https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 20 Jun 2026 09:07:11 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks/page/2#post-2852876 Tue, 23 Oct 2018 14:51:52 +0000 LadyDi 2852876@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know if this is a hack or if this is just what everyone does but I have found that the best baby toy is just a basket full of random stuff. So on every floor of my house I have a different basket that's stuffed with random lovies, teethers, rattles, small stuffed animals, binkies, etc. I just plunk DS2 (8 months) in front of one and he plays with it for sooo much longer than any of the other larger and flashier baby toys that we have. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks/page/2#post-2852867 Tue, 23 Oct 2018 14:13:14 +0000 Mommy Finger 2852867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@codeitall: We don't fold either. It's a great hack!</p> <p>I also only have one nice outfit per kid. They wear it for every holiday and family pictures. It's a struggle to get my boys to wear "handsome" clothes so it wasn't worth the expense. They now know what to expect. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks/page/2#post-2852779 Tue, 23 Oct 2018 08:49:26 +0000 LadyDi 2852779@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hummusgirl: Hahaha, I feel like that would be more effective with DH than with my kids :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks/page/2#post-2852741 Mon, 22 Oct 2018 21:57:41 +0000 hummusgirl 2852741@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When my kids aren't doing what I ask, I use a British accent. It's terrible but it resets the mood and works a good 80% of the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks/page/2#post-2852718 Mon, 22 Oct 2018 17:53:27 +0000 codeitall 2852718@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We skip pajamas. My kids only wear comfy clothes anyway, so there's not much difference to them.</p> <p>We got IKEA bins in a Kallax instead of a dresser and just sort by long vs short sleeve vs pants. No folding in this house.</p> <p>We stick the kid toothbrushes in the dishwasher. They always end up using them to 'clean' something, so that kind of restores them for teeth cleaning.</p> <p>Not so much a hack as a convenience, but my daughter's hair didn't really start growing till she was 15 months, that's a ton of time I didn't have to wrestle stuff into her hair!</p> <p>I tell my kids to hide when I need 30 seconds to just finish something. Then I go tickle them.</p> <p>Kroger stores have free fruit for kids while you shop, I think that's the only time my son eats fruit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852451 Sun, 21 Oct 2018 19:44:35 +0000 Mrs. Toad 2852451@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JCCovi: I have standardized socks for all of us as well. I do match socks for adults and DS, but only after he moved up to size 4T socks. Until then, matching isn't worth it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852390 Sun, 21 Oct 2018 07:06:09 +0000 hitchhiker 2852390@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JCCovi: good luck! I will say it worked really well for me the first couple days, then it fell off for a few days and now that it's been over a month they totally expect it and respond to it (most days!). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852381 Sat, 20 Oct 2018 20:07:06 +0000 JCCovi 2852381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hitchhiker: Just sent Alexa to play songs starting Monday morning! Fingers crossed!</p> <p>@Mrs. Toad: We have also standardized all our socks! The kids share 1 color/style and my husband and I share 1 color/style. (My husband also has dress socks). We do fold them but we never worry about matching!</p> <p>My kids share a room and we have a lot of trouble with them calming down and going to sleep, we have started incentivizing the first one to quiet down by letting them choose xx in the morning. What breakfast everyone has, what podcast we listen to in the car, etc. Then it's kind of a race/competition to fall asleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852316 Sat, 20 Oct 2018 08:10:09 +0000 Lindsay05 2852316@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For whining, I don’t get angry. I just calmly say “I can’t understand you when you talk like that.” I say it as many times as I need to until my child states what they want when they are no longer whining. It might not be a huge “hack” but it was advice given by our psychologist at work and it has worked like a dream. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852308 Sat, 20 Oct 2018 02:01:43 +0000 GoGoSnoGirl 2852308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hitchhiker: love the song list idea! </p> <p>After some really challenging days recently between my 3yo &amp; me battling over getting basic things done like getting dressed or out the door or ready for bed, we borrowed an idea from preschool &amp; made our own "solutions box". We sat on the floor and wrote out note cards of things we could do instead of fight &amp; she decorated each card. Her first idea was "don't fight, do what mommy says" &amp; I added some like "Stop! Let's hug!" and "I have something to say" so that we can hopefully head off the battles &amp; improve our communication. Because she helped make them &amp; can go pick out a card from our pencil box to help "solve" our battle of the moment, she seems to feel like she doesn't have to hide, yell or fight me on stuff quite as much. It hasn't solved everything &amp; we are only a few days in, but worth the try for sure! