Parenting hacks?

[bobj]

@dp797 Laundry. Everybody gets their own basket and has to do it themselves. (Of course littles get help). We use the strip laundry detergent so there is no goopy mess from accidents.
Cleaning. Everybody clears dishes and cleans up their own mess and does their one chore...this is a work in progress. Lol. We have designated screen time so if you're stuff isn't done, no tv or games for you until it is and if you miss the first 10 minutes of screen time cuz you had to clean up your morning mess, you don't get it back (this is a huge motivator in our house).

Food. We also do the semi planned dinner schedule with super easy recipes in the cupboard for rough days. I like hamburger helper but instead of meat i throw in a can of green beans and a can of rinsed black beans. We use a lot of frozen or canned veg n fruit. If we do get fresh, i or partner try to prep it all at once (on grocery day) so it is ready to go.
Slow cookers yes, hot dishes yes, if I'm spending a lot of time (over 20 min) cooking, there better be enough to freeze some for round 2 next week. Lol.

 

[katrina2017]

@bobj My most time consuming chore around the house is cooking. And we got 6 kids. But reading your comment made me realize I can have my life so much easier if quit trying to go overboard all the time. I was raised as an only child by my Mexican grandmother who would cook a full course meal every evening. It’s been difficult to condition myself out of that mentality but after reading this I think I’ll do better!

 

[bobj]

@katrina2017 It is hard to do quick and healthy and/or quick and not blah. I'd love to cook a full meal more often. It definitely tastes better.

 

[btyler101]

@dp797 I have 4 kids and they don’t take a bath or shower every day. I actually think it can make their skin dry if you do it every day in the winter. (Mine are 9 and under, and all out of diapers.)

 

[bevel]

@btyler101 We are an every-other-day shower house here too.

 

[marke2]

@btyler101 Same. Baths once a week in the winter, more often in spring/summer, but not every day. In the summer, when it's really hot and sticky, I'll sometimes throw all the kids in a (cold-ish) bath with their bathing suits on before pajamas just to get the day's grime off.

 

[lesigny]

@dp797 We have four girls. We were originally mixing all their laundry together but it was a total headache sorting stuff to put away because it was always vague as to what belonged to whom...especially for clothes that were recently passed down and I didn’t get that memo. We started sorting dirty clothes into two baskets: one for girls #1 and #3 and one for girls #2 and #4. That way, once the clothes are clean, it is clear which belongs to which kid—the bigger kid or the younger kid out of each group. It sounds totally trivial but it’s helped a lot with getting laundry put away by taking out that constant decision-making sorting step when folding.

Also, our ages range from 2-8, and we don’t have ‘normal’ bedrooms in that all four girls have the master bedroom I our house with the master en suite bathroom. It helps a lot at bed time cause it allows us to just herd them all into the one room, the bathroom is right there with two sinks, it’s got more space, etc. And then checking on them or helping them at night is easier because they are all together. Then my wife and I use the other two bedrooms for beds/offices/homeschool classroom.

 

[frankdun3]

@lesigny We’re building a new house and our biggest hang up is weather to keep the oversized master suite or turn it. Into 2/3 bedrooms so the kids each have their own rooms with extra bedrooms for playroom or offices. You just solidified my idea of putting all 4 of them in the master until they get a little older. I love this idea!

 

[dp797]

@lesigny Ohhh I love this! We’re about to have the third girl & we get the folding mixed up so often!

 

[string_theory]

@dp797 Also a mom of four, ages 2 months to 10 years. My hack: Meal planning. I don’t do it.

Monday: pasta

Tuesday: tacos

Wednesday: breakfast for dinner

Thursday: soup or salad

Friday: homemade pizza

Saturday: my choice

Sunday: takeout or leftovers

There’s a lot of freedom in this plan. Like I could make creamy tomato basil soup with fresh bread if I have the time. Or, if the baby is clingy all day, I can crack open a can of chicken noodle and serve it with crackers. I’m sitting here with littlest miss who’s refusing to be anywhere but my arms knowing that all I have to do for dinner tonight is make pancakes from a mix and scramble some eggs. Bam, dinner is done.

 

[alabarre09]

@string_theory Four kids as well and this truly does resemble our meals for the week!!! Love it.

 

[dp797]

@string_theory I like your list it leaves room for interpretation! My husband is a restaurant manager & his schedule is crazy so half the time he’s not even with us for dinner but this is a list my kids would totally go for! Thanks!

 

[renob]

@string_theory This is BRILLIANT! Consider it stolen.

 

[string_theory]

@renob Excellent! Hope it helps your family life go smoother!

 

[mollyanne]

@string_theory Also was just talking about meal planning with my partner. This can also get the kids to eat new things, as in when they detest it the first time, they will come to anticipate it next week.

 

[katrina2017]

@dp797 Get a push fold wagon!!! I just got one from creative outdoor and it’s been a total game changer. I used to use my double stroller but the wagon is so much easier. My older two are 9 and 6 and my younger two are 2 and 3 months. I usually have my 1 year old nephew. The wonder folds might be more suitable for your age group of kiddos though.

For my toddler and infants laundry I sort outfits out and put them all on one hanger pants folded over the bottom of the hanger and shirts over the top with bloomers hung over the hooks. It makes it really easy to just grab clothes and go, it also keeps my husband from dressing them in crazy mix-matched outfits.

I organized my kitchen and fridge so my kids can grab snacks whenever they want. I usually just have them ask before they grab a snack though.

 

[danielwright2311]

@katrina2017 Snacks are useful. I would recommend mixing them up every so often and not buying the same ones all the time. I have easy access snacks, unlimited in my house, but I think they're getting burnt out from eating the same ones. Post pandemic woes.

 

[righteousnation]

@dp797 everytime the adults shrug with a "it will be fine" it is usually fine...

if it can be done by a machine, let it...

dont have too many unesseccary items, whats the minimum number of clothing items needed? thats the ideal number.
(also for adults)

every thing in the household needs cleaning and maintenance, so if its not contributing with anything, does it deserve the attention, time and effort?

prioritizing taking time out to be one and one with each kid from time to time, that makes everything easier afterwards.

involving the kids in anything beats having to keep them away, a kid wants to cook? kids knife! a kid wants to help building something? let them help out where they can...

find time to be adults together, make the time rather.... sleep is overrated anyway...

 

[missh84]

@dp797 First can I just say, congratulations! How exciting. =D

I don't have many great tricks, really. But I do try to find shortcuts for things I don't like or have trouble getting done.

The main two are dishes: I listen to podcasts while I cook and clean it up.

And laundry: I never folded baby clothes because they seemed too small at first, and I still don't! Now I sort the clothes into pants and shirts and jammies and set the piles in front of their dressers. My 6 year old and 5 year old put their clothes in their drawers. Obviously I put away the outfits for the two smaller children.

One thing I will add: I had about 12 meals frozen (some in a bag and some homemade), and that made the transition to 4 so so so much easier. It was so difficult to juggle everyone, but I felt more relaxed about having my husband help me with stuff around the house and the other 3 children because I knew dinner was already made!

 

[richard334]

@missh84 I second podcasts or something while you cook or do housework. I always use this as my me time especially when my kids were younger! Music or a video or tv show while you do your daily housework makes life so much more enjoyable