Parenting Hacks For Dads To Make Their Lives Easier
Single dads, dads who work full time, stay-at-home dads, new dads, it doesn't matter what kind of parent you are, who doesn't want to make their life with children a little easier?
You never know what your kid is going to throw at you, both metaphorically and literally, so you have to be ready for anything, but it's hard to be ready for things that you don't know are coming. That's the problem. Luckily, there's a world full of dads who are willing to share their wisdom with you.
Speed Up The Process
So you've got a child who's at the age where they're insisting they can put their shoes on themselves, but it takes twice as long when they do it because they never get it on the right foot (literally.) Place little stickers inside so they know which foot goes in which shoe.
Fixing A Sticky Situation
Do you think whoever invented popsicles was trying to make the world's messiest treat, or was that just an added bonus? Take a spare coffee cup lid or filter, or really anything that will catch the drips, and pop it onto the stick. You will - hopefully - end up with less popsicle on your kid's hands at the end.
It's For More Than Just Pizza
Pizza cutters don't need to be used just for pizza. You can use them to quickly cut up things like pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, chicken fingers - the choices are endless.
Barriers Are Your Friend In The Car
Your kids can't fight with each other in the car if they can't see each other, right? Even if you've got a short drive to the grocery store, it can feel long with screaming children in the backseat, so find something to stick in between them so they won't be able to start a fight.
Sit Back And Relax While They're On The Swing
For the ultimate summer day lazy dad hack, attach a long string to your child's swing so you can sit back and put your feet up while still being able to push your kid on the swing!
Here's How To Stop Your Kid's From Locking You Out
If your little kids have a habit of locking the bathroom door whenever they go — whether it's on purpose or by accident — but you still want to give them their independence, you can pop an elastic band over the door so they can still close it but you can help them if they need it.
Making Meal Times Less Messy
Since your son is the messiest eater ever, a simple bib doesn't always do the job when it comes to keeping his clothes clean. Take it up a notch by using a second onesie to cover his front, as well as the front of the chair to make clean up easier for everyone.
Making Bath Time Better
Keep their toys from floating away from them and keep them sitting up easily by placing a plastic laundry bin inside the tub during bath time. They have something to lean on or grab onto that isn't as slippery as the side of the tub, and they stay entertained while you try your best not to get soap in their eyes.
Color Coding Comes In Clutch
For family outings to busy places like a theme park or a zoo where you know that it's easy to get separated, have all your children wear the same color shirts so you know what to look for in a crowd. You should also wear that color so your children know what to look for if they get separated too.
Thinking Outside The House
It's a beautiful day, you have some yard work to do, and your wife is out running errands. so bring your baby outside with you. The sheet keeps the bugs out of their playpen, keeps the sun off their face, and keeps them from escaping while you're pulling weeds.
Problem Solving During Dinner Time
You finally get your kid to fall asleep after a long, hard day of throwing tantrums at the most inconvenient times, but then you realize you've barely touched your dinner, so you've got to improvise. You have to work around the obstacle, and you don't want to get food all over your sleeping child because the parents at the table next to you would definitely judge you, so you have to make it work.
Make The Roll Last A Little Longer
If you have children who think it's necessary to use half a roll of toilet paper every time they go to the bathroom, spruce up the bathroom by adding a fun little sign that teaches them to stop clogging the toilets for no reason.
Safety First
You need to install that new baby gate because your baby is going to start crawling up the stairs at any moment, but you don't want to damage the banister by drilling into it, and you don't trust the gate to just pop into place. So what can you do? Use industrial zip ties to help you secure it into place without having to drill any holes.
Tackling Travel Snacks
Every day should know never to leave the house without snacks at the ready, because you never know when hunger is going to strike. When prepping for long car rides or days at the beach, prep the snacks in tackle boxes. They're easy to open and close, they're cheap, and they keep everything where they're supposed to be.
No More Snacking
Life changes when your kid discovers how to open the fridge themselves. They finally realize all the good stuff you've been hiding. Avoid that by getting two stick-on hooks and an elastic band.
