As moms, we’re always learning new tips and tricks to make mom life easier. Here are 30 of my best mom hacks. Read and then let me know what you’d add!
This blog post was originally written in 2018 but I’ve added to it since then as I’ve come up with more tips and “mom hacks”. Thanks for reading! As usual, this article contains some affiliate links.
I’ve been a mom for almost 9 years now (HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!) Over the past almost-decade I’ve gradually learned some different little things that I can do to make life run a bit smoother in my home.
When I originally wrote this post several years ago I first sat down and and asked myself: what are some things that I do as a mom to make life run a little smoother? Then, I reached out to some moms in a Facebook group I’m a part of and asked them the same question. I LOVED hearing all their tips for moms!
Between my list and their ideas I came up with a list of about 20 “mom hacks” to share with you. Since then I’ve had a few more ideas so the list has expanded to 30 mom tips, listed in no particular order. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, a working mom, a single mom, a homeschool mom, or whatever your situation might be, I hope you find these “mom life hacks” to be helpful!
30 Mom Life Hacks to Make Life Easier
1. Clean the bathroom while the kids are taking a bath.
While the kids are splashing in the tub it’s a great time to quickly clean the toilet, sink, and mirror. Plus, if half the bath water ends up on the floor you can mop it up with a towel at the end of bath time and call the floor good too! 😉
2. Quickly clean up after meals while the baby and/or toddler is still strapped in their highchair/booster seat.
I will forever be a fan of using our little portable highchair to contain the baby (and sometimes the toddler!)
3. Have a designated naptime/quiet time every afternoon.
When the kids are too old to actually nap just have them play quietly in their room for awhile. A little quiet time is a huge sanity saver, trust me!
4. Cook a breakfast on Monday that can last you most of the week.
These hashbrown breakfast muffins sound yummy!
5. Always carry snacks.
Keep a large ziplock bag in your car that’s stocked with non-perishable snacks like granola bars and fruit pouches.
6. Set out veggies for the kids while you’re making lunch/dinner.
They’ll eat them much better before a meal when they’re hungry and veggies are the only option!
You may also be interested in: My Favorite Tips For Getting Picky Eaters to Eat Their Veggies
7. Make a small to-do list every day.
Write down even the simple stuff! You’ll feel much better about your day if you are able to check off several things. And sometimes just getting one thing done leads to more!
8. Use kitchen shears to cut up your kids’ pizza and other foods.
Don’t have a pair of kitchen scissors? Get one because I promise they’ll save you time in the kitchen!
9. Do the dishes and wipe off the counters before bed EVERY night.
You’ll feel SO much better the next morning if your kitchen is clean!
10. Keep a ziplock bag in your purse/diaper bag with paper, crayons, and stickers.
It’s so convenient to have something ready to pull out when you’re in a waiting room, at a restaurant, etc.
11. Keep a stash of extra diapers and wipes in the car.
And maybe an extra outfit for the baby too, especially if you’re like me and always forget to stick an extra in the diaper bag before going out.
12. Teach your kids to stay in bed/in their rooms until a set time in the morning.
My boys in particular tend to wake up really early, but I typically do a little work in the early morning so our rule is that they have to stay in their room until 7 am. Yes, there are mornings that we have to direct them back to their room a few times, but it’s gotten so much easier once they’ve gotten used to the routine and it helps me so much to have that quiet time before they’re all out and about.
13. Make a weekly meal plan.
Having a list of meals for the week is SO helpful and is totally worth the little bit of planning time it takes.
You may also be interested in: My $75 Meal Plan & Grocery List
14. Keep a few dum-dums lollipops in your purse/diaper bag for kid emergencies.
There’s nothing that a little lollipop can’t make better, am I right?
15. Put together a nursing basket to occupy your toddler while nursing your baby.
I think that this is such a fantastic idea, especially for moms of a toddler and a newborn.
16. Have a five or ten minute clean up time twice a day.
Picking up the house in the middle of the day and before bedtime really helps to keep the house clean, or at least less overwhelmingly messy. Get the whole family to participate!
17. Utilize audiobooks for times when you want your kids to have a little quiet time or to practice sitting still.
Podcasts are a great option too!
18. Cook smart – double your recipes so you can freeze half for another meal later.
I LOVE it when I can pull something out of the freezer that I made ahead of time!
19. Packing your kids’ school lunches? Make multiple days at once to save time.
Here are some fun ideas from Taste of Home.
20. Let your kids’ watch part of a show or movie, then save the other half for after they clean up/eat all their dinner/take baths or whatever you need them to do.
Nothing like a little screen time motivation, at least for my kids haha!
21. Always keep a few plastic grocery bags in your purse/diaper bag.
Wet clothes? Dirty diaper? Random trash? Puking kid? You’ve got it covered!
22. Have a bedwetter? Double layer their bed with a mattress protector, sheet, then another mattress protector and sheet for a super easy change in the middle of the night.
Credit for this mom hack doesn’t go to me but I thought it was genius!
23. Buy only one color of socks so that they’re all easily matched.
I despise the task of matching up all my kids socks so we’re slowly moving to this system and it’s already helping!
24. Label kids’ clothing tags with a dot system.
Label your oldest child’s clothing tags with one dot, then two dots for the next child, etc. When one child outgrows an outfit and passes it down you just need to add a dot. It makes an easy way for you to remember who’s things are whose.
25. Assign seats at the table and in the car so that there’s no fighting.
My family did this growing up and it saved my mom a lot of grief. Definitely a help in a big family especially!
26. Have your kids help you out with age-appropriate chores.
The day I realized that I could have my oldest two kids fold their own laundry (AND PUT IT AWAY) was an amazing day. Do I cringe a bit when I see the results? Yes, but I just try not to look haha.
27. When all else fails, let your toddler play with water.
Running out of ideas to entertain your toddler? It’s probably time for some water play. The bath, toys in the sink, the sprinkler outside, etc. are all fun ideas. Sometimes a little water play makes everything better, even if you have a mess to clean up afterwards.
28. Write out your grocery list in store order.
This will save you so much time in the grocery store!
29. Keep a pantry inventory list so you know what you’re running out of.
This is a mom hack that I need to get better at doing!
30. Get outside a little every day for your sanity.
Getting some fresh air helps, almost always. Make sure to make it a priority, even if it’s just a slow stroll to the mailbox and back.
Now I’d love to hear from you! Which of these mom life hacks do you already love and which are you going to try?
If you have some of your own favorite tips for moms please share, I’m always glad to hear new ideas!!
