Mom Hacks: 5 Ways To Get Your Little One To Help You Clean

If you are a new mom or even a single dad, having your favorite “mom hack” could save you hours of time.

We’ve all been there, laundry piling up, dishes overflowing, and that one spot on your floor that is always sticky. What is that, honestly?

Hey, I get it! No judgment from me. As parents, we always have a to-list and some days it grows instead of shrinks.

So how do we tackle these annoying chores when you have children attached to your hip? Well, I just may have a few mom hack ideas to keep them engaged and stop you from pulling out your hair. 

Mom Hack #1) Dance Party

Turn your cleaning into a dance party. If you have an infant or toddler put them in their portable bouncing chair or their playpen and turn up the music. My daughter is a 1-year-old and she loves Taylor Swift. It’s so weird, she is instantly calm when the music is on and yes she does have a favorite. She was in love with the Lover album but now is obsessed with the Folklore album.  I also play a few kids songs that she likes too: Peanut Butter Jelly Time, Baby Shark (the Trapp remix only), and Gummy Bear.

Mom Hack #2) Use your feet or your kids’ feet!

Amazon sells these amazing microfiber slippers that are perfect for you and the kids. Simply put them on and off you go around the house. Make it a competition or pretend you are skating on ice.

** This is only an example of what can be purchased, please do your own research before purchasing online**

READ MORE: Dealing With Mom Guilt

Mom Hack #3) Basket Ball Game

Are your kids clothes on the floor? Play a game of “basketclothes”. Much like basketball the object of the game is to get the clothes into the hamper . You can also try it with the washer and dryer.

Mom Hack #4) Have a race!

This one is great for older kids. You can do a simple race or you can make it a relay race with multiple chores and rooms. Now I know what you are thinking “ I can’t leave my kid alone to clean, they won’t do it properly and I will have to redo it anyway”. That’s not true at all! Here are some tricks to help: make a nice big prize for the winner, have them pick the prize because its something they want, have rules, let them know that if clothes are shoved in hiding places or things aren’t 100% they have to start over. 

Mom Hack #5) Window Paint

Dirty windows? Get some window paint or markers and go bananas! It disguises those dirty windows and shows off your little artists. And then when you are ready to wash it off it’s a fun time too. It would be even more fun if you draw/paint on the outside of the window that way when it rains you can dress up in your rain gear and bring a bucket of soap. Perfect activity to wash those windows and have fun in the rain.

If markers are not what you want, another option you can purchase is window paint from Gallery Glass – there are lots of different colour options to choose from.

** This is only an example of what can be purchased, please do your own research before purchasing online**

Bonus Tip: Always remember chores can wait. If you have dishes that you have to leave overnight, leave them, and do them in the morning. If you are exhausted and just need a break, then skip a day of chores and spend time with your little (or with a glass of wine). My job as a parent is to focus on my kid and my mental health if I have to skip a day of chores oh well. There is this saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup” so sometimes you need to take a break and fill your cup before you start to pour from it again.

In case no one told you today: You are a great parent and you are doing a great job!