Moms have a lot on their plates. They are, after all, the ones who go through the physical trauma of giving birth, and, if they chose, breastfeeding their little angel to give them the best possible start in life. And while there really is no such thing as too much help in the parenting department, some moms have a knack for using their noggins to make their lives easier.
Because let's face it, it doesn't matter how many kids you have, or how much advice you've been given, the key to winning at parenting, as is the case with so many things in life, is creativity. Whether that involves putting your kids' toys to unconventional use so you can get your chores done faster or coming up with clever solutions that make your house more kid-friendly.
So, without further ado, here are 15 moms who put their creativity to good use. Prepare to be impressed.
1. This mom who used a diaper to keep her iced coffee cold:
Credit: Instagram / @jazmin_bree
And that, my friends, is how clever moms get their caffeine fix - and keep it cool - on a hot day.
2. When this kid's burrito was about to end up on her lap, her mom popped it in a popsicle stick:
Credit: Instagram / @fit_happy_momma
No spilled beans. No mess for mom to clean up.
3. After her kid grew impatient that their fries were too hot, this mom came up with an inventive solution:
Credit: Instagram / @kaila_elizabeth_official
Let's just hope that air con vent wasn't dusty - Otherwise, genius!
4. This mom popped a tablet into a plastic bag so their kid could watch cartoons in the car:
Credit: Instagram / @momma.to.many
Because no mom wants to deal with a screaming kid while they're trying to concentrate on the road.
5. When this kid turned their nose up at their breakfast, their mom decided to turn it into toast fries and jam ketchup:
Credit: Instagram / @carapoage
This is a lesson for all parents: use your kid's love of junk food to your advantage.
6. This mom was sick of her kid's toy's shoes falling off, so she glued them on:
Credit: Instagram / @okcmomsblog
Small parts and children are always a bad combination, but that doesn't have to be the case.
7. If you don't have a diaper to hand, this mom discovered that it is possible to make one from a grocery bag:
Credit: Instagram / @ohheyaria
Creativity at its finest.
8. This mom wasn't going to make multiple trips to bring in her groceries, so she used her kid's cart to do it in one:
Credit: Instagram / @momofa_t1d
Being a mom is only as hard as you make it.
9. A moment of silence for this mom who stopped her wrapping paper from unraveling with one of her kid's old socks:
Credit: Instagram / @craftysavvymom
Upcycling and making your life easier at the same time.
10. Hiding sweets from your kids is a challenge, but this mom realized her coffee cup was the last place she'd look:
Credit: Instagram / @mommythezookeeper
11. This mom didn't have any clips to hand to kepe her potato chips fresh, so she simply took the ones off a coathanger:
Credit: Instagram / @lindsay_head
If this isn't proof that moms are superheroes, I don't know what is.
12. Command hooks are supposed to make life easier, so this mom made sure her kids' cups were available at an easy to reach level:
Credit: Instagram / @joannie_rouleau
Because every parent knows that accidents happen when a house isn't kid-friendly.
13. When this mom had to move a table, she decided to use her kids' rollerskates to help her:
Credit: Instagram / @momma2beans
Now that's a brilliant way to save your back from unnecessary strain.
14. No one wants to eat stale goldfish, so this mom kept them fresh using a clothing sticker:
Credit: Instagram / @jacquelynnpilcher
This list is proof that packaging can be seriously multipurpose if you're smart about it.
15. Moms need to make the most of their me time and this one did using a shower caddy:
Credit: Instagram / @milts
Now that's what I call multitasking!
16. Dirty LEGO? No problem!
Credit: lifeasmama.com
Kids (and adults) love playing with LEGO, but when this mom saw that each piece was getting filthy as a result of hands-on play, she knew exactly how to solve the issue. Simply place the all the LEGOs in an open-weave bag and give it a spin in the washing machine!
So, if you're a mom, or know one, you might want to take note of these incredibly creative hacks. Sure, being a mom is a challenging job, but it turns out that you can make it a little bit easier on yourself when you think outside the box.