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Borderline Genius Life Hacks Every Parent Should Know

By: Briana Mowrey

From household hints to parenting advice, here are genius tips from real HGTV and DIY Network fans that will help you de-stress and streamline your life.

Photo: Alison Gootee (food styling, Khalil Hymore). From: HGTV Magazine

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1 / 10

Play With Their Food

"My one go-to [parenting] trick is food-related. I add faces and make shapes with everything! Tofu trees, smiley rice cakes, you name it!" -Lorena Siminovich of Petit Collage

Try Lorena's advice at home and make this funny-face toast for your kids, as seen in HGTV Magazine.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

2 / 10

Frosty First Aid

"Popsicles for splinters. If a child has a splinter they can numb it with the popsicle. It tints the splinter so it shows up better, then [a] parent can gently remove it with a [set of] tweezers." -Facebook fan Dawn Marie Bowers Chentfant

Photo: Wijnand Loven ©

3 / 10

Bite-Size Time Saver

"I use a pizza cutter to cut most of my children's food into nice pieces: waffles, pancakes, etc." -Facebook fan Elissa Gallien

4 / 10

Tools for Tots

"When [I'm] trying to get a project done and my 5 and 7 year olds keep getting in the way, I just find a child-safe tool and hand [it] to them so they feel like they are helping." -Facebook fan Keith Benedetti

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

5 / 10

Tape Fixes Everything

"I couldn't afford a popular toy train track for my son, so I ran some low tack painters tape [down] the length of the hallway so he had a train track for his toys." -Facebook fan Scuba Steve

6 / 10

Vintage Soda-Crate Toy Storage

Creating storage boxes from vintage items is simple. Holly Mathis attached casters to old soda crates, and placed her son's favorite toys inside. The crates fit nicely underneath the bed and provide easy access to his toys.

Photo: Enrique Ramos Lopez

7 / 10

Raking It In

"We use a garden shrub rake to 'rake up' the small pieces [of plastic block sets] on the carpet. Kids think it is fun!" -Facebook fan Anne Littmann

Photo: monkeybusinessimages

8 / 10

Tickle Monster

"My daughter would fight bedtime, so Daddy started turning into 'Tickle Monster' if she resisted and her bed was the only safe spot. Problem solved." -Facebook fan Michael Deo Fulscher

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

9 / 10

Stack the Sheets

"If you have an infant or young child, stack the sheets. Alternate rubber pads and sheets, so when baby has an accident in the middle of the night all you have to do is take off the top layer and you are good to go! No more remaking the bed in the middle of the night!" -Facebook fan Beth Wile Meyerowitz

Photo: Tricia Messeroux. From: Cousins Undercover

10 / 10

Adult Grape Juice

"Wine...lots and lots of wine." -Facebook fan Britney Ballin

Borderline Genius Life Hacks Every Parent Should Know

Play With Their Food

Frosty First Aid

Bite-Size Time Saver

Tools for Tots

Tape Fixes Everything

Vintage Soda-Crate Toy Storage

Raking It In

Tickle Monster

Stack the Sheets

Adult Grape Juice

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