Good advice doesn’t just lay around. Unless you recently became a father and feel anxious or even overwhelmed in your new role. In that case, you can find a wealth of wisdom and support on the subreddit r/DadIt.
This online community has 1.2 million members, many of which are experienced parents, happily sharing their tips and encouragement.
#1 Pro Tip: Buy A Backup
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#2 Best Dad Hack So Far. Fussy Toddler Refusing 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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#3 Almost Stepped On A Nail In My Yard. I Got A $10 Magnetic Sweeper From Harbor Freight And Found All Of This. All In Places Myself, Partner And Kids Walk Barefoot All The Time
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#4 Dad Hack: Use A Diaper To Hold Your Diapers
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#5 This Got Me 10 Minutes Of Laying Down Time
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#6 Dad Pro Tip: Fragile Snacks Travel Well In Cheap A** Glasses Cases
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#7 Dad-Tip: Add Grip Tape To Help A Slippery Bunk Bed Ladder!
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#8 Dad Pro Tip: Super Hot Food Can Be Cooled With A Hairdryer
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#9 Pro Tip: Have Em Paint With Water. Keep Em Busy For A Solid 20min
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#10 Dad Hack: Flatten The Ground Beef As Much As You Can For Easy Freezer Storage And Quick Defrost
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#11 Simple Dad Hack Has Saved Our Ankles!
Jimminy flipping Cricket am I glad that I finally got around to adding these pool noodles to the walker. Now when the little guy comes flying across the kitchen to crash into our bare feet, it’s a sensation of joy instead of a plethora of curse words, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. If there is one smidgen of wisdom I can share with my fellow dads it is this… dollar store pool noodles are chef’s kiss
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#12 Wipe Hack For Us Struggling Dad’s. Guaranteed 1 Wipe Per Pull
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#13 Dad Pro Tip #72 – Teach Your Kids How To Cook Early And Involve Them In Meal Prep. They Will Be Less Picky Eaters And Make Healthier Food Choices Down The Road
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#14 Daddit Pro Tip
Keep a gallon zip top bag with a spare set of clothes, diaper and wipes stashed in your car.
Been saved a few times when we forgot the diaper bag and had an accident
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#15 Pro Tip: Freeze All The Fruit Scraps From Lunches And Snacks, Even If They Sit Out Overnight And Use Them In Smoothies
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#16 Pro Tip: When Your Kids Start Asking For Capri Sun, Just Stick A Straw In A Packet Of Fresh Mozzarella And Tell ‘Em That’s Capri Sun. Should Buy You A Few More Years
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#17 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 In The Living Room Carpet
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#18 Pro Tip.. Give Your Kid A Wireless Door Bell
So our kids (3 and 2) share a room and the 3 year old yells when they need a wee and wakes up her younger sister. Got her this door bell and she can now silently let us know she needs us.
Has worked perfectly all week
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#19 Pro-Tip: Pack A Squeegee In The Stroller Permanently, If You Live In A Rainy Climate & Visit Slides
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#20 Dad Pro Tip: Lower The Volume Of Annoying Toys By Soldering A Resistor In Series With The Speaker
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#21 Pro Dad Tip – Remember Your Partner Needs Around 600 Calories More Per Day If Breastfeeding! I Prepare A Snack Platter Each Night For My Special Lady
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#22 My Baby Needs To Take Medicine But Goes Crazy At The Sight Of The Syringe, And Will Spit It All Out. She Loves To Drink From A Straw Though, So I Learned A Little Life Hack. I Drop The Medicine In The Straw And Give It To Her Like It’s A Normal Drink. Fools Her Every Time
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#23 My Number One Tip For All Dads, Take As Many Pics As You Can! Cell Phone Cameras Are Amazing Nowadays And Your Kids Will Grow Too Fast!
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#24 Dad Tip: When Asked To Go To Costco For A Diaper Run Always Remember To Pick Yourself Up One Of These Because You Deserve It
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#25 I Won’t Call It A Pro Dad Tip But A Good Tip Either Way. Add A Carabiner To Your Edc. Definitely Nice To Have A Third Hand When Needed Lol
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#26 Dad Tip: Make A Blanket Fort. Kids Are Entertained, Wife Comes Home Thinking You Did Something Great And Time Consuming For Them. Win, Win, Win
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#27 Dad Hack: Kid Only Eats Half A Banana? Cut The Peel And Save The Other Half. Works Great!
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#28 Parent Life Hack: Play A Video Of Last Year’s Countdown So Your Kid Can Go To Bed On Time!
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#29 Life Hack: To Avoid Getting Your Freshly Dressed Baby Messy During Feeding Times, Use A Backwards Sleepsuit Buttoned Around The Legs Of The Baby Chair As An Effective Bib
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#30 Monsters Under The Bed?
