Parenting can leave you feeling incredibly tired, burned out and stressed, which can make it hard to get through the day, much less be a good mom or dad. Parenting self-help books or sites often offer solutions that are way too time-consuming or involved to be practical, and that’s where easy hacks can really help.
A new post in the Mommit subreddit has parents sharing theirs by asking, “What’s one simple habit that makes parenting a little smoother for you lately?” Moms and dads are jumping in to share what little things make a big difference for their family and these are some of the best responses.
- “Squatting/sitting on the floor with my almost 2yo twins instead of picking them up when they want me.”
- “I have stopped folding her clothes because she digs through the drawers and destroys the folds anyway.”
- “Trying to leave 10 minutes before we actually need to.”
- “My elementary kids are in a bunch of after school activities. I basically have a big kid diaper bag in the car - snacks, extra water bottles, first aid kit, headphones, coloring books, hair ties, etc. I try to replenish the night before and it makes 2-5pm go much smoother.”
- “I ask myself, ‘is it dangerous or inconvenient?’ before answering a question. I find myself saying no because I don’t want to deal with the mess, which is still totally valid sometimes but not all the time. I want to say yes when it’s possible so that my no holds more value.”
- “I’m a therapist and there’s a motto in the field — ‘the slower you go, the faster you get there.’ I’ve been applying this to my time with my two year old. Any hurrying, frenetic energy just ultimately slows down the process.”
- “Setting alarms for EVERYTHING.”
- “I just started making my bed everyday after purchasing a nice comforter to make my bed look nice and it really helps me feel like I’m having a productive start to the day!”
- “Cutting my hair short.”
- “Replaced all the kids’ socks with plain white whites so I don’t have to worry when one goes missing (bc we seem to lose a sock a week!) and keep them in a bin next to our shoe bin downstairs. Super simple to do and somehow has saved my sanity.”
- “Honestly I just say out loud to my kids ‘today is going to be a great day!!!’ as we’re getting ready in the morning chaos and somehow that seems to help keep my brain on track and positive, something I struggle with.”
Source: Reddit⠀
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