20 + Mom Hacks to Make Life Run a Little Smoother

As moms, we’re always learning new tips and tricks to make mom life easier. Here are 20 of my best mom hacks.

Although I’ve not been a mom for suuuper long (just seven years this past summer) I’ve definitely learned some little things that I like to do to make life run a little smoother in my home.

But there’s always a ton for me to learn and I love asking other moms what works well for them and learning from their best mom tips and tricks.

For today’s post 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!

Between my list and their ideas I came up with this list of 20+ mom hacks to share with you, listed in no particular order. I hope you find them helpful!

20+ 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 have the bath water end 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 the 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. Grab some books on CD from the library 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 motivation!

and finally . . .

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!

Well, that’s it for today folks!

I’d love to hear which of these mom life hacks you already love and which you’re going to try! And if you have some of your own favorite mom hacks please share, I’m always glad for new ideas!! 🙂

Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to pin this post if you found it helpful! 🙂