We’re a month into 2018 already! If you’re struggling to meet your New Years Resolutions of being a better parent then this is the perfect article for you. Parenting can be overwhelming and most of the time none of us know what we’re doing. At Joint Parenting, we are big fans of sharing all of our tips and tricks. We’re all clueless but here are some parenting hacks that help us get through the day.
- PVC Pipe & Fishnet Baby Gate: This is the cheapest option hands down. We made gates to fit our space instead of finding space to fit our gates. We were even able redo the shape of these gates twice by reusing everything but the zip ties. We choose to block off everything we didn’t want our son touching instead of blocking out some space for him.
- PVC Pipe Walking Assistant: We originally made this to be attached to the PVC pipe baby gate but it wasn’t sturdy enough. Once it was detached our son started to push it. Now we hold on to the higher bar and my son stands in the middle as he pushes the smaller bar. This allows us to control his direction and speed.
- Weighted Straw Sippy Cups: We literally tried every sippy cup and this was the only one he could figure out. The weight allows your child to tilt the cup up but still get whatever they want out of it. They come with a handy scrub brush but we’ve been putting ours in the dishwasher.
- Bathtub Divider: We were so scared to take our son out of the toddler bathtub. Unfortunately, our tub cannot handle this divider but we highly recommend getting it if you can. This allows you not only to control the size but save on water and electric costs.
- Milk Jug & Clothes Pins: One of our sons is 13 months and absolutely loves this game. We cleaned out an empty milk jug and got some clothespins from the dollar store. We chose to write numbers on the pins but you don’t have to. He loves putting them in the jug and shaking it around.
- Keys & Lanyard: We’ve learned pretty quick that the trick to a happy baby in the store is a distracted baby. We will wrap a lanyard around the shopping cart handle and then hand our kids the keys. We make sure to take any dangerous items off and keep toys with clips handy, this allows our kids to drop it without us having to pick it up.
- Make Your Own Finger Paint: We followed this recipe on Pinterest and created some finger paints for our kids. We posted in the kitchen on the trash bag covered tile and finger painted on some paper. Our 13 month old he managed to put something together. Side note: Don’t be like us and pick the paper up wet, it will rip.
- Oil Defuser & Lavender: We are big believers in the power of our lavender essential oil. Our 13 month old sleeps 14 hours at night and takes a 3-hour nap and we LIVE by lavender. It’s in the diffuser an hour before bed and a couple drops are put in his bed before he goes down. The one in the picture is from Costco but we also love this one from Amazon.
- Sensory Bottles/Bags: We found this cool recipe for a sensory bag on Pinterest but we quickly switched to bottles (come to find out if we step on a bag it will explode). The bottles are sturdier and we were able to get everything at the dollar store. My son loves the red one.
- Concentrate Pens: Four are flavored, one is a cbd, three are sativa, two are hybrid, and one indica. The pen doesn’t light up, but it vibrates to add to the discretion. Every hit is super concentrated, so two hits are like half a joint and the effects are as close to immediate as we’ve ever felt. These pens are also ceramic so they heat fast and it’s a magnetic drop-in cartridge so they click and play, no screwing or breaking of seals because the end is exposed. Ask about Indigo Pro during your next pot shop visit.
- Tinctures: Just like edibles, tinctures effect everyone differently but we’re currently using the sativa blend from Finest Cannabis. It’s not the best tincture we’ve ever tried but it still gets us high. Plus, what’s better than getting high quickly when you can’t actually smoke? We definitely recommend finding a brand that works for you. It goes great with a morning cup of coffee.
- Spider Basket: Another Pinterest find, this toy helps my son develop his problem-solving skills. We created this basket with things from the dollar store (surprise) and some toy cars my son got for his birthday. He tends to dump the basket on the ground and shake it instead of pulling the cars through the string.
- Happy Apple Ale: For every mom that has a glass of wine at noon because they are dealing with a toddler, allow us to share with you the cannabis version. An amazing taste, this ale is perfect for those mom dates where moms are looking to get a head start. Another great way to consume cannabis without having to worry about the smoke around your children.
- Butt Paste: This was a baby shower gift that we are thankful for every single day. There are so many diaper rash creams out there but this is the only one we will ever use. My son has yet to have a bad diaper rash and we blame this cream. Our moms even used it.
- Munch Mit: This is not only a great toy but a great toy to connect to your keys when you’re at the grocery store. My son has mastered taking it off his hand but that is the ideal option. We first introduced this to my son around 8 months but he started really enjoying it around 10. They’re a little pricey on amazon but we’ve also found one at a local store for cheaper.
- The Spill-Proof Snack Cup: Another baby shower gift that we’ve learned to love, this cup keeps my son from dumping everything all over the ground. It didn’t take him very long to figure out but sometimes if it gets too empty he struggles pulling things out. The dollar store even has some but the plastic isn’t as flexible.
- The Hair Tie Method: This trick is great for those moms that struggle with patience. Keep a certain number of hair ties on your wrist and move them to the other wrist every time you get frustrated or yell at your child. You will seriously be amazed at how much of a difference it makes.
- Mix fruit pouches with oatmeal: I stumbled across this trick thanks to going on the Keto diet after buying a box of oatmeal from Costco. I’ve been mixing in blueberry and banana pouches with the variety oatmeal flavors. He will eat it all up but we’re still learning how to use a spoon so you can imagine how messy it gets!
Think you have some better parenting hacks?
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