There's A Way To Turn The Sound Down On Those Toys
Your mother gave the kids a bunch of toys that make really loud annoying noises for Christmas (thanks for that Grandma!) and if you have to hear that firetruck siren one more time you're going to lose your mind. Take a piece of tape and place it over the speaker on the toy. It'll still be loud enough to be entertaining, but less deafening for you.
Healthy Competition
As a dad of small children, competition is absolutely your friend. If you're able to turn something into a race, do it. See which kid can get into bed first or which kid can tidy up their section of the toys the quickest. It works every time.
Keep Everything In Its Place With Velcro
Once your little kids start crawling or walking around, placing velcro on your carpets and your floors will keep everything in place so you won't have to worry as much about trips or slips. It helps for clumsy adults or dogs that have a tendency to slip on rugs too!
Put The Bottle Opener To Even More Use
We know you're already getting a lot of use out of that wine bottle opener, but now you can get even more use! And while you're at it, go ahead an pour yourself a glass of the real stuff. You deserve it.
Laying Down The Law
Layout the rules and your contact information for your babysitter clearly by leaving them a babysitter information sheet so when the kids try to convince her that their bedtime is 9 pm not 8 pm, she won't need to text you and disrupt your night out.
Outwit, Outlast, Outplay
Kids are smarter than we give them credit. They know the medicine doesn't take good so they won't even come close. Use this hidden straw trick to keep them healthy and bamboozled.
A Carpet Cleaning Toy
If your kid is super into their cars, teach them how to create endless different types of racetracks using tape on the carpets. They can continuously rearrange the roads however they want, plus it'll clean up some of the dirt that's in the carpet when you rip it off at the end.
Turn The Job Into A Game
If you're a parent that has a habit of losing your glasses, your car keys, and everything in between on a daily basis, turn it into a game for your children. They don't need to know that this fun new scavenger hunt is actually just them helping daddy look for his lost wallet.
You'll Still Be Finding It Weeks Later, But You Won't Be Finding As Much
Lint rollers don't need to only be used for cleaning up lint or pet hair off of your clothing — they can be great for dealing with an arts and crafts moment gone wrong. Things like glitter, sequins, or those tiny beads your daughter loves to drop on the ground can quickly be cleaned up thanks to a lint roller.
No More Naked Children Running Around
Do you have a Houdini child who always manages to get themselves out of their clothing in 2.4 seconds flat? Flip the situation and the onesie by placing the zipper at the back of their clothes so they won't be able to undo it.
No More Bubble Accidents
After one too many incidents where someone dumped half the bubble liquid on the ground, you're looking for a solution that doesn't involve you holding the container for an hour. You can tape the container to a pole or a wooden post and you'll be good to go.
Clean Hands Benefits Everyone
Before potty training even begins a good parent knows their child should learn how to clean their own hands. The biggest challenge? They can't always get their hands under the faucet to clean away all of those pesky germs. This will help.
From Sleeping To School Time
Getting out of bed to go to school is hard, so combine the two by turning an old crib into a desk for your children. Throw in some blackboard contact paper and the new desk also becomes a creative workshop and interactive space for your children.
Make The Transition Easier
Moving from a crib to a "big kid bed" isn't easy. You can buy expensive gets to add to the edges but if you're on a budget or in a hotel or guest house, bring along a pool noodle.
Craft Time Just Got So Much Easier
Use those frappuccino cups you keep buying at Starbucks and less-spill paint containers are at your disposal. Be warned: these won't stop your kids from flinging paint around the house once the brush is out of the cup.
Need A Few Hours To Yourself?
If you're in dire need of some relaxation and just want to enjoy a cold drink in the sun, entertain your child with "painting a fence." They'll think they are being helpful and the water will dry.
No More Snooping
Bi-fold doors can be dangerous for catching little fingers. If you want to avoid the danger flip a hanger and use it as a lock. That closet is now a great place for hiding presents.
Building The Ultimate Snow Fort
Impress your kids with your snow fort building skills by using a rectangular Tupperware to up your game and create that perfect igloo, and keep them busy for hours in the process. So long as something is going well, your kids aren't going to give up, so give them tools to build the igloo of their dreams.
