No one ever said that parenting would be easy. Rewarding, thrilling, terrifying, interesting, challenging, wonderful, and important, yes. Easy, no. As I’ve gotten in the swing of it over the last seven years, I’ve learned a few things that make it just a little bit easier. Read on for my top 7 parenting hacks, and then share yours in the comments!
Slip-On Shoes
It only took until my third child for me to realize that these first several years the only shoes that I should buy are those my kids can pull on and off themselves! Sitting by the front door tying laces of six different shoes multiple times a day could make a person go insane. It still takes several reminders and some hustle to get my kids out the door and to the car, but having them be able to put on their own shoes has been priceless. Even one-year-old Plum can slip on her own, and it’s such a time saver.
Some of my favorites are Native Jeffersons for warmer weather. They’re amazing in water and really comfortable, so my kids all love them. Plum’s Hunter Boots are a size too big, which is why she can pull them on, but she loves them! Converse are a long-time favorite, and the slip-on high tops are my favorites. For church the boys always wear Sperry Topsiders. For the winter, we got all three kids simple pull-on sheepskin boots. And of course, being Texan, all the kids have and love their cowboy boots.
The Drive Thru
I’m not just referring to food here, although yes– spending five minutes in the car with all the kids blessedly strapped into their carseats while we do a quick lunch pick-up (then head to the park to picnic) does make life undoubtedly easier. I’m also talking about anything you can find with a drive thru! Picking up prescriptions, dropping mail into the blue post-office boxes, handing dry-cleaning out through the window, the car wash, the bank. The Starbucks down the street from us doesn’t have a drive thru, and I can feel the weight of the money in my wallet that I would have spent if it did! (It’s a good feeling!) I regularly wish that the regular grocery store would have a drive-thru for my pick-up, and it sounds like Wal-Mart may be working on that idea. For now, a lot of what I can’t drive thru to grab, I order online. Which brings me to the next hack.
Online Shopping (aka Amazon Prime and Prime Now)
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t shop online regularly. For the same reason the drive-thru makes life easier, online shopping allows us to browse, research, and buy on our own schedule, without sweet little hands touching every other item in the store! While I do my regular weekly grocery store runs in-store, I use amazon for pretty much everything household related. The water filter replacement, dish soap and laundry detergent, gifts of any kind. It took a little while to convert me, but when I could have a baby 10 days before Christmas two years ago, order every single holiday gift, decoration, and treat online and have it all on the doorstep before the Big Man came down the chimney, I was hooked.
And a new concept for online shopping has again revolutionized my life. The Prime Now app allows shopping from my phone and then two-hour delivery to my doorstep for free! I use it weekly, and sometimes daily for little things that feel like such a hassle to haul everyone out for (like a gummy bear and diet coke craving when the kids are already asleep and Dave is still at work.) It’s currently available in select areas including: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and Orange County area, Indianapolis, Miami, Minneapolis & St. Paul, New York City, Portland, and Seattle & Eastside.
High Quality Clothes
I realize how quickly kids grow and how easily their clothes are worn out, but after patching knee holes in almost every pair my kids wear, I have realized that it is much easier on me as the mom to have fewer, higher quality items. Especially for the older boys. Their Levi’s® Kids denim are the only pants they both own that don’t have knee holes, even after the same playground abuse as their other pants. And they especially love the soft, comfy fit of the jogger style. As far as tops, my very favorite knit tee shirts for them have been from crewcuts because they wash well and are super stain resistant. I can pass them down from Milo to Eliot no problem. I love the puffy coats from Uniqlo for winter wear, and the classic jean jackets from Levi’s® Kids for everyday use. All three kids have and love both styles.
A Go-to Friend or Neighbor
We’ve never lived near family with our kids, but everywhere we’ve lived there has been a go-to family friend nearby (in the last two homes it’s very literally been our next door neighbor) with whom we’ve had a reciprocating relationship of help and support. This is where my kids run when they need a playmate. Where I call at 10pm to borrow vanilla for the cookie dough that I already started. It’s the friend who I take a Diet Cherry Limeade after a long day, and who drops me by a fresh loaf of bread when she has an extra.
I know that raising children takes a village, and its my job to create that village for myself and my kids. Having at least one person who I can count on in a pinch makes my life so much easier. And hers too.
Drop-In Playcare
Once in a while, when your go-to person isn’t available, and you still really need a break, give yourself one with a local drop-in play center. I had never heard of these until we got to Texas and I was pregnant and working and feeling pretty worn out! I didn’t always have time to schedule a babysitter, especially if I needed a little afternoon breather, so Dave looked around and found a local spot where I could drop off the kids anytime from 8am to 10pm. They got to play, have a snack, and make crafts while I could recharge my batteries with a solo trip to the Target around the corner, or even just sit in the car and read for an hour. I have never needed to put my kids in a formal daycare system, because my jobs have always been flexible enough I could work around their schedules. But stay-at-home-moms need a break sometimes, and this is a great way to get one.
Eye Contact
I have noticed the importance of regular eye contact with my kids more and more as they get older. The days can become a small whirlwind of getting ready, going, playing, cooking, tidying up, eating, playing some more. Some days we are all circling around each other, without actually looking into each others eyes to see how we are doing. Simply getting down on their level and looking them in the eyes seems to bring the moment into perspective and sharpen my senses to know what they need. Both when they’re happy and giggly as well as when they’re tired or upset, making eye contact affirms my love and care for them. I wrote all about my goal to do better living in the moment, and this last parenting hack of making regular eye contact is a key.
So, there they are. Some of my hard-earned tips for making your life a bit easier. (As I was writing this post I realized that there are a bunch of more specific “parenting hacks” out on the internet, and those are great, too.)
Kids outfit details:
Plum: Top c/o Levi’s® Kids, Skirt handmade with this tutorial, Hunter Boots (similar)
Eliot: Top (similar) and Jeans c/o Levi’s® Kids, Cowboy Boots (similar)
Milo: Jacket and Jeans c/o Levi’s® Kids, Sheepskin Boots (similar)
