In a world where only the strong survive… only the strong survive. And parents have no choice—they have to find their way around all of the challenges that their kids throw at them. And that means getting hella creative.

Today’s list features some of the freshest, most ingenious parenting hacks, tips, tricks and other forms of advice that helped them get through parenting easier.

#1 Here’s My Best Parenting Hack

You know how kids always want PAW Patrol yogurt or Disney waffles or whatever? Bring your own stickers to the grocery store and start sticking. Today we’re having Winnie the Pooh brand spaghetti squash. It goes perfectly with Toy Story broccoli.

Image credits: Jane Stine

#2 Added A Smiley Face To My Kid’s Shoes So He Knows When They Are On The Right Feet

Image credits: MapReston

#3 True Hell On Earth For A Teenager. This Is A Parenting Hack

When my kids get in trouble, I remove their SIM card from their expensive phone and put it into a cheap unlocked Blackberry from the 2000s. This is a way to can still use a phone, but social media is almost non-existent.

Image credits: streetuner

Now, it goes without saying that parenting is definitely one of the harder challenges in life. A rewarding one, but a hard journey nonetheless.

With that said, the hacks you see in this listicle are a way to make things at least a tad bit easier, or maybe even the fruit of the hard work parents put into raising a good human being. A fruit that is creative parenting.

#4 That’s Clever

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#5 Parent Life Hack

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#6 How I Eat Candy Around My Kids

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But it doesn’t have to be hard. As long as you know what to do, that is half the battle.

One of the best things that you can do as a parent is to “feed your soul.” That means you have to find ways to rest, relax, and restore that which is in your core. You can call it “me time” in a sense—experience something for you every day.

#7 My Dad Put An Example Of Each Band-Aid On The Outside Of The Zip-Lock Bags

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#8 Tip For Having A Fun Halloween At Home

Ready for Halloween this week!! Since we are not doing trick-or-treating this year, I decided to do a boo-hunt with my kids. I will hide these little candy ghosts all over the house, turn off the lights, and then give my kids flashlights so they can go on the hunt. 

Image credits: Kiky0Sama

#9 I Took My 6-Year-Old Daughter’s Favorite Toy On A Work Trip With Me So She Wouldn’t Be Sad. Was A Lot Of Fun. She Loved It

Image credits: LamesBrady

By giving yourself a moment to not care about your parenting worries and instead doing something for you, you recharge. And with that, you can go on being a good parent.

If you cook, listen to what you want in the background. If you need to work, maybe do it in a cafe. If you just had lunch, take a walk around the neighborhood to fully use your lunch hour. Things like that.

#10 How Cute

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#11 Parenting Hacks For The Win

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#12 When Making Ice Cream Cones For The Kids (Or Yourself) Put A Marshmallow At The Bottom Before Adding Ice Cream. It Stops Any Drips That May Leak Out From The Bottom Of The Cone

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The next thing to note is that you are not alone. So, don’t try to brave it alone—build a tribe. Surround yourself with people who would cheer you on when the going gets rough. Sometimes, it’s an issue of not being able to let someone in, and other times you don’t have anyone. But if you make the effort, someone is sure to respond sooner or later.

#13 Parenting Win

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#14 $3 Worth Of Glow Sticks. Kids Went Nuts For It

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#15 I Get My Two Kids To Eat Extra Vegetables By Having A “Loudest Crunch Competition.” It’s Important That They Choose Their Own “Weapon”. The Winner Is Determined After 10 Rounds

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Another important thing to note is that you gotta stay you. Just because you have kids, that doesn’t mean you have to stop being yourself. Remember what you enjoy, who you were before kids and embrace it. Because nobody feels comfortable dancing to the tune of someone else’s song. Your song is the best fit for you. Incidentally, it can be the song you put on whilst cooking.

#16 Pro Tip: Zip-Tie The Bubble Wand Somewhere That The Kid Can’t Dump It Out But Can Still Dip It. You’re Welcome. Learned This After They Dumped The Third One Out On The Living Room Carpet

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#17 This Helps Not Only With Children, But Also With Spouses Who Are Hungry For Ice Cream. Excellent Idea

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#18 Parenting Hack: Buy Your Toddler A Dust Buster For Hours Of Entertainment And A Free House Cleaning

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You’d be surprised to see how apt kids are at sensing discrepancies in parents—even more so, it would be horrible for them to see that their parents are letting their dreams and ambitions die. So, pursue them. Make them work.

