21 Genius Mom Hacks You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner

We all know that being a mom is one of the most rewarding yet challenging roles out there.

Between juggling work, family, and personal time, it sometimes feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. But don’t worry, there’s hope! In this blog post, I’m excited to share some of my favorite “mom hacks” that have made my life so much easier. These little tips and tricks are designed to help you save time, reduce stress, and help you be a better mom. So, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and let’s dive into some amazing mom hacks that will make your busy life just a bit more manageable!

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Mom Hacks Key Takeaways

Mom Hacks Tips and Tricks

These 21 genius mom hacks will simplify your daily routine and save you both time and stress! They are perfect for you if you’re a busy mom like me looking to streamline your life.

1. Set kids up with dry erase markers to keep them entertained.

One hack that I learned from doing the Busy Toddler Playing Preschool program with my daughter is to set the kids up with some dry erase markers at a sliding glass door. The task with the preschool program was to practice writing and recognizing letters on the door but kids can keep busy doodling as well! I used this hack when I had some work calls, but you can also use it if you’re just trying to get some chores done nearby too.

2. Set kids’ outfits up in advance.

One of the most stressful tasks in the morning can be getting kids dressed, especially if you have girls like me. My 6 year old can be indecisive and my 3 year old fights back if she doesn’t like the outfit we chose for her. One of the most helpful mom hacks to reduce the morning stress can be to set up outfits in advance. Get yourself a hanging clothes organizer and you can set up a week’s worth of outfits at once! Set them up with your child at a less stressful time, like a Sunday afternoon, and then she’ll be all set for the week.

3. Designate baskets for each child.

Clutter is an anxiety trigger for me, and most of the clutter in my house is related to my kids’ stuff. Set up a storage basket for each child where they can store toys or items that they use frequently. It will give your kids some responsibility to clean up after themselves and it will reduce clutter since their most-used items will have a place to go.

4. Get a shoe rack for the kids.

Another big clutter item in my home is shoes! My girls like to kick off their shoes and leave them wherever they land. Then when it’s time to put their shoes on again they’re searching for a matching pair. We ended up getting a shoe rack just for the girls’ shoes and it’s reduced the shoe clutter tremendously. The girls know to take off their shoes and put them on the shoe rack, and the next morning they can quickly find a matching pair.

5. Have a family calendar that everyone can see.

Keeping on top of multiple calendars is tough. My husband and I share a calendar on our phones, my 6 year old’s school uses the Band app, and my 3 year old’s daycare sends home a paper calendar. Even though I’d check them all I’d still miss things. Now I merge all of the calendars into one dry erase calendar and use a different color for each family member. It’s so helpful! The calendar is hanging on the wall where everyone can see it and it’s so much easier to just look in one place to see who has what going on.

6. Set up sensory bins to keep kids entertained.

Sensory bins are my go-to when I need to keep my kids occupied while I get some things done. I have a few that I keep already set up so they’re easy to grab when I need them. All you need are some plastic trays, kinetic sand, and plastic toys or anything else you want to add to the bin! Sensory bins have kept my kids busy for quite some time!

7. Find some easy slow cooker recipes.

I don’t know about you but I’m not someone who enjoys standing at the stove cooking or dealing with a lot of prep. It just doesn’t seem like an efficient use of my time! I enjoy cooking but am always on the lookout for easy meals with minimal prep. One of my favorite mom hacks for easy meals is my slow cooker. One of my family’s favorite slow cooker recipes lately is Flavorful Pot Roast. It’s one of the easiest meals I have ever made and is so yummy too!

8. Use painters tape to keep kids from locking doors.

My girls love to slam doors and lock us out when we’re trying to start the bedtime routine. A helpful mom hack is to put painter’s tape on the door latch to prevent it from latching. It should work for little ones; as kids get older they may be able to remove the tape.

9. Keep marshmallows in the freezer for boo-boos.

My girls complain about boo-boos and want ice for the smallest scratches, but then sometimes the ice pack is too old. I recently learned the mom hack of keeping some marshmallows in the freezer to use instead of ice. They aren’t as cold as ice but are still very soothing for boo-boos. Frozen marshmallows are also a yummy snack too!

