for an hour or so! Also money saving 😉 xx
Claire Thomson Little
I don’t have any but love the monster spray idea although will be adapted for zombies and foxes.
Jill Fairbank
If you say your going to do something then do it and don’t give in
Rachel Clennell
Have a ‘summer box’ in the boot of your car. Only needs to be small with emergency sun cream, towel, bucket and spade and a change of clothes. Then you can have spur of the moment trips to beaches, glens and water splash parks when you are out and about. Swap for a winter box later on, spare gloves etc.
Ruth Harwood
always follow up on promises and threats – good behaviour should be rewarded and bad behaviour punished, and do things your way, don’t let someone else tell you you’re doing it wrong!
Jessica Cook
always take pictures, memories are priceless and so are the photos of childhood
Vickie Jackson
Stop kids from locking themselves in the bathroom by using a rubber band over the handles 🙂
Caroline Cordery
Have an electric cargo bike instead of a car and be able to drive your kids and all your stuff directly onto the beach or park.
Allan Fullarton
Ask them to put things away and for them to do it.
Teresa Sheldon
Enjoy every moment you can with them as today is tomorrow’s memories and they grow up so quick you don’t want to miss any of it good or bad
Liz Ferguson
chewing gum can be frozen off clothes by freezing it in the freezer xx
FionaJK42
When getting your kids to tidy up, have a rule that any toys left out of place (on the floor, stuffed in cupboards, etc.) go into a charity bag. Kids can “earn” the toy back by good behaviour or by doing an additional chore. Otherwise send the toy(s) in the bag to charity at the end of the month. I found you only have to carry out this threat once, then it keeps on working!
PamGregory
Be consistent!
David Crabb
Our best parenting hack is to ALWAYS find some quality time for the family no matter how busy the day has been!
Tamsin Jane Dean
try to smile and laugh even when things are difficult, cause you will look back at the issues you face know through different eyes
Nikki Hunter-Pike
to stop my 2 year old chucking her food on the floor when shes finished we’ve introduced the finish pot, so now she puts the food in the pot instead!
Maria P
plan ahead and smile it you have to reschedule
Julie
Use reward charts every day, I was sceptical at first but have found the mere reminder of it can stop a tantrum dead in it’s tracks!
Jacqui Rushton
Constant supply of baby wipes!
Victoria Prince
Use a cheap paddling pool as a “playpen” to contain young children’s toys (and young children :D)
darren collins
Make sure you always have baby wipes around
juliebooth
baby wipes are not just great for the obvious but I keep a box at work as they are brilliant at removing those stains from the morning- baby sick on shoulder of work suit, porridge on lapel etc!
Monika Suchonska
You can clean all house using only baby wipes 🙂
Susan Mann
The winners were:- 1) use a wash bag or a pillow cas with a hair tie on to wash baby socks so they dont end up getting stuck in the pipes.
2) To wean children off a dummie, cut a tiny hole in the top of it. You will find this is better than taking the dummie away and causing stress. The kiddies dont like the hole so will soon throw away the dummie theirselves.
3) always have a ball in your bag
Congratulations to the winners and good luck in the grand prize x