Mom Hacks to Make Life Easier
If you’re a busy mom looking for ways to make life easier, these mom hacks are going to be perfect for you!
Let’s be honest – some days, taking care of yourself as a busy mom is a struggle. Add in the day-to-day stuff, like laundry, bills, grocery shopping, etc., then you also want to talk about adding a little one into the mix?
Forget it.
If you’re not ready to pull your hair out some days (or fall onto the couch and sleep for eternity), then color me impressed. Even though I absolutely love being a mom, I can definitely say that is NOT me.
Sometimes I am just trying to get through the next 10 minutes, much less an entire day.
Busy moms need all the tips and tricks they can get, and I have some great ideas I want to share regarding some of my favorite mom hacks. What are mom hacks you ask? Anything that can make your mom life EASIER and LESS STRESSFUL!
Sounds nice, right? So here they are – my best moms hacks to make life easier!
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Mom Hacks for Chores
First order of business: chores! Chores are usually associated with older kids, but honestly, this is a great mom hack when you have younger kids too.
It’s well known that kids love to help out, so you might as well use this to your advantage. Chores can be a good way to help teach responsibility and save you some time (and frustration).
Now I don’t mean getting out a bucket and sponge for them to scrub the floor Cinderella-style but let them get involved in your day-to-day activities – the more consistent the routine, the better.
Here are a few ideas:
- Bringing plates, bowls, utensils, etc. to the counter after they finish eating; load the dishwasher
- Getting their own drinks (try to keep sippy cups, or other age-appropriate cups, in low cabinets/drawers so your child can reach)
- Putting clothes in the laundry basket (this is a GREAT time to teach them to sort by color)
- Putting their folded clean clothes away in their drawers (you may just have to get used to all their clothing getting unfolded in the process!)
- Vacuuming up their own messes with a small hand vacuum
- Cleaning up small spills
- Feeding any pets
- Preparing their snacks throughout the day
- Putting their own shoes away
- Cleaning up their toys. There are little ways to make chores fun, too! Check out this adorable toy pull basket our little ones can use while pitching in!
This may mean that these chores take a little extra time and you may have a hard time accepting that these chores may not be done perfectly (I know I did), but over time, you’ll see your kids doing a better job more efficiently! The best part is, you’re also teaching life skills in a fun way!
You can read more about how our family does chores and allowance here!
Bibs That Help You Clean
Mealtime is one of the messiest times – and it should be! Kids need to play with their food and engage in some trial and error as they learn to feed themselves.
But that does not read: “easier for mom (or any family members who are helping with cleaning)”.
I love these bibs that catch at least some of the food! There is a pouch at the bottom of the bib that catches food that falls and is made of material that is easier easy to clean. Saves me a lot of time!
Get a Roomba
Roombas are one of the best things to ever be invented. Raise your hand if you are constantly cleaning the floors or looking at your floors and thinking about how much they need to be cleaned?
*raises hand*
Even though a Roomba isn’t going to deep clean your house for you, it can be pre-programmed to help you vacuum every day so you’re not staring at crumbs. (We have an older model but this self-emptying Roomba is what I plan to upgrade to next.)
Plus, my toddlers get a kick out of this little gadget and it might keep them entertained for 5, maybe even 10 minutes! They actually like doing a mad dash to pick up the random toys and socks just so they can push the button and turn it on.
Maintain Easy to Follow Routines
Easy to follow routines are the best way to save lots of time and avoid some tears – research has shown that consistent and predictable expectations lead to better behavior, smoother transitions, bolster the feelings of safety and security, decrease stress and anxiety, and help them sleep better.
Easy to follow routines can also lead to more independent kids because they already know what is expected without you having to nag over and over and over again (sound familiar?).
Try creating routines for things like getting up in the morning or getting ready for bed. There are lots of fun picture-based schedules online you can put up in your child’s bedroom if they need help remembering the expectations. (I just took pics with my phone and made a visual schedule for our bedtime routine for Rowen if you want to see.)
But keep in mind: you don’t need to have every minute of every day planned out and don’t stress if you need to stray away from your routines every now and then. Life happens!
Watch What You Sign Up For
I know I’m guilty of signing my kids up for too much – clubs, after school activities, sports, play dates… the list could go on. While I often think it’s a good idea ahead of time, I’m often dragging feet and kicking myself as I’m stretched thin driving 3 of my 4 kids to opposite ends of the state, regretting the small fortune I spent on all these activities!
Extracurriculars are great for building relationships, cooperation, and leadership skills, but so is playing at home!
Playing at home can teach kids to be creative, to problem solve, and increases emotional intelligence and I’m sure they can find something to entertain themselves during some indoor or outdoor time.
Plus, you’ll save tons of time for other important things having to do with family life instead of carting everyone around in the minivan!
Sock Bag
I am constantly losing a sock when I do laundry. I just recently lost a Balega hiking sock and I’m still frustrated! Where do they even go?
It’s just as easy, if not easier, to lose tiny little children’s socks. I like to wash my kids’ socks in mesh garment bags, which I store close to the washing machine for easy access.
There are several sizes and colors available, which means you can assign each child with a different color mesh bag, so you won’t have to figure out whose socks are whose as you fold them!
P.S. this would be a great chore for them to pitch in and help with as well!
Sink Faucet Extender
Do you have a little one that can’t reach the faucet, even with a step stool? Try putting a sink faucet extender on the sink your little one uses the most.