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#31 Tent Sandbox. Play Time Has Never Been Better Or More Engaging. [tips And Tricks]
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#32 It’s Not Much, But I Made This Play Board For My Little Guy. It Was Inspired By Something I Saw In This Sub
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#33 Dad Protip: Tape A Piece Of Tubing Inside The Diaper Pail To Avoid The Impenetrable Vacuum Effect On Overstuffed Bags
Anyone else feel like they were about rip the bag of nuclear waste in half trying to remove it? I used a piece of old curtain rod, and sanded off burrs. Has been working for 2+ years now
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#34 Use A Vaccuum Sealer To Seal Some Glitter And Water In A Bag And Use Painter’s Tape To Stick It To The High Chair Table
Hours of fun for next to nothing and clean up/reapplication is a breeze. Note: Ziploc’s DON’T work for this, and don’t use weird shaped(pointy) glitter.
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#35 Dad Pro Tip: Make Extra And Freeze
When I make a large batch of pancakes or waffles, what doesn’t get eaten gets cooled on a wire rack and frozen. I put wax paper between them so they don’t freeze together. Nuke for three for 40 seconds
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#36 Pro-Tip: Life Has Gotten A Lot Simpler Since I Convinced My Toddler That A Roll Of Blue Masking Tape Is An Infinite Supply Of Stickers
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#37 Daddit Pro Tip: You Are Paying For The Family Photo Shoot; Don’t Hesitate To Try Something Fun
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#38 I Have 3 Daughters, I Get Way Too Much Attention For This Simple Life Hack
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#39 Toddler Hack While At Subway
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#40 Dad Pro Tip: Check Your Grocery Store Clearance Bins!
$0.45 cents a piece! My 2.5 year ild is going to be in heaven for under $10 on christmas
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#41 Cookie Decorating Hack
I had the idea to use old medicine syringes to decorate Christmas cookies. It worked great! Lots of control.
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#42 Lazy Dad Hack
For those parents of small kids. You know the pain of bending over and pushing them in their vehicle or choice when their legs get tired.
I made this from a dowel and a wall hanger I had left over. The hooks allow you to put it under handlebars and pull, or you can push from the back.
Save your spines!
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#43 Life Hack: Save Time And Have Your Toddlers Fold The Laundry!
The 4 year old daughter is very good at folding. My 2 year old son likes to was the socks into balls and hand them to me
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#44 Best Potty Training Hack Ever
The Reward system is working for our 2.5 yr old. She about 90% there and wanting to use her potty exclusively. Every potty trip she picks one candy and gets lots of verbal praise. She only wears a diaper to bed and most of the time doesn’t even wet her diaper over night. She’s very proud of herself and my wallet is also very happy. I think it’s also worth mentioning this is the only candy we allow her to have. We aren’t too strict on her diet but we don’t allow her any other candy or sweets (unless she catches us eating it)
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#45 Dad Pro Tip – Those Massive Pregnancy Pillows Have A Second Use When Little One Is First Learning To Sit Up. But Then They Should Be Sacrificially Burned And Buried
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#46 Dad Hack #367
Protecting the door from hitting the car next to us. It was a tight squeeze trying to get baby into the car seat.
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#47 My Hack To Keep Curious Little Fingers From Important Switches
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#48 Infinite Capacity Hack
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#49 Dad Hack: Ultrasonic Parts Cleaner For Those Crazy To Clean Injection Molded Corners On Breast Pump Parts
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#50 Craft Hack: When They Run Out Of Things To Paint From The Craft Package, Unfold The Frozen Pizza Box That Held Tonight’s Dinner. Voila, Instant Canvas
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#51 Didn’t Feel Like Spending Hundreds On An Upstairs Gate, So I Hacked This Together. All I Used Was A Handsaw And A Power Drill. Would Recommend This Project To Any New Parents With Basic Woodworking Skills
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#52 Easy Dad Points Tip I Picked Up This Weekend: Duct Tape And Sharpie = Road
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#53 [tips And Tricks] Pro Dad Tip: Warm A Bottle By Filling A Yeti, Or Similar Insulated, Cup With Hot Water. Drop The Bottle In The Cup And Wait. You’re Bottle Will Be Hot And Ready To Go When You Need It
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#54 Pro Tip For Any Young’uns Who Find Apple Skin Tough
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#55 Pumpkin Carving Pro Tip
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#56 [tips And Tricks] My Daughter (15 Months) Loves Pressing The Power Button; No More!
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#57 Dad Pro Tip: House Shoes – I Prefer The Grizzly Clog From Haflinger – Step On Legos And Blocks With Impunity
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#58 Daddit Pro Tip: Get Your Kid Some “Scooping” And “Pouring” Toys To Play With In The Tub. They Really Like Playing With Them, It’s Good For Their Hand Eye Co-Ordination Pouring One To The Other. Importantly, They Can Be Used To Scoop Out And Pour The Poop Into The Toilet When They Poop In The Tub!
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#59 Pro Tip: Almost All Cat Toys And Baby Toys Are Interchangeable
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#60 Prodadtip: Grow Out Your Beard So You Can See How Good Your Kid Will Look With A Toupee One Day!