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852306 Sat, 20 Oct 2018 01:59:31 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2852306@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>These are some really good hacks!</p> <p>For a little while the pharmacies near me did not have the flavoring to put into medicine. I let LO squeeze a drop of Crystal Lite into his dose, I’d mix, put it in the syringe and voila problem solved.</p> <p>Zoli snack cups! I bought these for LO’s first plane ride. They stay put on an airplane tray, neatly stack for easy transporting in my bag or LO’s backpack. The contents- fruit of carby snacks stay fresh. They also help me with portion control. We use these all the time. These make a good “real” bowl substitute. I have put cottage cheese &amp; mandarin oranges in them for a snack. </p> [attach=3033/18/pgvyjl.416x268.4C2E45AC-9C1C-467A-8676-CE912A6F8F73.jpeg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852305 Fri, 19 Oct 2018 23:19:19 +0000 bees_knees 2852305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lioneyes: so smart! When we are crowded places I dress my kids alike so I only have to look for one outfit 😂 BUT I recently saw a family with 4 boys who dressed them all in neon yellow hats! I thought that was genius. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852296 Fri, 19 Oct 2018 21:18:37 +0000 Mrsbells 2852296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I cut some of my aden &amp; anais swaddle blankets in half for a warm weather inside layer of a double swaddle. This inside layer just wraps over the arms and under their back similar to a miracle blanket. Then I use a full size blanket to do a regular swaddle over it. They absolutely cannot get out of this swaddle! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852282 Fri, 19 Oct 2018 18:33:50 +0000 lioneyes 2852282@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I dress DS in something very bright (neon t shirt or bright orange shorts) when we are going somewhere crowded where he won’t be attached to me (Museum, Trampoline Place, etc.) so I can always keep and eye on him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852152 Fri, 19 Oct 2018 04:50:49 +0000 hitchhiker 2852152@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Hypatia: I have girls, so we l listen to girl power songs: Run the World (Beyonce), Girl on Fire (Alicia Keys), and You've Got a Friend (Carol King). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852146 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 22:40:19 +0000 Hypatia 2852146@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Orb you search for audiobooks kids on Spotify, there’s a huge number of short books for kids. My favorites are Beatrix Potter books narrated by Vivian Leigh (in her beautiful native English accent, not the Scarlet O’Hara accent, ha). </p> <p>There are also a ton of Disney short audiobooks that combine a narrator with voices from the actual movies. I’m torn about those because to me, they’re more fluff than I’d like, but the narrator they chose for all the books is Roy Dotrice. I love, love Roy Dotrice (he narrated the Game of Thrones books). So it kind of makes me feel better about them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852145 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 22:31:49 +0000 Hypatia 2852145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i found this song on Spotify (Let’s Tidy Up by Amanda Wheeler). The style is kind of reminiscent of the Beatles. Catchy but not super annoying like 99% of children’s songs. </p> <p><a href="https://youtu.be/ZOIOI5hnrDg" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/ZOIOI5hnrDg</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852144 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 22:04:45 +0000 Hypatia 2852144@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hitchhiker: What songs do you use? Just curious!</p> <p>I might use Yakety Yak by The Coasters. I know the song doesn’t necessarily have to be about cleaning, but it’s kind of upbeat and fun. </p> <p><a href="https://youtu.be/-WfDYssJMqs" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/-WfDYssJMqs</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852143 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 21:39:05 +0000 wrkbrk 2852143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hitchhiker: Well this is genius. !!