The author discussing this, Sarah Bragg, elaborated on how she pursued her dream of launching a podcast. In it, she talks to people about survival as a parent, inspiring hope for those who need it.

#19 I’m Not The Only One To AirTag Their Kid, Right?

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#20 Play Idea: Build After Me. I Build Something With Duplo And My 3-Year-Old Son Has To Build Exactly The Same. Then We Switch Roles

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#21 My 4-Year-Old Daughter Is Terrified Of Spiders, So I Put Some Body Spray And Water In This Bottle. She Sprays It Where She Doesn’t Want There To Be Spiders. My Whole House Smells Amazing

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Now, her daughter thinks it’s the coolest thing ever. Imagine seeing your mom being featured on iTunes alongside the likes of Taylor Swift. It’s as cool as having a Wikipedia page or having google auto-fill your name or something you’ve done but it is not yourself who’s googling you. Yeah, it’s that kind of rad.

#22 I Will Repeat My Best Dad Hack. It’ll Make Light Fluffy Hollandaise And Then Take Bubble Baths To The Next Level

Image credits: manaboutcowtown

#23 That Must Have Been A Great Day

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#24 Love This! Awesome Hack

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Like with many other aspects of life, there is no shame in asking for help. Ever. Parenting isn’t a one man gig. Your significant other can and should always help. Grandparents and parents, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, nieces and nephews all have the potential for helping out when parenting gets tough—and their involvement will only strengthen the bond of the family.

#25 “Hands On The Circle!” The Phrase We Say As We Jump Out Of The Car. The Circle Is The Gas Cap, And So Far, Has Kept All Kids Safe From Any Oncoming Traffic While I Unload The Trunk

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#26 Parenting Hack

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#27 We Drive Past McDonald’s On The Way To Daycare, And She Always Wants To Stop And Get Hash Browns. I Started Saving The Wrappers And Cooking Frozen Ones From Aldi’s Before We Leave

Image credits: Bobbaman77

Last, but certainly not least, stay positive. Being grumpy and negative never really amounts to anything, and especially not parenting. Be there for your kids, watch them grow as they explore and discover the world, encourage them and let them be a positive influence on you. Life is hard as it is—being salty about it all the time won’t help, so better not even start.

#28 Cut Foam Pool Noodles And Use As Door Bumpers To Prevent Little Fingers From Getting Caught In Doors

Image credits: MoJeffreys

#29 The Toddler Didn’t Want To Take Syrup. Adapt. Improvise. Overcome

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#30 Pro Tip: Pack A Squeegee In The Stroller Permanently, If You Live In A Rainy Climate & Visit Slides

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So, what are your thoughts on any of this? Have some parenting hacks that you found to be very helpful? Share them and any stories in the comment section below!

And if you want more parenting content, you don’t need to go anywhere, honestly.

#31 That’s Brilliant

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#32 Parenting The Gaming Generation

“Quests disappear when completed by Anyone.
Times are approximate, Rewards are not.
A clean room is its own reward.”

“Quest: The Brown Horror – clean the toilet (time: 20 min, reward: $5)”
“WANTED: Centipedes (Dead – $0.25, Alive- $1)”
“Quest: Dirty Reflection – clean all windows and mirrors (time: 45 min, reward: $8)”
“Quest: It sucks! – vacuum the living room (time: 15 min, reward: $3)”
“Quest: Artistic condition – organize the art drawer (time: 10 min, reward: $2)”

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#33 DIY Child’s Wheelchair. Child Almost Severed His Toe, Couldn’t Crawl/Walk, And Too Small For Wheelchair

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#34 Clothing Hack: Big Girl Shirts Can Make Cute Toddler Dresses. It Doesn’t Work With Everything, But With The Right Garment Sewing A Simple Pintuck On The Back Catches Things Up Nicely

Likewise, baby dresses can sometimes be repurposed as shirts for toddlers.

Image credits: StrangeInTheStars

#35 Cut Toilet Rolls Down And Use Them As Bridge Pillars For Your Kid’s Train/Car Tracks

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#36 When Deflating Pool Toys, Use A Small Clamp To Pinch The Inflation Tube Perfectly While You Lay, Lean, Or Sit On It

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#37 Keep Fingers Sticky-Free With This Fancy Ice Lolly Accessory (Cupcake Wrapper)

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#38 If Anyone Else Out There Has Crazy Wasteful Children And Wants To Keep Them From Pumping Giant Globs Of Soap, Tie A Ponytail Holder Or A Rubber Band On The “Pump” Part Of The Dispenser

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#39 They Look Gross But They Actually Taste Great

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#40 Daughter Wants To Work In The Garage With Her Dad And Needs Her Hair Pulled Back

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#41 Playing Tattoo Parlor. This Got Me 10 Minutes Of Laying Down Time

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#42 The Sticker Wall. My Kid’s Reward For Using The Potty Is He Can Pick A Sticker And Place It On The Wall

It worked very well when we first started potty training. Now after a few months, he mostly forgets he can grab a sticker after going.

