Kids are hard work ¨C so any tips that make life easier for mums and dads are always welcome information.
These clever parents have figured out small hacks to help get through day-to-day activities with kids whether it be travelling to the beach or going grocery shopping.
Here are some hacks every parent needs in their back pocket.
For a daily dose of 9Honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.
Long car trips with kids can be exhausting for parents, especially those pesky nappy change stops.
But one mum has found the perfect solution to stay organised and set up for any road trip pits stops ¨C and her hack costs just $10.
Sharing a photo to the Kmart Hacks & Decor Facebook Group, mum Acacia shows how she's converted a shelf hanging organiser into the perfect storage in her car boot.
READ MORE: Hemsworth's admission on daughter's acting career
"The organiser fits perfectly across the back of our Forester for our two and one year old girls stuff during travel!" she explained.
In the picture you can see each pocket of the organiser has everything she needs to help make her trips a breeze. From nappies, snacks, toys, blankets and more, this mum has thought of everything.
There is also a play mat laid out across the boot to avoid any mess getting on the interior carpet. ?
The clever hack impressed other parents who are now keen to try it out in their own cars.
"Wow! That's awesome," one person commented.
With the cost-of-living crisis showing no sign of easing, families across the country are looking for simple ways to save on the weekly grocery shop.
One mum has been praised after sharing her clever hack to divide up a large packet of chips into separate mini snap-lock bags.
"Does anyone else do this?" she wrote in the Mums on a Budget Facebook group. "I just realised eight packs for $2.69."
Alongside her post was a photo of a ?230g packet of salt & vinegar chips and her simple DIY trick ¨C perfect for school lunches.
That's right, folks. If y?ou buy the mulit-pack bags off the grocery shelves you end up paying a premium for the box and the convenience ¨C up to $10 for 20 packs.
Using the mum's hack means you are paying just 33 cents a bag, rather than around 50 cents a pop.
Other parents loved the mum's creative solution, thanking her for the money-saving tip.
"OMG. I never thought of this! So smart and cheap," said one mum.
"The multipacks are very dear now. So definitely the way to go," said another.
"Next shop this is what I will be doing - $8.70 for a box of singles is ridiculous! Thank you," said another. "It's brilliant."
Other mums pointed the obvious portion size comparison too.
"I do it with pretty much everything. These snack bags you get in the shops are the biggest waste of money and the serving size is tiny," said one.
"My kids prefer it as they get more in a packet this way too."
W?ith six kids at home, mum Sarah from Sydney has her work cut out for her when it comes to the weekly washing.
So to save time on sorting, washing, drying and then storing her kids' clothes, she's thought of a genius idea that ?uses a $6 item from Kmart.
Posting to the Kmart Hacks & Decor Facebook Page, Sarah shared a photo of her home 'washing station?' where all her kids sort their washing.
"Socks and undies go in the bags. Everything else in the basket. No more sorting," the mum explains.
READ MORE: How motherhood gave me an identity crisis
The picture showing a small clothing rack that has six Kmart Laundry Wash Bags hanging on clip hangers, labeled with her kids' names.
"Everything gets washed in the bags, then in the dryer and straight to their rooms," she explains, sharing her laundry hack with fellow parents on the page.
"Only a mother of six could be this brilliant. Please share more mum hacks!" one person commented on the post impressed with the idea.
"I'm going to try this!! Thank you for sharing!" another wrote.
A? mum whose son struggles to sleep at night has shared a $14 product that has changed their life.
"This has been amazing for my son, he feels safe, comfortable and he doesn't have anxiety attacks," Katie captioned a post on the Kmart Mums Australia Facebook Group.
The mum explained that her boy has always had issues sleeping at night and was worried about what would happen when he outgrew his McQueen Bed Tent.
"I didn't want to pay for an expensive sensory pod for his double bed," she shared.
READ MORE: Woman furious after mother-in-law ruins her gender reveal
She was lucky enough to come across a recommendation from another mum online who had the same issue, who suggested the Kmart 2 Person Dome Tent.
The $14 product the answer to Katie and her son's issues: ??"Best hack ever for us."