10. Use a visual timer for transitions.

Negotiating with kids about leaving a park can ruin what was a really fun outing. My girls learned at a very early age how to turn “one more time!” on the slide to three more times. There was one time I had to drag my oldest kicking and screaming from the park because she didn’t want to leave. One of the best mom hacks for transitions is to use a visual timer. The transition isn’t as sudden and actually seeing how much time they have left can really help as well!

11. Fill thermos with ice pops for a hot day snack.

I recently learned a great mom hack for those hot summer days where you’re spending time at the beach or park. You can fill a big thermos with ice pops and some ice. The ice pops will stay frozen! This is a mom hack that I will definitely be using this summer with my kids.

12. Use magnetic cups to give kids some independence.

A helpful mom hack for giving kids some independence is to put some magnetic cups on the refrigerator. You can use them for kids’ utensils, pencils, or any other items the kids use frequently that you’d like them to start handling themselves. They can even grab their own drinks!

13. Get motion sensor night lights for kids afraid of the dark.

If your kids are afraid of the dark or want you to go into the room first to turn on the light, get some motion sensor night lights. The lights will turn on when they sense motion and will automatically turn off when motion is no longer detected. These lights are great mom hacks for getting kids more comfortable and independent in the dark.

14. Keep kids entertained on car trips with scavenger hunt cards.

What kid doesn’t get bored on car trips? I’ve been using the Briarpatch Scavenger Hunt for Kids cards on our last couple of car trips and they have really kept my 6 year old entertained! Sometimes we play the game as a family and other times she’ll just look at the cards and try to find the items on her own.

15. Get storage bins for kids’ crafts.

Another big clutter item in my home is the crafts and papers my girls bring home from school. I hate to get rid of anything so for the longest time everything would just stay on our kitchen table, but then there wasn’t much room for us to eat there. My husband and I couldn’t keep up, so we bought a big storage bin for each child. We rotate the favorite crafts that we hang up, and everything else goes in the bin.

16. Add surprises to liquid medicine.

My 6 year old used to put up a big fight when it was time for her to have some liquid medicine. There were times it took her an hour or more to drink a small dose. A mom hack that has helped her take the medicine faster is to add some kind of surprise to the medicine. Her favorites lately are a tiny bit of ice cream or some sprinkles!

17. Have a running Amazon wishlist for kids.

I’ve been using Amazon for a while now, for my Christmas wishlist and my girls’. I would always get overwhelmed though when a holiday or birthday was coming up and I had to make sure there were enough items on the list for everyone who’d be buying a gift. A mom hack I’ve been doing lately is to update the wishlist throughout the year instead of just waiting until the event. If my daughters mention something they’d like it goes right on the wishlist. When it gets close to an event I do review the wishlist just to make sure it’s still accurate.

18. Assign days for kids’ chores.

I’m always on the lookout for mom hacks to give my girls more responsibility. This summer we’re getting my 6 year old involved in chores. She’s actually eager to start doing some chores but works best when she has a routine, so we’ll be assigning specific days for her tasks.

19. Rotate privileges to keep kids from arguing.

My girls tend to argue over silly things, like who gets to go down the stairs first each morning. One of the easiest mom hacks for reducing the arguments is to rotate privileges, so in our house, each day we switch who gets to go down the stairs first.

20. Set up rewards for meeting responsibilities.

Kids need motivation to do their chores. Rewarding your kids when they meet certain responsibilities can be helpful. The rewards don’t even need to cost money. They could be things like an extra bedtime story or going to bed an hour later. My Mom Bucks printable is a fun way to motivate kids.

21. Establish morning and evening routines for consistency.

Kids thrive on consistency, so a great mom hack is establishing morning and evening routines for your children. Consistency helps kids know what to expect. My 6 year old does her routines mostly independently now which allows me to get my own routine tasks done, such as packing lunches. A morning routine checklist is helpful for moms too, not just kids!

Being a mom is a beautiful journey filled with ups and downs.

But, we need to look for shortcuts and clever tricks to make life smoother. I hope these mom hacks bring a little more ease and joy into your daily routine, and help you be a fun mom. You’re doing an amazing job, and sometimes it’s the small, smart changes that make the biggest difference in making life more manageable.

If you’ve got any go-to hacks of your own, I’d love to hear them! Please share in the comments below or reach out to me. Together, we can navigate this incredible adventure of motherhood with a bit more peace and sanity.

Keep rocking motherhood, you’ve got this!