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#43 The One-Year-Old Will Quickly Develop Throwing Skills

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#44 I Appreciate The Kid Limiting Himself To The Space Provided

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#45 Tummy Time Hack! Christmas Lights. You Don’t Even Have To Unravel Them! My Baby Screamed During Every Tummy Time, And My Friend Suggested This. It Works

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#46 Especially Helpful If Your Husband Is Like Mine And Looks For Things With His Eyes Closed

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#47 My Mother Made A Framed Sheet To Help Me Do Laundry More

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#48 Reusable Water Balloons Are The Toy That I Wish Existed When I Was A Kid

I had no idea these existed until we were gifted them last week. So cool… No mess, easy to fill, super fun to pop, 18-month-old, 5-year-old, mom, & dad are all obsessed. Has anyone else discovered these recently? 

Image credits: famous_mockingbirds

#49 Kids Got A Noisy Toy? Put Some Tape Over The Speaker To Cut The Volume. Best Part Is, If You Use Clear Tape They Won’t See It

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#50 The Best Dad Hack So Far. Have A Fussy Toddler Who Refuses To Eat? Put It On A Skewer, Snip Off The Sharp End, Then Watch Them Eat The Very Same Thing They Refused Seconds Before

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#51 Parents With Long-Haired Kids: Keep A Spare Hair Tie Or Two Wrapped Around Your Watch Strap To Tie Their (Or Your) Hair Back When Engaging In Potentially Messy Activities

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#52 Such A Great Idea – These Little Things That Can Encourage Independence Are Very Valuable

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#53 2-Year-Old Kept Taking Mommy’s Phone For The Poppy Thing On The Back, So I 3D Printed Him A Phone And Stuck One On

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#54 Sick Kid? The Silicone Bibs With A Pocket Aren’t Just Great For Catching Food During Mealtime, They’re Also Great For Catching Food After Mealtime

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#55 Made Butternut Squash Soup Last Week, Which Kids Didn’t Like. Made It Again, Added Pasta, Called It My Special Sauce And They Ate It All

Parenting is just really one massive lie after another.

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#56 If You Have One Of These Wagons And Get Groceries Delivered, Have Them Put The Groceries In The Wagon. That Way You Can Make One Trip From The Front Door To The Kitchen Instead Of 5 Million

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#57 I Bought A Chess Board And Have It Permanently Set Up On A Dedicated Table At Home, The Kids Play It Every Day Now. Huge Dad Hack

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#58 Game-Changing Toilet Seat

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#59 For Parents. Chip Clip Sucker Stand

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#60 This Is So Smart

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#61 Parenting Advice

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#62 Put A Rubber Band Around Your Hanging Towel If Your Kid Is Pulling Your Kitchen Towels Down

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#63 Keep Toddlers Out Of Kitchen Drawers By Inserting A Yardstick Into The Handles

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#64 My Mom Is Using The Charger As A Leash Because He Won’t Follow Us Otherwise

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#65 Parent Hack. I’m Sure The Kids Won’t Find The Ice Cream Here

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#66 Two-Dollar Lint Roller, And Some Knee Time. Kid’s Bathroom Is Finally Free Of Glitter

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#67 Keep Your Toddler From Rolling Out Of Bed With Pool Noodles

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#68 Genius Using A Stroller Bag Hook To Carry All Of The Kids’ Water Bottles And Sippy Cups

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#69 Sometimes, When I Need To Get Work Done, I Give My Daughter A Dead Controller And Put On A YouTube Video For Her To “Play”. Parent Hack

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#70 Put Cheerios Or Other Toddler Appropriate Snack In A Sandwich Baggie Inside Your Own Popcorn. When They Try To Steal It Give Them Those Instead Of Your Popcorn

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#71 Perfect Playpen When You’re On Dad Duty But Also Want To Get Work Done In The Shop

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#72 If Your Daughter Wants Your Eyeshadows, Pop Them Out, Put Some Nail Polish In Them, And Give Her A Set Of Her Own With Different Colors

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#73 “Look, Dad, I Can Walk On Water”

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