The mum shared photos of the tent set up on top of her son's double bed frame with the mattress and bedding inside.
?A set-up she says was affordable and 'didn't take too long' to put together.
After sharing photos of her sleep hack, the mum has inspired others to try out the product with their restless sleepers.
"This is the best thing I have ever seen. What a brilliant idea," one mum wrote.
Another said, "I'm so trying this! Thank you!?"
Some parents revealed they are already using the tent in their kids' room and it's been working wonders.
READ MORE: Unusual pattern on baby jumper baffling thousands
"Had this tent for my back then four-year-old son during the lockdowns. Best $14 I've ever spent!?" ?
A few adults even thinking of trying it out for themselves, "I want a bed tent So cosy!"
Katie confirmed a double mattress can fit perfectly inside the base of the tent and made her son feel safe and secure.
Sensory pod beds can cost up to $5,000 for ?kids, so the Kmart tent has been a bargain find for the mum.
Parents are in a frenzy over ?a $15 children's winter item.
One mum shared a photo of the product on Facebook - a $15 Glow in the Dark Dino blanket - much to the delight of other shoppers.
"Heads up, the Glow in the dark blankets are awesome!" she wrote. "This was literally five seconds against a sunny window and they glow skeletons."
The blanket features a dinosaur print that apparently glows after it is left in the sun or under a bright light "for 10 to 15 minutes" to "create a magical atmosphere in your kids' bedroom."
Many parents flocked to the post with praise for the cosy blanket.
"This is not a want but a need for the boys!," said one.
"I got my daughter the pink unicorn glow in the dark blanket and it's also amazing. She is obsessed she thinks it scares off the boogy man," said another.
"I got this blanket last year for my two-year-old son and it's really warm," said a third.
"Off to Kmart I go," declared a fourth.
We all know how attached children can get to their soft toys, and how grubby these much-cuddled items become.
One Aussie mum has shared her secret to restoring her kids' toys back to mint condition ¨C and all it takes is a simple pet brush from Kmart that costs just $3.25.?
"Kmart pet brush to the rescue," the mum of four from Victoria revealed on a popular Kmart fans Facebook page, alongside a series of before-and-after photos of a transformed white bunny.
"Revitalising the kids much loved Jellycat bunnies. The kids sleep with them every night and have since they were born. My oldest daughter's (toy) is now 10 years old but now looks brand new again."
Other parents loved the "genius" idea - with one even declaring: "Never in my life have I loved a hack more."
"What a transformation," commented another parent. "That is amazing!"
"Wow. What a difference," said a third.
"Thank you for sharing. I need to do it for my daughter."
Others also chimed in with their praise for the Kmart brush for use on other items around the home. ?
"Those brushes are fabulous on sheepskin rugs too - makes them look brand new," said one.
"We do this too, it's awesome! It's also good for the Velcro tabs on kids' shoes when everything in the world seems to be stuck to them!" shared another.
While others parents said their kids loved their "old and tatty" Jellycat bunnies just as they are.
P?roving the best solutions always come from mums, one woman has found a way to make bedtime bearable.
Posting to the Kmart Hacks and Decor Facebook group, ?the mum shared a photo of her ingenious way to keep herself entertained while putting her baby to sleep.
Using a tablet holder - which will set you back just $5 at Kmart, attached to the cot, the mum can now use her Kindle to catch up on her favourite novel while waiting for her baby to fall asleep. ?
"I have a very sleepless baby and spend a lot of time rocking. Reading my kindle keeps the mum rage at bay. The tablet holder on the cot has been a lifesaver," she said.
The hack was a hit with fellow mums.
"Genius idea," said one. "Awesome idea," agreed another. ?
"I am so going to Kmart to get one of these for my kindle. What a great idea. Might even invest in a kindle page turner too," added one.
"?I just joined and it was worth just for this genius idea! Thank you," praised another.
While one mum joked: "I wish I'd read this 26 years ago."?
When one mum-of-four cottoned on to her kids sneaking their school laptops out at night to play games, she knew she needed to outsmart them.
