7 amazing parenting hacks that we SO didn’t know about

Not that we think we ever have it all figured out but every now and then - a very slight now and then - we might just sit back for a moment, smugly observe everything that we have achieved as parents.

This might be when the kids are both in bed and sleeping soundly by 8.30pm (a minor miracle in our house), and the house is relatively clean and you feel like you have a sense of control. On these rare unicorn-like nights, I like to crack open a bottle of wine and put something on the tv that is not Peppa Pig. Because, seriously, this grown up needs to feel a little...grown up in my home from time to time. But I am always open to feelings of further smugness and so LOVE it when I catch a series of hacks online that I can apply at home. Here are 7 of my current faves: 1. Lefty-Righty If you too are having "Mammy! Are they on the right feet?!" roared at you all over the house then you'll like this too. Cut a cool sticker in half and place one half inside each shoe for reference - they'll get it! 2. No More Monsters  If you have a child who's afraid of monsters then this might work for you. Designate a bottle to be the 'Monster Spray' and get busy warding off those crazy creatures from under the bed before bedtime. 3. No Escapees I LOVE this idea - not only will you keep your little one contained in the bath but you'll keep their toys nearby too - double win! 4. Peak Sneaky Parenting Just because I don't want my kids to live on chocolate and treats doesn't mean that I don't want them in the house but they ALWAYS find them. Perhaps this little sneak is the challenge they are in need of, eh?! 5. Help A Kiddie Out So I always assumed that those little flaps on the top of a juice carton were so that I could cut them open and pour the contents down my neck. But on the odd occasion that I let my kids have one of these bad boys, it turns out that I could have been helping them to pick up the carton by opening the flaps out for them. Who knew?! 6. Here's My Handle, Here's My Spout Find yourself lifting your kids up to reach the tap at home all the time? ME TOO. Well now we know that we can make a water spout extender out of just about any toiletry bottle. Amazing. 7. Marshmallow Dam Use a marshmallow to plug the end of an ice cream cone and protect your precious clean floors (side note: my floors are never clean one way or the other but I'm not opposed to this on any level!) Mind. Blown. Got any parenting hacks to share? Why not join the conversation on Facebook.