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#61 New Dad’s (Like Me), I Give You: The Metal Bowl
Found this pro tip on accident, turns out to be a bit of a game changer. Among other things, it is a (noisemaking) toy, exercise equipment (for those learning to kneel/crawl), a toy storage device, toy organizing container, and means of toy transportation
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#62 Use A Kitchen Scale To Monitor Your Infant’s Growth!
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#63 Dadprotip: Goodwill, Craigslist, And Strong Disinfectant!!!
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#64 Pro-Tip: For Those With Little Ones Learning To Walk, This Has Been The Real Mvp…
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#65 Dad Pro Tip: Pierce The Foil Before Opening That Way You Don’t Get Sprayed With Formula When You Own
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#66 I Light Up My Son’s (18mo) Bottle Like A Quest Item So He Can Always Find It Easily
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#67 Pro Dad Tip: If You Need Your Two Year-Old Occupied For A Bit, Just Make Her Try To Put On Her Own Socks. Hours Of Diversion
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#68 Dad Pro Tip: Watermelons Travel Best In Car Seats
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#69 Dad Pro Tip: Wake Up First So You Can Eat Leftover Pizza For Breakfast. Do As I Say, Not As You Don’t Know I Do
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#70 Dad Hack – Installed Cup Holders On Swing Set
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#71 Parenting Hack
If your three-year-old is anything like mine, she absolutely loves listening to Disney soundtracks constantly and as we all know, it is easy to be driven insane by listening to the same song 3000 times in a row. I recently found a refurbished iPod nano that was fairly inexpensive and put all her favorite soundtracks on there. Now when she wants to listen to music, she just asks for her iPod, and listens on headphones. Since the nano is pretty much only a music player, there are no apps or videos, just music. No more asking for our phones or yelling at us to change the music we’re already listening to. Not sure, but iPod nano could be the move
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#72 Found A Hack For Short Hikes. Mantracking
We live near a state park/forest and my wife and I like hikes. HOWEVER with a younger kids it can be a pain. It’s either too slow for the adults to get decent exercise or take FOREVER because of groaning, wanting to pick up every rock, etc.
Today I had an idea.
My wife took a head start and set clues at intersections and landmarks to show the way she went. The kids and I looked for the clues to “track” and “catch Mommy.” They took turns being the “clue finder.”
My wife slowed to a stop near the end of the trail and waited to be “caught.”
Result?
She got an actual home at her pace. The kids hiked farther and faster than normal. They got practice taking turns, being observant, and thinking critically.
Your mileage may vary, but I recommend giving it a try
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#73 Life Hack: This “Camp Flooring” Makes The Perfect Shower Flooring. My Daughter Can Crawl Around Safely, Has Fun Getting Under The Water, It’s Comfy To Sit Down On To Wash Her. It’s Water Resistant And Anti Microbial
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#74 Took My Kids Geocaching For The First Time Today. Best Activity To Make Hiking Even More Fun!
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#75 Having A Bad Day? Have Your Kid Make A Funny Face And Take A Picture Through A Paper Towel Tube. Instant Amazing Phone Background Picture To Cheer You Up
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#76 Thank You Daddit For This Bathroom Hack! Worked Great For My Sensory Kiddos
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#77 A Quick And Easy Taco Soup Recipe That Has Been Clutch For Me In Those Days Where There’s No Time
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#78 Easter Dad Hack. Give Your Kids Claws To Pick Up Easter Eggs And Enjoy A Little Extra Peace
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#79 Pro Tip: Facebook Marketplace For Dirt Cheap Train Tracks
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#80 Dad Pro Tip: Syringe City
For anyone (like us, haha) that has +10 Infant Tylenol syringes in a drawer, this tip is for you.
Some medications (like Tylenol, ibuprofen, and Benadryl in the US) come in the same concentration for Infant and Children’s. The difference is that the infant version has a lid to draw up the liquid into a syringe, and is $$. Check to make sure the mg/ml are equivalent, though, so you don’t give too much of whatever medicine
Instead, you can buy the Children’s version and one of these stoppers. Pop the stopper in and leave it until the bottle is empty.
To draw it up:
•Add air to the syringe in about the amount of liquid you’ll be drawing
•Place the syringe into the top of the bottle
•Flip the whole thing upside
•Push the air into the bottle, draw up the liquid • Flip right side up, pull out the syringe.
If you do it confidently and well, your lady will probably think it’s sexy, too! May the odds be ever in your favor this Sick Season, my dudes.
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#81 Dad Tip: Broken Straps On Restaurant High Chair? Daddy’s Belt To The Rescue
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#82 Dad Tip: If You Need To Work, The Baby Has No Problem Passing Out On Your Arms While Typing
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#83 Leftover Birthday Party Chicky Nuggy Sesame Chicken ??
Just feeling very dadly with this dinner. I ordered way too much chicken for our 3year old’s birthday party because we must. not. run. out. Remembering a tip from Kenji Lopez-Alt’s book about using restaurant/fast food chicken in some of the fried and sauced chicken recipes, I volunteered for dinner duty and we had some damn fine sesame chicken with steamed broccoli and rice. Not our lowest sugar intake day but kids ate it up and the wife was bartering with me for leftovers
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