While locking them away each night stopped their deviant behaviour, it left the problem of sending them to school with uncharged devices.
So after a little bit of brainstorming, a trip to Kmart and one seriously bright idea the mum devised her own 'device jail' using commonly found items - a $14 plastic basket plus file holders for $6.
The cheap but effective solution now allows her to charge their laptops, while preventing her kids from accessing them.
Sharing her find on a popular Facebook group, she said:
"?My four children have laptops from school that they bring home. They sneak them out at night to play, so I was locking them in a cupboard, but I couldn't charge them. So made my own rough 'device jail' which holds the devices, all from Kmart."
Parents loved her idea - with thousands liking and commenting on the post. ?
"Genius. Looks like I'm off to Kmart," said one mum. "That is so freaking clever," added another.
"Off to Kmart," said one, while another called it "brilliant".
"I'll be doing this, this week!" said another.
And one mum said it was the perfect budget solution. "Oh my gosh! Genius! I need one but won't pay big money for one!"
However, not everyone was convinced, with some mums saying their kids would still manage to find a way to ?access their laptops.
"My kids would cut it open," said one. "My kids would have defeated the lockbox," agreed a second.?
But one mum may have a rival hack, saying: "I just hide them at the bottom of a basket of laundry that needs folding. They've never been found!"?
Another simply said: "How sad you need to lock them up!" ?
Getting kids to sleep has to be one of the biggest struggles for every parent.
And so, it goes without saying that any strategy to help ease the bedtime battle is very welcome. ?
Enter mum-of-three Lauren Giesting and her "genius" bedtime chart.
Uploading a video of the clever solution to her Instagram page, Lauren revealed the tool has been "a game changer" in her household.
"My amazing mum made these because our bedtime has been disastrous,'' she explained. "I have never seen my kids more excited to brush their teeth or put their pyjamas on."
The homemade chart displays a list of tasks clearly labelled, that need to be folded up and fastened with a magnet (fun!) as each one is completed.
According to Lauren, the simple solution has turned bedtime from up to one hour of pain into "10 minutes". ?
"Ah-mazing," she concluded the clip.
Other parents absolutely loved the idea, and Lauren's post quickly amassed over one million likes and comments.
"'This is great! I'm definitely going to try this. Thanks for sharing!'' said one. "Genius. Love it, declared another."
Other adults saw the chart's potential beyond its use for children.
"What a great tool for working with relatives with dementia," commented one.
"Need this for my husband," said another. "Heck, I want one for me!"
Ah, children. Give them pencils and paper and they'll show no interest, but two minutes alone with a misplaced permanent marker and suddenly they've da Vinci and your walls are the canvas.
We've all been there, with varying levels of horror at their enthusiastic creations.
Thankfully one mum may just have found a failsafe solution ¨C and it will set you back just $7.50. ?
Sharing her 'hack' to TikTok, the UK mum showed how ?she used a stain erasing sponge, which disintegrates as it removes the markings, to scrub her three-year-old son's scribbles (in red permanent marker, no less) from her walls.
"Mums... MUMS! You need to wake up and get this thing," she urges in the clip.
While the exact eraser appears to only be available in the UK, a similar product is available at Bunnings, retailing at the budget friendly price of $7.50 for a four pack.
It's proved a hit with her followers, who were keen to test it out themselves.
"Na please where was this when it took me three hours to get scribbles off," one said. "I need this immediately?," agreed another.
"I need this too, my three-year-old loves to do things like this," said a third.
Kelsey Pomeroy has shared a product she says makes travelling with kids a breeze - painter's tape.
The US mum says she doesn't bother packing many toys for her young children as the tape serves as the perfect play thing for both of her kids.
She says she can get her kids to put the tape on and take the tape off a window or table, put things through the hole, tape toys to the back of the plane seat for her older child to play "rescue", and more.
"Oh your luggage tag broke? Painter's tape. You have to label something? Painter's tape. A toy broke and you need a quick fix? Painter's tape," the mum-of-two said.
She also uses it, together with a black rubbish bag, to make blackout curtains. This helps her children sleep when the rooms at their accommodation are too light.