A Quick And Easy Distraction
You need a couple of minutes to fold those sheets or unload the dishwasher, but that means you need entertainment for your little one for those minutes. Put them in front of a mirror or a washing machine and they'll be entertained for sure.
Traveling Just Keeps Getting Easier
Now that you've got your snacks in order for the kids when traveling, give them a fun and clean activity too. They probably won't even know what a DVD case is now, so you can recycle them with ease.
Cheat The System
If you have a dinosaur-obsessed kid that you're looking to impress with your knowledge of all things dinosaur but you can never remember the names of them all, try looking on the bottom of the toy. The names are often printed on the bottom of the toy so you can sneak a peak when your kid inevitably asks for the fourth time if you know the name of that toy.
No Wine Stopper? No Problem
They say necessity is the mother of invention, and that's certainly the case here. Your baby's pacifier makes for a great last-minute wine stopper or general bottle stopper in a pinch. Just make sure you wash it well before you give it back to them!
It's Just A Little White Lie
All you want is an hour or two to yourself so you can game, but your kids want to play too and they're going to screw up your progress, so what can you do? Give them controllers that aren't plugged in or aren't connected to anything. They get to spend time with you and you keep them entertained without messing up your high score.
Always Have Extra Clothing At The Ready
Never leave home without a spare change of clothes, for both you and your baby. You're being naive if you think your baby is never going to have an accident while out in public, and since you don't know what that accident is going to be, it's best to have an extra shirt or sweater stashed in the trunk for yourself as well.
Clean As You Go
Clean up as you go throughout your day so that your house doesn't look like a bomb went off by 8 pm. It sounds like one of those annoying tips a Pinterest mom swears by, but even picking up one or two toys or a couple of pieces of laundry as you go will make a difference at the end of the day when all you want is to go to bed.
Never Mix Them Up Again
Your wife probably isn't going to be thrilled about the fact that you shaved numbers into your children's hair, but wouldn't she rather you know which child is which, rather than constantly confusing them? She's got to pick her battles.
Make Your Own Bathtub
Not every place that you go is going to have a bathtub for your child to use, but if you've got a kiddie pool on hand (or you pack one for this exact possibility), you can turn any shower into a bathtub.
Keep The Tiny Fingers Away From The Flames
Keep tiny fingers away from the hot barbecue while still being able to focus on the actual cooking portion of the activity by using that old baby gate you've got lying around to your advantage.
All The Important Info In One Place
No parent wants to think about what would happen if you got into a car accident with your child, but it's good to be prepared. Write out all the important information someone might need like your child's name, emergency contacts, DOB, or medical conditions, then stick it to the carseat so it'll be on hand if something were to happen.
Crayons Keep Them Entertained At The Doctor's Office
A trip to the paediatrician can be a stressful experience for everyone involved, but having some crayons in your back pocket can make it a little easier. Keep them entertained while you're waiting for the doctor, and maybe even while the appointment is actually happening!
Giving Medicine Doesn't Have To Be A Battle
Giving medicine doesn't always have to be a battle. If your child freaks out every time you come near them with the dropper, grab the lid off of one of their bottles. You can slowly dispense the dose as they drink, hopefully without them realizing what you've done.
A Sand-Free Experience
Okay, no trip to the beach is ever going to be sand-free, that defeats the purpose. But you can keep sand from getting into everything you own with this fitted sheet hack.
Work With What You've Got
Necessity is the mother of all invention. You never know when you're going to need to secure your child to your shoulders while at a death metal festival. If you've got the option to tie them in place using your dreadlocks, why wouldn't you?
A Suitcase Can Double As a Sleeper
In a pinch, if you need a place for your baby to nap while you're on vacation and the space in your room is limited, empty out that suitcase you brought with you. Toss a few blankets in there to line the edges with and you'll be good to go.
Looking For An Edible Paint Option? Yogurt & Food Coloring Works
It's a good idea to teach your children not to eat paint in general, but if your child has a tendency to put everything in their mouths (as most children do), yogurt and food coloring work as an alternative to paint. This way—even though the goal is no paint in their mouth—if it happens it's safe.