This can help your little one be more independent in the bathroom and keep their little hands clean! You can buy the one pictured above or make your own by reusing a bottle at home (look up “DIY sink faucet extender”).
Clothing Bins
My kids are ALWAYS growing out of their clothes. Sometimes I feel like they only wear a piece of clothing once before it doesn’t fit anymore, especially as babies.
Rather than refolding or hanging clothing that no longer fits (only to forget and find out again later that it doesn’t fit), keep a storage bin in your kids’ closets and toss any clothing that’s too small into the bin as you go.
Of course, by bins, I mean diaper boxes or Amazon boxes that you’ve hopefully saved and can now put to use!
Once any one of the bins are full, close it up and put it into storage, donate it, or sell the lot on Facebook Marketplace to make a few extra dollars. This will help reduce clutter and save time later (no more spending days cleaning out drawers and closets at some point).
I even do this with my own clothing, to get rid of clothes that no longer fit or that I never wear!
Emergency Car Bag
This is one of the best mom hacks I’ve learned over time. I like to keep a couple of small bags in my trunk with some necessities. I keep one bag with 1-2 changes of clothing, nursing cover, pacifiers, extra diapers, and wipes (one time I wasn’t expecting a second blowout, so I didn’t have an extra diaper on hand. Never again!).
I also keep a few gallon-sized plastic bags or some bags from the grocery store in my trunk (and in those pockets in the backs of the seats) so I have someone to put poopy diapers in the event we are not close to the trash can. Or for when my kids get carsick. Yuck.
The second bag has some activities for in the car! Small toys, books, things like that. That way if we go for a long drive or to an outing and realize we didn’t pack something to keep the littles busy, there’s always something easy to grab.
Even if we’re not going on a road trip, sometimes I just want to avoid listening to the recurring question – are we there yet?
It’s also a great idea to keep some water bottles in your car. Last year, we had a flat tire and had to wait for AAA. Even though my kids prefer cold water, no one was complaining when we were all sitting thirsty as heck.
Well, they weren’t complaining about the water anyways… It was a stressful day for sure.
Wallet Band-Aids
Honestly, I have always kept a couple of band-aids in my wallet just for myself even before I had kids. You never know when you’re going to get a nasty papercut, wear the wrong shoes that rub your feet just the wrong way, etc..
Now-a-days, a band-aid can quickly make my kids feel better in the event of an injury. Honestly, they’re magical. It may also be a good idea to keep a first aid kit in your diaper bag.
Cushy Closer Door Cushion
This little trick is especially helpful if you have a little one who still naps! This small piece of fabric has two straps that latch to the doorknobs on either side of the door to keep the latch held in.
It allows for quiet entry and exit to the room and hangs conveniently on the door when it’s not in use. I love having these on hand so when one of my kids naps and the other kids are running around, I can make sure there are no slamming doors!
Plus, there’s no easier way to protect their little fingers when they inevitably decide to explore opening and closing doors!
Popsicle Drip Catcher
Do your kids LOVE to eat popsicles? Mine do. We like to make homemade popsicles so we can choose the flavors and make them from real fruit.
However, popsicles are truly one of the messiest things to eat. There is constantly juice running down their hands, arms, wrists, face – I’m sure you get it.
This amazing mom hack stops all the dripping!
Get a cupcake liner, cut a tiny slit, and insert the popsicle stick through the slit. The cupcake liner will catch all the drips so your kids can take as long as they want to eat their popsicle while still having some summer fun.
Meal Plan
Even though it may mean some extra time at the beginning of each week, meal planning for the entire week means less stress later in the week and one less thing for you to think about nightly.
I have a white board that I hang in my kitchen where we write out dinner plans for each night of the week. I like to have my little ones involved in this process because
- I know that at least one person isn’t going to complain about the meal I’m making, and
- I can let one of my kids work on sounding out words or spelling and their letter formation. Two birds one stone and all that.
I usually plan out some big recipes for the beginning of the week – this is a simple trick to make sure there are some leftovers for lunches, another dinner later in the week, or mid-day snacks.
See all of our meal plans and tips here, and find lots of our favorite recipes here!
Order Groceries
Sometimes getting to the grocery store is one of my biggest stressors. When you’ve already had a full day of hard work – laundry, chauffeuring, cooking, cleaning – shopping sounds impossible!
Cue: online grocery shopping.
This has been a life-savor for my family! Ordering groceries is a great way to save a little time and you can avoid having to jog up and down aisles hoping you can get through a shopping trip without any meltdowns.
Most grocery stores around me have some kind of curbside pickup or delivery option; I prefer curbside pickup as you can usually find a way to get pickup for free – check out your grocery stores app.
Sometimes it’s as simple as adding something you were already going to buy to your bag, or meeting a certain cost threshold (which with four kids, I always meet that threshold!).
Baby Wraps and Slings
You’ve likely seen baby wraps and slings, or even have one already. If not – Add it to your registry (trust me, this is one of the best gifts I’ve ever received) or invest in one if you have a little one!
This is one of the most genius mom hacks ever created. Wearing your baby can help calm and soothe them while making sure your hands are still free to get a few other things done.
Yes, swings or other stand-alone objects can be very helpful, but I have generally found that my infants always want to be as close to me (or dad) as possible. Being able to wear my baby is an easy way to hold my baby while freeing my hands for grocery shopping, cleaning, etc.
I hope these Mom tips and tricks help you as much as they have helped me. Even if just one of my favorite tips saves you a little bit of time and stress, that’s a good thing. May the odds be ever in your favor!
