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20th February 2024
01:10pm GMT
Being a parent means you need to wear multiple hats - chef, chauffeur, cleaner, nurse, therapist, personal shopper, laundryman, and so on. Parenting is a non-stop job and your workday never truly ends.
However, parenting can be made easier when we help each other out.
One mum has shared five of her best tried-and-tested strategies in a bid to make a fellow parent's life that little bit easier.
Makenzie Taylor, @makenzie.taylorr, an American mum and TikTok user, who has two children, has a quick and effective fix for everything from avoiding meltdowns caused by 'boo-boos' to administering medicine.
Taking your eyes off your child — especially if they're very young — is a luxury not many parents can afford.
This is even more the case when you're parenting alone, as there aren't a lot of opportunities for you to squeeze something as simple as a a nice, warm shower into the day.
Makenzie, however, has found a way to inject some self-care without having to worry about what her toddler is getting up to.
"Do you stink and need to shower? Or have you not brushed your hair in five days?" she asked at the start of the video.
She then revealed that giving her child a dry-erase marker and letting them colour on the toilet means she can shower and watch her little one at the same time.
"It will wipe right off when they're done," she said.
Administering medicine to children can be a tricky part of parenting and sometimes no amount of convincing will do.
With this in mind, Makenzie opts to inject liquid medicine into their favourite snacks, essentially hiding it in plain sight.
For the kids that 'turn into an absolute terror' at the sight of medicine, she promises this hack will mean that they'll never know.
The mum can be seen adding the medicine to a syringe and then injecting it into her daughter's doughnut.
@makenzie.taylorr 5 minute crafts DUPE!🤌🏻🤣 #momsoftiktok #momlife #parents #momhack #summeractivitiesforkids #unschooling #momhacks #hacks #dadhacks #parentinghacks #mommusthaves #thingsiwishiknewasanewmom #newmom #parenting #foryou #crafts ♬ Golden Hour: Piano Version - Andy Morris
The reason why children love closing doors is unknown, but it can be a scary situation if they lock themselves inside a room.
Perhaps it comes with their newfound independence upon gaining walking and motor skills.
To prevent an incident where she is locked out of a room, Makenzie duct taps the bolts on her doors so 'the door will not close no matter how hard they try to get it to'.
It may not be a pretty sight to look at, but it will keep them safe until they grow out of it.
If you're travelling as a family, looking for ways to keep their bottles or sippy cups clean can add a layer of unnecessary stress to the trip.
To tackle this issue, Makenzie cleverly came up with a hack that only involves three items.
She cuts up napkins into squares, drizzles them with dish soap on each one, and sticks them inside a Ziploc bag.
"When you get there, you wet the napkin and wash your cup with the napkin," the mum explains.
"It works perfectly when you're on the go."
This hack is sure to soften the blow when your child falls and hurts themselves.
Makenzie freezes marshmallows inside of Ziploc bag to apply to injuries.
This not only serves as a remedy for any scratches or grazes but doubles as a snack afterward.
"When they get their boo-boo, you pull it out and you give it to them," she said.
"It also makes a really good snack because sweets make everything feel better."
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