She says the bag is "reusable, in that this tape hangs them without leaving residue on the window when you peel the tape off."
"These are crucial to our success," the mum claims.
Some fellow mums vouched for the unassuming item, even sharing more ways it can be used while travelling.
"The tape also covers outlets and can tape off drawers you don't want open! A cheap baby proofing vacation hack for the win!" said one mum.
"We just went on a road trip and my mum thought I was nuts for bringing masking tape¡.. until she used it more than I did!" shared another.
One teacher has shared her foolproof hack for making her class go silent immediately, using just one $8 toy from Kmart.
TikTok user Kirsty demonstrated "the best behaviour management technique to ever exist" by simply taking a reversible octopus toy and turning from the side with the smiley face to the side with the frowny face and silently placing it on her head.
Her noisy class immediately sees her act and says "Uh-oh" before falling completely silent.
The video quickly went viral, amassing over 2.6 million views. Many teachers chimed in, saying that the octopus works wonders across all ages.
"I also use this with my Year 1s they're always like 'the octopus is sad, the octopus is sad' and they just go silent after," commented one teacher.
"I do this with my year 7s it works so well. They now ask where Alfred is when I don't bring him to class," said another.
But this hack isn't just for teachers, with parents also saying that the hack is effective. "Been doing this with my kids," one commented.
One mum has shared her simple trick to prevent her child from throwing their drink bottle out of the stroller - and it only requires a singlehair accessory.
US mum Kiersten Brooke shared her quick hack to secure her baby's sippy cup to his stroller.
"All you need is a hair tie!", she captioned the short video on Instagram.
She demonstrates how to loop the hair tie onto one of the loose straps of the stroller and pull tight to secure. She then stretches the hair tie over the bottle, stopping her baby from throwing it again.
"And there you have it!," she concludes the video.
Parents loved the hack, with many declaring it "genius" and tagging all their mum friends.
"Love this!", said one.
One Aussie mum has shared her hack for getting her daughter's endless amount of soft toys off the ground and into storage.
"I was so sick of seeing stuffed toys," posted mum Heather to a popular Kmart Facebook group, "I saw this bean bag cover at Kmart and thought I'd try it out as a storage option.
The mum shared that the storage doubles as a cozy spot for her daughter to relax.
"I put a key ring on the zip so that my little one can access the toys when she needs to. She thinks it's comfy, and that's all that matters. It's a good size too!" she added.
Other mums appreciated the tip
"That's an awesome solution to 'what do we do with the 100 teddies our kids have collected and refuse to give away' problem. Love it," said one mum.
"I've done this with two large bean bags in my lounge, and every time you sit on one of them, Donkey from Shrek speaks to you," another shared.
One mum has shared a controversial dinner hack - dessert at the dinner table.
US mum Veronica shares that she always offers dessert - in this case a cookie - at the same time as the main meal, as it, "take(s) away and intrigue of dessert.
The mum shared that her daughter "didn't even go for the cookie" in the end.
"Food is food and I'll continue to foster that foundation to encourage healthy habits and listening to our bodies when we're full," said the mum.
When you use a slow cooker, you're probably making things like stews, casseroles, or maybe a steamed cake. But have you ever used one to make toys?
One mum recently shared a play dough recipe to the Slow Cooker Recipe & Tips Facebook page, declaring the recipe made the "softest and smoothest play dough ever!"
To make the popular play item, you only need a few pantry staples, some food colouring, and of course, a slow cooker.
Ingredients
Directions
The recipe has received over 1.6k reactions, thousands of comments, and many more shares.
Some fans have even suggested ways to enhance the play dough.
"Add a couple of drops of 'x' essential oil to make it smell nice," said one.
Another wrote, "Try two teaspoons of beetroot juice for a bright natural colour."
The recipe has been met with general enthusiasm from many: "I am a kindy teacher and I swear by this recipe! Every parent and visitor comments on how smooth and soft it is. And it lasts forever!"
However, others questioned whether the recipe requires a slow cooker. They mention making play dough in a microwave, on a stovetop, or alternative 'no-cook' recipes.
