Simple Hacks That Made Parenting a Little Easier in 2025
From dog poop bags as backup to calling broccoli "dinosaur trees," here's what parents swore by this year.
In a recent newsletter poll, we asked our Babylist audience what hacks they've sworn by in 2025. The answers? Beautifully uncomplicated solutions to everyday challenges—like a quick alternative when you forgot your baby's mittens or a trick to get your toddler out the door without a meltdown. Enjoy these ideas, and may they come to mind the next time you're in a parenting pickle. Happy hacking!
“Socks on hands when you don’t have mittens!”
“Picking something up to put away every time I leave a room.”
“Pizza cutter for cutting anything into strips or bite size pieces; it’s so much faster than a knife!”
“Tonies instead of screen time.”
“'This or That' with our toddler. We circumvented so many meltdowns by giving him a sliver of autonomy, and options we could live with!”
“Calling broccoli florets ‘dinosaur trees’ and modeling eating them by pretending to be a dinosaur chomping down a single tree at a time—three year old has fun and loves eating broccoli now.”
“Saying a silly word or sound out of the blue to get my kids' attention when they're in the thick of fighting or not listening. Also helps calm my son down when he's getting very emotional; we take three deep breaths and then say something silly like ‘banana pineapple.’” (Here’s a yelling hack, too.)
“Not putting my toddler in their high chair until the food arrives.”
“Assigning themed dinners for each night of the week (ex: Taco Tuesday, one-pot Wednesday). It helps take the guess work out of dinner and gives me inspo.” (More on dinner decision fatigue.)
“Letting baby play with parchment paper during tummy time” (crinkly noises = 👌)
“Portable potty for the car and on the go”
“Using Apple Pay. It’s silly but the sheer fact that I don’t have to dig through my diaper bag for my wallet saves me so much stress and time in the check out and I can get my kiddo home faster”
“Feed at the BEGINNING, not end of bedtime/nap routine! Prevents feed dependency to get to sleep.”
“Boogie Wipes for colds!!!”
“Tie a balloon to their arm and let your three-month-old play on their back pulling the balloon!”
“Letting myself buy and enjoy the bottle washer and formula maker”
“Stifling reactions when baby falls to prevent unnecessary crying!”
“Countdown clock so my toddler has an easier time transitioning.”
“Water water water. When my newborn is fussy and inconsolable, simply standing in the bathroom with the shower on calms him down within a couple minutes."
“Treating blowout stains by putting the clothes in the sunshine!” (Here’s how to do it!)
“Singing during mealtime.”
“Doggie bags when on-the-go are a must-have.”
“Mom walk club; went to one with baby and it was so nice and relatable, recommend especially for first time moms.”
“The bassinet attachment for the stroller for baby #2. Baby slept safely while out and about with big brother. Also, due to its size, it worked well to provide a little extra privacy while breastfeeding at the playground.”
“Whenever my toddler wants a toy at the store, but I don't want to buy it, I take a picture of the toy and say I'll send it to Santa. Now I have pictures throughout the year of toys my toddler likes and would want for the Holidays”
“Parenting with friends. More kids but more help! Makes a difference.”
“Accepting help! Say yes and take time for yourself or a date night."
