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20 Parenting Hacks (That Will Make Your Life Easier)

Raising children is a tricky business – and you need all the help you can get. We’ve trawled the Internet to find the best (and most inventive) shortcuts that will save you time, money and a whole lot of energy

From ingenious ways that you can rope your child into cleaning (and make it fun) to a clever way to make sure your tot puts the right shoe on the right foot, we’ve searched high and low for the smartest parenting hacks.

Try some of these out and we guarantee your job as a parent will suddenly become a whole lot simpler – and more fun...

1. Go Baby Powder Crazy
After an afternoon at the beach (or in the local park’s sandpit), gently rub the sand off your baby with the help of baby powder. It works incredibly well.

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[Pinterest]

2. Divvy Up Your Lounge
Fed up of standing on Lego pieces (they hurt like hell, don’t they?!), corner off a section of your living room with tape and tell your children they can make as much mess as they like – so long as it’s within the taped off area.

3. Make A Sharing T-Shirt
A genius idea when your children won’t stop fighting. After half an hour in this T-shirt, they’ll be on their best behaviour.

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4. Add A Hook To The High Chair
This clever addition to the back of your baby’s high chair will make sure her bibs stop going missing.

5. Build This Tap Extension Device
Your tot will no longer struggle to read the water flow with this upcycled shower gel bottle. Of course you’ll still have to turn on the taps for him…

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6. Create New Clothes - Out Of Your Old Ones
Granted, you’ll need to be a dab hand at sewing to make this hack a reality, but it’s ingenious nonetheless.

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[Pinterest]



7. Keep Track Of Your Child's Medicine Doses
Simply draw up a calendar on the side of your child’s medicine bottle to keep track of whether he’s had his prescribed doses.

You'll never miss a dose again [Pinterest]
You'll never miss a dose again [Pinterest]





8. Make An Ice Lolly Bowl
Say goodbye to sticky hands with this ice lolly drip stopper.

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[Pinterest]



9. Put A Bullseye In The Loo
Potty training suddenly became a whole lot more fun for your little boy.

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[Pinterest]



10. Sticker Up His Shoes
Fed up of discovering your child’s put his shoes on the wrong feet? Cut a sticker in half with the right side in the right shoe and the left in the left shoe so he knows which foot goes where.

11.Use A Sheet To Cover Your Baby's Cot In The Garden
Your baby can enjoy the sun without getting burnt and covered in insect bites with this clever addition to his travel cot.

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12. Label Your Twins
Probably not necessary as all parents can tell their own twins apart but these slogan babygrows are a great way of making sure everyone else knows which is which.

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[Pinterest]



13. Build An Play Pen
If you’ve got the space for this mega paddling pool play pen, this is a great way to keep your bub safe while she plays.

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14. Make A Monster Spray
If your child’s convinced there are monsters lurking under her bed, make a monster spray for her to spritz around her room before she sleeps. It’ll make it far easier to get her into bed.

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15. Turn Your Baby Into A Cleaning Machine
This baby duster onesie is slightly cruel but you have to admit it’s completely genius.

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16. Build A Hammock Under A Table
We don’t recommend your tot trying this unless she’s under non-stop adult supervision (it’s not the safest contraption) but it’s a fun hangout for him.

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17. Build A Bath Pen
Stop your baby’s toys floating away in the bath by putting him, and his toys, inside the washing basket and inside the bath.

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18. Turn Dinner Into A Game
Encourage your fussy child to finish his dinner by rolling a set of dice to determine how many more mouthfuls his has to eat.

19. Cut Back On Loo Roll Waste
Forever running out of loo roll? Put a marker on the wall so your child knows how much he can pull off.

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[Pinterest]



20. Turn Cleaning Into A Game For Your Toddler
A oh-so-smart way to get your tot involved in the cleaning? We think so.

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[Pinterest]





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