Lazy Parent Hacks and Tips - Family Photographer Brisbane

This is one of those blog posts that has nothing to do with family photography and everything to do with making family life a little easier, especially if you're living in Brisbane.

Life is chaotic, kids are hectic and as much as we love our kids to pieces, sometimes we parents just need to find ways to make the minimal effort to get through a day. If you have seen the movie Bad Moms, you probably already get where we are heading in this blog post.

Sounds like your kind of thing? Step right this way!!

FOOD TIPS

• If your toddler is a messy eater, feed them their dinner while they sit in the bath. This saves on clean up of kids and table.

• Toddlers learning pincer grip - pop their high chair in front of the wiggles with a bunch of peas, raisins, grated cheese etc and enjoy the 15 minutes peace and quiet this brings you. Make sure your dog is also in the room for simple cleanup.

• When the kids don't finish their lemonade, make margarita!

• Hide your chocolate inside vege packets in the freezer, they will never look there.

• Always refer to wine as "juice" or "water". This way, when your child tells people how much "water" you drink it will make you sound healthy.

• The ice cream truck only plays music when they run out of ice cream. My kids believe this, please do not tell them otherwise.

• Keep the kids plastic cups down low so they can get their own drinks - this is especially handy if you have a fridge with a water dispenser.

OUT AND ABOUT TIPS

• Tie a helium balloon to them when out somewhere with crowds, it makes them easier to find if they stray off

• Dress your kids in matching clothing when going to the store so that if you loose one you can say "She looks like this one"

• Use a marker to write your phone number on their arm for easy returns if they do wander off.

SCHOOL TIPS

• If you're going to be late to school - be actual late so you can drop them off in the now-clear kiss and ride zone and not have to walk all that extra distance.

• An uneaten apple can be recycled in a lunch box for several days before needing replacing and you still pass the teacher test of giving healthy foods.

• If you need an extra few minutes during the day, tell the kids you will pick them up "late" and arrive 20 minutes after the bell when the car parking and congestion has cleared. (only suitable for older children, obviously)

• Rushed to school on a winters morning only to find the kids don't have their jumper? Borrow one from the lost and found bin and get them to return it at first break when the day has warmed up a little.

TECH TIPS

• Download a new app any time you need some extra quiet, eg at dinner out.

• Kids not getting goff the iPad? Remotely disconnect their access and watch them all turn up suddenly!

• Play video games "together" but just disconnect their controllers so your game doesn't get messed with.

• If you want your kids to memorise a number, such as birthdate or mobile phone number, set it as the log-in code on their device and they will have it down in a matter of hours.

HOME TIPS

• Save yourself that matching/missing sock drama by encouraging your kids to wear mismatched socks and call it trendy.

• Convince your kids that you hate the sound of the vacuum cleaner and watch them vacuum when they are mat at you "just to annoy you"

• Tell them you hid something they want in their bedroom (wifi password, chocolate bar)and that they can have it if they clean their room to find it. (Pro tip - do not hide it, just give it to them at the end)

• Sick of the kids fighting? Purchase noise cancelling headphones and wait it out to see which survives...

• Kids love to be pushed on the swing but you love to sit and do nothing? Tie a rope to the swing and sit back in the shade with a leftover-lemonade-margarita and a cheese platter knowing you are smashing parenting goals.

• Make pony tails in record time using a vacuum cleaner.

• Kids hiding from you? Play the jingle from the ice cream truck and watch them come running!

• Tell them their ears turn red when they lie. They will cover their ears when they lie to you and is hilarious to watch payout in real life.

PARENT SLEEP TIPS

• Toddler parent Sunday sleep-in: Set up the lounge up the night before with some raisins on the coffee table and TV set to ABC Kids 22 so all they have to do when they wake up is press the red button to watch some TV with snacks.

• Daylight savings - that first early morning is rough, so send the kids the grandmas house that first night!

• Need an hours sleep in? If they stay in their bedroom until a certain time in the morning, sneak in and put the clock back an hour and enjoy that extra am time in slumbered bliss.

So that about rounds off my brain dump of ways to get through the tough days. If you need me, I'll be sipping my "water" with a cheese platter while my children tidy their rooms in search of the chocolate that I have hidden in the frozen peas packet in the deep freeze.

Please share any helpful tips and hacks you have too!