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852142 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 21:38:45 +0000 wrkbrk 2852142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MenagerieMama: amazing - added to cart 💁🏼‍♀️ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852119 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 16:48:52 +0000 jhd 2852119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hitchhiker: love the playlist idea! My 4 yo had a meltdown yesterday because I’m “always telling him what to do!” </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852117 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 16:43:43 +0000 MenagerieMama 2852117@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@KT326: it does! My LO is all over the place and it does a great job. The trick is to get it up under the pillow a bit to help anchor it. We have the smaller size and it spans the twin bed width and goes down to her feet I think (she’s 4). If she was super all over the bed I would get the bigger size. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852116 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 16:30:31 +0000 KT326 2852116@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MenagerieMama: that peapod mat looks amazing! Does it really stay in place? My son can be a wild sleeper. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852100 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 15:38:54 +0000 MenagerieMama 2852100@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Peapod mat for night potty training. I couldn't be bothered with the layering sheet situation, this I can just whip off and get her back to bed! Super absorbant, doesn't crinkle and stays put. <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/PeapodMats-Waterproof-Breathable-Bedwetting-Incontinence/dp/B076G754NX/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1539894878&#038;sr=8-2-spons&#038;keywords=peapod+mat&#038;psc=1" rel="nofollow">https://smile.amazon.com/PeapodMats-Waterproof-Breathable-Bedwetting-Incontinence/dp/B076G754NX/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1539894878&#038;sr=8-2-spons&#038;keywords=peapod+mat&#038;psc=1</a></p> <p>Get Wrench! It's a national, mobile mechanic service. Disclaimer: this is my first try and they are literally in my driveway right now, so TBD. But we've put off taking the car in because I couldn't figure out how to shuffle the cars around and get everyone to work/daycare and not be stuck somewhere with the kids going crazy. So they will come and do anything, even while your car is parked at work! Hopefully won't be mad money :shocked: </p> <p>Shipt - delivers groceries from several stores in our area, I don't use it as much now, but we used to live in a food desert and when LO2 was a baby it was a lifesaver! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852098 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 15:32:41 +0000 hitchhiker 2852098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I set our sonos to play a spotify playlist 10 minutes before we have to leave in the morning. I call the first song the clean up song, the second song the "shoes on" song, and we walk out the door during the third song. After a few weeks, they have a pavlovian response most days - song goes on, clean up starts. DD1 (5.5 yrs) likes it so much that she asked for a getting dressed playlist so I'll stop nagging her to get dressed faster. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852094 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 15:11:07 +0000 bees_knees 2852094@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>These are seriously mind blowing!</p> <p>@peaches1038: TOTALLY trying the "waiting hands" thing, it looks like something my kids would respond well to! and @Mrs. Toad: I HAAAATE baby socks! This is genius! And @looch: I didn't even know Stitch Witchery was thing!! I need it stat!</p> <p>Keep them coming, these are great!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852061 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 13:04:00 +0000 Mommy Finger 2852061@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@CatchAFallingStar: DS2 is going to be Blippi for Halloween and thankfully my mom sews and has taken care of the costume. We looked him up and he's worth $12M!!! My mom now calls him that rich weirdo. :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852029 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 10:46:42 +0000 looch 2852029@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I use a hanging organizer in my son's closet and I put a week's worth of outfits in there for him.</p> <p>For his pants, I buy based on length, which means the waist is often big. So for drawstring pants, I use toggle clips that I purchase on amazon so he can adjust them.</p> <p>I use stitch witchery to make short sleeved shirts long sleeved ones...when my son grows out of or stains a shirt, I cut the sleeves and I use them to extend the life of a short sleeved shirt into cool weather. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852024 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 10:27:21 +0000 Ajsmommy 2852024@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Love this thread.. if only I could think of anything to add... hmmmm </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mom-hacks#post-2852014 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 09:39:44 +0000 Mrs. Toad 2852014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Buy all white baby socks and keep them in a bra wash bag. Have two bra wash bags and keep clean in one bag and dirty in the other. I never fold baby socks and they don't get lost in the washer/dryer. </p>